Commissioned to completely modernise and extend the living and bedroom areas of this period house in a Highgate conservation area, TAG Architects succeeded in obtaining planning consent for a substantial enlargement of the ground floor, revisions to the front of the house and remodelling of the rear garden. This resulted in transformation of the living areas from a number of small rooms into a well organised, flexible open plan area, well integrated with the rear terraces and the rear garden.

The relationship of the house with the south facing rear garden was of particular concern as the garden was steeply sloping away from the house, which limited its practicality and usefulness. To address this problem, split-level to the living areas was introduced leading to stepped exterior terraces opening onto the levelled rear garden. This allowed the house to seamlessly connect to the rear garden through the interface of carefully proportioned terraces adjoining the house.

Internally, the remodelled spaces are flooded with natural light through continuous skylights. The reorganised floor plan allows for flexible arrangement of the living areas in accordance with specific activities. Folding doors allow for enclosing the open plan areas if privacy is required. In a fully open plan, the living areas connected with the kitchen and dining area respond to the requirement for a space well tailored for frequent entertainment. The large centre island acts a visual and functional link between the kitchen, dining and family areas.

The oversized profile structural members to the skylights limit the direct sunlight coming into the house as does the sun shade canopy along the south facing perimeter of the house. UV and infrared filters to the glass further limit the summer heat gain. All M&E services were overhauled, allowing for installing energy efficient heating and lighting systems.

The in-house custom designed bult-in high quality furniture and joinery is complemented by a palette of carefully selected quality natural materials: zebrano, walnut, ipe and oak woods, lime and marble stones, stainless steel. Longevity, practicality and ease of maintenance were important factors in the choice for materials and design details.