House Refurbishment and Garden Pavilion
The Brief
Making a demanding brief work within a relatively small house, with a separate retreat at the top of the garden.
The site is the central Lake District and on the edge of a conservation area and the family had used it as a holiday home for many years. The owner wanted to make substantial changes, bringing the house up to a good modern standard and creating a separate retreat in the garden.
The new building replaced an external patio deck behind the garage, at the top of a garden that slopes upwards from the house. From here, the outlook runs back across the garden and house, over Close and distant fells.
John Coward Architects developed a substantially glazed design with no supporting structure along the front façade. A large cantilevered roof created a structure-free corner, where the glazing meets without a post. Sliding doors open up the interior, strengthening the connection between inside and outside.
Key features
- Complete refurbishment of the existing house
- Substantially glazed garden pavilion
- Cantilevered roof with structure-free glazed corner
- Sliding doors opening onto the garden
- New kitchen and bathrooms
- Glazed balustrade and stone staircase
- Winner of the Alan King Award for Technical Excellence from the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists
- Completed August 2016
A demanding brief on a tight site
The site was difficult to work on, so the detailing had to be absolutely right. The cantilevered roof, structure-free corner and sliding doors all needed careful resolution. The Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists recognised that work with the Alan King Award for Technical Excellence.
The owner now has a desk against the glazing, looking directly out towards the central Fells. It has become a ‘retreat from his retreat’ with an enviable position at the top of the garden.
The house itself was fully refurbished in collaboration with interior designer Sarah Jane Nielsen, who also worked on the garden building. The work included reroofing, structural repairs, new bathrooms and a new kitchen with stainless-steel worktops.
There was a lot to accommodate within the existing house. The staircase, in particular, needed considerable design work and resulted in a stone stair with a glazed balustrade. The kitchen is compact but fits a great deal.
We completed the work in August 2016. We are particularly proud of Old Gale, given the site and house constraints, the demanding brief, and the high standard of finish achieved.
