‘Brickfields’, extending a house in the Norbury Estate Conservation Area

The Norbury Estate Conservation Area is one of the earliest London County Council state aided housing estates covering an area of 30 acres. This house on Tylecroft Road was part of the second phase of development built between 1919 and 1921 after the First World War. The site was a former brick field which was used to provide the distinctive brickwork for the scheme. The estate was a designed in an Arts and Crafts inspired style with a degree of design variation of fenestration, roofs, entrances and porches creating a cottage appearance.

When approached by the Client, she was keen for a design that would allow her family to have a combination of space they could enjoy individually but also open spaces that they could share together, increasing the small proportions of the existing cellular rooms.

Various options for the extension and refurbishment were discussed, the final layouts retained the front living room and central staircase however the existing kitchen, dining room and utility room were reconfigured and extended into the garden up to the maximum permitted depth of 3 metres. A new island unit subtly separates the kitchen and living space while also enabling views onto the living area with a cosy dining area at the very rear of the extension. It was important that the new living space had access to natural day light and felt spacious therefore a roof window is proposed with a fully glazed rear elevation. In the warmer months the bi-fold doors can be opened to allow a flow between the extension and garden.

Respecting the ‘brickfields’ origin, the extension is to have a similar colour bricks and roof tiles to the existing building. The colour of the brick will be a rich, deep red along with dark brown clay roof tiles with hints of purple and red. In relation to the massing, the extension will have a centrally pitched roof following the character of the estate.
The challenge of reconciling the Client’s desire for a flexible living space and the site constraints of the Conservation Area have resulted in an original design specific to its historic context whilst at the same time transforming the existing house for family use.