Maldon House, Essex

Maldon House, Essex was the result of a commission by a design enthusiast couple who asked David to design an addition to the rear of a handsome Victorian dwelling. A single storey contemporary extension with associated landscaping was proposed to take account of the change in level, of the plot which rose steeply towards the rear.

Situated within a Conservation Area in Colchester, the existing dwelling is of soft, red brick. David proposed a simple white rendered comtemporary addition linked to the existing house with a bespoke frameless glazed link. The existing living room was extended to become a kitchen with a dining area. A new utility room was created from the original kitchen.

David responded to the change in level of the site by designing a stepped planted terrace with integral seating. Boundary fences, constructed from horizontally laid cedar timbers, provide privacy for a pond with sun terrace located within the upper level of the garden. A screen with concealed lighting at the end of the plot completes the picture.

"We both love the frameless glass that connects the existing building to our new extension. It floods a once dark and dingy part of the house with natural light‘‘

Clients, Maldon House

At the lower level, the new building has an ecologically-friendly planted roof, echoing the organised rectangular pockets of lawn at the upper level of the site.

A poured concrete floor flows through the kitchen and across the terrace, together with the white rendered walls, unifying the exterior and interior spaces. In contrast with the white render, an existing internal wall is left as exposed brickwork.

Concealed lighting is located within the lower edge of the kitchen worktops and behind etched glass doors. A wall of built in display shelving provided an opportunity to design a window seat beneath the frameless glazed link.

The clients were keen to manage a lot of the construction work, so the build was organised so that local tradesmen built the shell of the main structure and specialist sub-contractors were employed for the glazing, green roof, render finish, concrete floors and joinery.

The project had been widely published in the lifestyle press, including Homebuilding & Renovating, Good Homes & Build It magazines and was featured by the Sunday Times.

Photography by Steve Lancefield