Pensaer’s Defoe Road house extension emphasises efficient rearrangement

Could you describe the project?

Defoe Road is an extension and full refurbishment of a north London home inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright and the beauty of natural oak. The project revitalises a Victorian terraced house, expertly merging traditional and modern design while making a significant impact through a very small additional footprint of under 3m².

The sensitive development honours the home’s original character, featuring a warm palette of oak and green metal accents, while reimagining its layout, which is designed around the careful arrangement of small living spaces.

Who is the project for and what was the brief?

The project was for a private client who wanted to enhance the living spaces of thire home without compromising the size of the garden. One of the client’s core requirements was to create an intimate and homely environment that reflected their personality, prioritising a natural and calming atmosphere with a number of different spaces available for different uses.

Were there any significant factors that influenced the design?

The key factor was trying to create very specific spaces that all work very hard to create an efficient layout. This is as opposed to creating larger open-plan spaces that would provide flexibility but take up more space. The result is a highly specific set of intimate spaces and enabled almost all of the garden to be retained. The project also aimed to eliminate the use of chemicals and toxins in the materiality, to have a ‘healthy home’ with reduced dust and pollutants.

Can you explain how you treated the exterior?

The project used a lot of oak, which was picked specifically to create a delicate and natural feeling structure that was environmentally sustainable. Although the building’s form itself was designed to maximise the amount of outside space, it also increased views out onto the garden and improved the outside/inside connection. 

How did you design the interiors?

Moving through the home, additions to the existing house are defined, with large windows framing the conservatory-style extension. This is articulated with a green circular skylight punched through the ceiling overhead, providing a perfect place for the client to work from home or to contemplate the garden beyond.

To achieve the seamless feel of the space, the majority of the storage and seating areas were bespoke designs, tailored to fit into their defined locations. The dining area in the middle of the new extension is an example of this conscientious approach to design – a recessed window seat is framed in oak creating a calming and bright space to socialise with friends and family alike.

What has been the project’s approach to sustainability?

The main approach to sustainability focused on limiting the increase in the size of any extension to minimise needless construction. 

What was the project’s main challenge?

As a practice, we are accustomed to being highly specific about how people physically interact with a building. The design work here has been highly detailed and focused around very specific tasks undertaken by the client in their home. Although this detailed understanding did take an investment of time, it resulted in a space that is completely unique and bespoke for the way the client wanted to use and live in their home.

What is your favourite moment in the project?

We always love to see how our clients interact with the building itself, not only how the space makes them feel. The perfect embodiment of this approach, which we felt was very successful, is the joinery integrated into the facades in the ‘dining space’ –  the window and the seat, opening and fixed elements, facade and human all work together.

Are there lessons from this project which might be applied elsewhere?

We hope to have proven that you don't need to over-extend or build unnecessary large extensions to fulfil a brief. Sometimes a carefully considered repositioning of spaces works best.

Rhys Owen is founder of Pensaer

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Key data:

Total contract cost Confidential, less than £150,000
Area of extension Less than 3m²
GIFA cost per m² £1,250