The existing house was a relatively modest detached villa surrounded by generously sized walled gardens and located within a conservation area. The brief involved the restoration of the house and gardens with the addition of an extension encompassing a new family entrance and less formal living space.

As keen gardeners, the clients valued a strong connection to the outside which became a guiding principle of the design. The introduction of the colonnaded extension unifies all elements of the house, old and new, in a low lying form, adding the new glazed spaces and external space all of which engage with the garden.

The large elements of glazing had to be balanced with control of the views from neighbouring properties that overlook from the west and south. This was achieved by the canopy, supported on a series of oversized stone piers, strategically positioned to frame views to the garden while adding precise degrees of containment to the internal spaces.