A contemporary extension to a Grade II Listed thatched cottage in the South Hams.
This simple and largely unaltered cottage is presently let down by a post-war, lean-to extension containing an inadequate and dilapidated kitchen and bathroom. Initial consultation with the local conservation officer suggested that it would be impossible to convince the planning authority that an extension would be feasible on this sensitive historic building.
By adopting a completely contrasting approach, utilising lightweight materials, plenty of glass, and a shallow-pitched roof, we were able to demonstrate that a modern design would greatly improve the appearance of the cottage. The potentially difficult intersection of new and existing roofs was neatly resolved by the use of a flat-roofed link with floor to roof planar glazing. This created visual separation between old and new, making the evolution of the resulting building form clearly legible.
