Extension

The clients for this project – a couple and their two kids – wanted a single-story house while also retaining as much of their garden as possible on a relatively small block. The design strategy was to remove the old lean-to and add a small 50 m² extension of connected living spaces, increasing the total footprint of the house by 30 m², making the most of each space by overlapping functions rather than adding a new room for each. 

Sycamore is the complete renovation and extension of a 1960’s house for a family of four on the edge of a historic Buckinghamshire village. The clients loved the location and extraordinary hilltop views of the Chiltons countryside, but the house was too small and in urgent need of refurbishment. The interior was entirely rebuilt, with extensions added to the side and rear, all new glazing throughout, and new landscaping with an external lap-pool overlooking the wonderful view. Only the front wall and garage remain of the original house, maintaining the consistent character of the street. The build was completed in March 2020, just in time for lockdown.

Located on the Atlantic coast, the topless house replaces a dilapidated veranda formerly adjoining the main vacation home. A small architectural gem, it offers its users multiple spatial configurations. Equipped with a removable roof, it reveals itself letting in the first rays of sunshine of the day. The roof overhang, defying the laws of gravity, acts as a cap extending the living space.

The Marfa Suite is a detached addition to an existing single bedroom adobe home in Marfa, Texas. The suite is conceived as a lounge, art studio, and refuge for the owners to stay when guests visit the remote town for extended stays. The low-maintenance earthen structure is made primarily from compressed earth block that provides a warm atmosphere and is a direct nod to the historical vernacular adobe structures that exist along the US Mexico border, the greater North American Southwest region, and the owners existing home.

Immersed in an abundant natural valley environment, the project is located a few hours from Mexico City near Valle de Bravo, a place set apart by its splendid flora and fauna. Casa Chulavista is a getaway residential complex built within the facilities of Rancho Chipicas, an enclosure for the agriculture of organic products as well as other farm activities.