Warwick Road House Knowle - feasibility study
existing issues
scope of proposal
The exisitng house suffers from a series of accretions made over time without consideration given to the spatial coherence and overall form of the house.
In spite of the more awkward ground floor, circulation on the first floor is more logical. And I would propose that rooms are refurbished on a rolling basis as and when necessary without the need for structural changes.
As such, the ground floor plan is fragmented into remote rooms, often too small - or even to large - for their proper use. Connections with the main garden, and the smaller ‘English Garden’, to the side, are impeded by the kitchen and utility wing which limits access and views out.
Benjamin Carter benjamescarter@outlook.com benjamin-carter.co.uk 07729812431
As for the ground floor, where most changes are proposed, the original house remains largely unchanged. But it is in the series of later extensions made over time in the form of the garage annex, and the kitchen wing, where there is most scope for alteration.
1. EMERGING CONCEPT Sketches show that with the removal of the kitchen wing, and part of the garage annex, that new, simpler structures can be positioned either side of the house as compositional ‘bookends’ which frame the original gable.
Warwick Road House - Knowle
Sketch development
2. EMERGING CONCEPT the concept of the garden pavilion emerges, two flanking structures of a neutral architectural ‘language’ - allow the architecture of the original house to come to the fore. Whilst the rooms of the original house are enclosed and warm, the rooms of the garden pavilion are extensively glazed to act as a filter between house and garden.
Warwick Road House - Knowle
Sketch development
3. EMERGING CONCEPT the positioning of these wings creates a central patio in front of the old gable, and focuses outdoor activity there, creating an outdoor room, enclosed on three sides.In these sketches the language is refined into repeatable glazed ‘bays’ of sliding doors between vertical columns, which lends a quiet rhythm to the pavilions and gives them a unified appearance.
Warwick Road House - Knowle
Sketch development
4. EMERGING CONCEPT It is proposed that these extensions, rather than mimic the architecture of the original house, foreground it by contrast. Incorporating a similar brickwork in parts of the extension, and a neutral finish to the columns, the house and extension ought to reflect one another in colour and texture, but be read as buildings of two different eras.
Warwick Road House - Knowle
Sketch development
5. EXISTING GROUND FLOOR PLAN The existing plan disperses the primary functions of the house, so that there’s little to no connection between the main rooms. The kitchen, at the crux of the house is small by modern standards and fails to live up to its potential, acting instead as a circulation space. The large utility wing and yard block access to a small courtyard garden and are spatially inefficient and disproportionately large.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Warwick Road House - Knowle
Plan development
garage lounge/dining hall porch toilet kitchen dining utility yard study games room
6. ALTERATIONS PLAN It is proposed that the vast majority of works take place in the area occupied by the kitchen and utility, in order to improve the potential sociability of the kitchen and create stronger links to the gardens. Alterations to the plan (shown in red) indicate where walls and partitions are to be removed, openings are widened, new windows are formed etc. These are largely limited to the kitchen wing, for which demolition is proposed (being of the least consequence to the first floor. Furthermore, the existing toilet - which is blocking connections between the hallway and garden, and kitchen and lounge - is relocated. This enables a closer connection between the main rooms of the house.
Warwick Road House - Knowle
Plan development
7. PROPOSED GROUND FLOOR PLAN The proposed plan rationalises the circulation within the house by removing the toilet, creating a new direct link between the expanded kitchen (7) and the lounge (3) across the hall. Beyond the lounge a new hobby room is formed (1) with a strong relationship to the garden (Sketch A on the following page). The main body of work concerns the kitchen, which is re-oriented to address the garden, and frames by way of a glazed link- a view to the courtyard garden (sketch B). In the place of the former utility, a new utility and toilet is formed giving over the majority of the extension to a garden room, (8) which is adaptable as a dining room, small living space, etc (Sketch C) and benefits from a direct access to the upper patio.
C
A
B
the annotations A, B + C correspond to sketches on the following page
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Warwick Road House - Knowle
Plan development
hobby room/ study garage/ additional utility lounge snug hall porch kitchen garden room utility toilet study games room patio
8. SKETCH VIGNETTES A. Study - the study is a small private refuge formed out of the garden end of the garage. It is glazed on two sides as a smaller twin structure to the garden room. Could assume multiple other uses. B. Glazed link - this small ‘gap’ space is formed between the existing house and proposed extension. This enables a considered, framed view from the kitchen to the English garden, in counterpoint to the expansive glazing onto the main garden. A new opening from the former yard gives access to the games room from the kitchen. C. Garden Room - this view of the main space demonstrates a possible use for the garden room as a dining space. Benefitting from expansive glazing and skylights, the light in this space would be suitable also for a small living room or entertaining space.
A
Warwick Road House - Knowle
B
C
Plan development
PROPOSED GROUND FLOOR PLAN - ENLARGED
9.
The reconfiguration of the ground floor (primarily on the garden facing elevation), is shown here with indicative furnishing. In more detail, from left to right, the study is a small room versatile enough to double up as a hobby room, music suite, library, or evening drinks spot. Albeit with further investigation required, it may be possible to form this room from the shell of the existing garage wing. The lounge, largely unchanged, gives access to the study and a new route is proposed between the lounge and kitchen, known traditionally as an ‘enfilade’. Furthermore, the removal of the toilet from this area opens up a new sightline directly into the garden upon entering the house. As for the kitchen, a new galley arrangement with breakfast bar is proposed by gaining space previously occupied by the yard and utility, enabling the creation of a garden room with sliding doors onto a raised patio at finished floor level. The ‘blind’ brick gable of the utility and toilet helps to create the enclosure of a walled courtyard garden (or English Garden) beyond.
10. PROPOSED ELEVATION The extension, viewed from the garden, is intended to highlight the gable of the existing house by bookending it with two neutral structures. The architectural language is stripped back to a simple repetition of columns, between which ‘bays’ are infilled with brickwork or full height sliding doors. The glazed bays step out onto a raised patio, and a small enclosure is formed infront of the existing lounge. The neutral architectural language and flat roof profile are intended not to detract from the existing roofscape and enable better sightlines to the garden from the upper floor rooms. Some window cills on the first floor could be lowered to form balconets. Overall, the composition of the facade strengthens the appearance of the original house by counterposing it against a set of new, clearly modern, pavilions. In doing so providing a range of spaces internally, enclosed rooms in the original house, and rooms which take much greater advantage of the garden in the new pavilions.
Warwick Road House - Knowle
Proposed Elevation
11. PRECEDENT PROJECTS The images to the left give an indication of what such a project might materialise as. Whilst there are some commonalities between the proposal and these precedents, (e.g floor to ceiling glazing, strong connections to gardens, dual aspect rooms) it is intended to suggest a general mood, rather than any specifics.
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4 Warwick Road House - Knowle
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6 appendix - precedent projects
Al-Jawad Pike Bayston Road House O’Sullivan Skoufoglou Dewbury Road House Architecture for London Dartmouth Park House Architecture for London Dartmouth Park House Sergison Bates Architects Garden Building Sergison Bates Architects House