Victorian to Contemporary

Client: Professional Couple
Engineer: Technikerweb
Photographer: Paul Smoothyweb

When remodelling this 4-story Victorian terraced house, the number of bedrooms were increased, living spaces enlarged, and tiny walled-in garden embraced - all within 4.5m between party walls!
The internal circulation was reorganised by removing the existing staircases, which immediately increased habitable floor area & created direct garden access. A new single, 3-story straight stair was built between one party wall and a 3.5-story timber stud partition. This stairway has open or glazed 'punctures' which keep the otherwise tall narrow area awash with light & feeling spacious. The inclusion of fire rated glazing into selected punctures meant that two floors could act as a single fire compartment. Hence unrestricted open plan living on both floors: kitchen-dining-study on lower ground; interconnected receptions & a library-reading room on upper ground. The fully glazed reading room overlooks the garden bringing the outdoors in.