Ben Jones Architects

This timber-clad extension makes the most of its setting on the edge of a bank of mature trees by having doors on all sides. The interior is given a sense of space and drama by vaulting the ceiling and exposing the rafters. This rear extension has completely transformed a 1930s house by opening up the ground floor to the garden.

The new open-plan kitchen and dining area has a 7 metre-wide triple sliding door, and the sense of light and space is further enhanced by strategic placing of rooflights and a south-facing clerestory window that brings morning sunlight into the kitchen area.We transformed this dark and poorly laid-out house, creating a light and airy living space, and inserted a new top-lit staircase with birch-faced plywood and concealed lighting.

This project is for the remodelling and extension of a 1960s property within the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Through negotiation with the planners, we were able to achieve a design with contemporary materials and detailing on this sensitive site.