Lintel House responds to a brief that highlighted the disconnection between an exemplary Victorian semi-detached house and its garden due to the position of an existing lean to conservatory that wasn’t fit for purpose for a modern home. This presented the opportunity for an addition that made use of redundant garden space by infilling between the existing outrigger and party wall and by introducing a new extension to the rear on the footprint of the old lean to.

The proposal meets the challenge of addressing the difference of level between the property and garden by stepping down the existing kitchen floor level and new extension to the garden. This gives abundant floor to ceiling heights in excess of three metres. The steps down make use of bricks reclaimed from the demolition to offer an innovative solution to the split level.Beyond the kitchen, which has been rationalised within the new infill addition, lies an immersive dining room, strategically positioned within the rear extension. This dining space is enveloped by expansive sliding windows on two sides, effectively blurring the lines between the indoors and outdoors and allowing the garden to become an integral part of the home. During the summer months, these windows can be fully opened, creating a seamless transition between the dining area and the garden, and offering an unparalleled al fresco dining experience. The generous use of glass not only floods the dining room with natural light but also provides captivating views of the garden, creating a serene and inviting ambiance. A circular ‘porthole’ skylight sits above the dining space to further invite natural light into the plan.

The materials and design have been selected to reference the detailing of the existing house, celebrating the corbelled brick reveals of the doorways and white painted stone cills of the houses in the area. These references are applied through the use of reclaimed bricks and a series of wet cast, reconstituted stone lintels.