Contemporary House Extension

Built in Corstorphine, Edinburgh, United Kingdom, it is a 45 m² (485 ft²) contemporary extension added to a typical 1930’s detached house. This Contemporary House Extension was designed in 2015 by Capital A Architecture.

The original house was well built but not well designed, the layout didn’t work for modern life. The new extension creates an L shaped open-plan space containing kitchen, living and dining. This is now the hub for family life, with a sheltered deck overlooking the large rear garden and a new front entrance to the house, allowing the original hallway to become more private.

The project was commissioned by Donal McBreen and Emma Russell, who needed to alter their 1930’s one storey, square plan, detached house. This house had enough bedrooms for Donal and Emma’s young family but it didn’t take advantage of the large rear garden. The original kitchen was small and not well connected to the living space and there was no clear distinction between the public and private spaces. The original front door opened onto a hall accessing bedrooms and the living room, which made the house seem cramped and unsuitable for entertaining.

The design of an L-shaped open plan space to the rear and side has successfully resolved all of these issues. The new extension houses the kitchen, living and dining spaces in one room but the layout ensures the different activities work perfectly together. A glass wall dominates the space, six meter wide by three meter tall, facing North across the long rear garden. The light this brings into the space is really special, it doesn’t cast shadows or cause glare, it is ideal of cooking, reading or watching TV. The glass wall is framed by a large sheltered deck between the garden and the living space. The sheltered deck allows Donal and Emma to use the garden on days when the weather isn’t perfect. The extension also includes a new front entrance to the house which creates a clear distinction between the public living areas of the house and the more private bedrooms accessed from the existing hallway.

— Capital A Architecture