Long Brick House

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George Bradley Contact

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	1. Rear Elevation The new two-storey extension was added as a 'box' to the back of the existing building. The grey longbricks were used to contrast with the eixsitng red bricks of the property. 2000 px 1334 px 1 MB Print - Low res only
	2. Double height ceiling To bring more light into the space a two-storey gap was left between the new extension and the existing building. 2000 px 2996 px 2 MB Print - Low res only
	3. New Kitchen The new kitchen was located in an existing part of the house and opened onto the new extension. Strong contrasting materials were used; terrazzo for the kitchen island, brass for the worktop and splashback and black mdf for the cupboard fronts. 2000 px 1334 px 694 KB Print - Low res only
	4. New meets Old The two-story gap between old and new is entirely glazed to bring in lots of natural light. 2000 px 2996 px 2 MB Print - Low res only
	5. Open Plan Lounge A view from the kitchen, across the double-height space and into the open-plan lounge and dining area. 2000 px 1334 px 830 KB Print - Low res only
	6. View to the garden As well as creating a visual seperation between old and new, the two storey gap provides plenty of daylight and views to the garden. 2000 px 2996 px 2 MB Print - Low res only
	7. First floor circulation An open balcony provides spacious and airy circulation at the first floor, with views between levels and a bridge linking into the new master bedroom. 2000 px 1334 px 685 KB Print - Low res only
	8. Jewel Step The first tread on the new stairs is made of a solid block of Terrazzo to create a feature 'jewel' step. 2000 px 2996 px 882 KB Print - Low res only
	9. Main Bedroom The new main bedroom is on the first floor of the extension. The new longbricks are exposed on the interior walls, as is the timber roof strucutre to provide warmth and atmopshere. 2000 px 1334 px 936 KB Print - Low res only
	10. New showeroom The existing areas of the house were also restructured and refurbished, including this guest shower room. 2000 px 2996 px 1 MB Print - Low res only
	11. Brass and blackened mdf kitchen The main run of kitchen is made using standard carcasses with bespoke mdf front panels and a bespoke brass worktop and splash back. 2000 px 2996 px 1 MB Print - Low res only
	12. Master en-suite The master en-suite continues the material palette of exposed brick and roof timbers. All other surfaces are clad in terrazzo, creating a light and spacious walk-in shower with views to the garden. 2000 px 2996 px 2 MB Print - Low res only
	13. Snug The existing living area on the ground floor has been turnder into a snug that is open onto the main open-plan living area. 2000 px 1334 px 775 KB Print - Low res only
	14. Downstairs loo The simple downstairs toilet is accentuated by bright orange fixtures and fittings. 2000 px 2996 px 1 MB Print - Low res only
	15. Existing Ground Floor Plan Showing a series of small inter-connected spaces, corridors and a glass conservatory on the back. 3000 px 2500 px 735 KB Print - Low res only
	16. Existing First Floor Plan Showing long narrow corridors underneath low sloping ceilings. 3000 px 2500 px 806 KB Print - Low res only
	17. Proposed Ground Floor Plan Showing a large open plan kitchen, dining and lounge space with ancillary storage, utility and family snug. 3000 px 2500 px 1013 KB Print - Low res only
	18. Proposed First Floor Plan Showing the new extension on the back extension containing a master bedroom, walk-in wardrobe and en-suite. Linked to the new stair by a wide-double height circulation space. 3000 px 2500 px 982 KB Print - Low res only
	19. Before Picture Showing the rear of the property before the refurbishment. 3264 px 1836 px 3 MB Print - Low res only

3 Videos

These videos are available for media use.

Video tour pt.1

A video tour of the property created by Bradley Van Der Straeten Architects.

https://youtu.be/-fcnEtOhoH0

Before and After

Video comparison

https://youtu.be/zRJypuR6NyA

Video tour pt.2

A video tour of the property created by Bradley Van Der Straeten Architects.

https://youtu.be/7ggclQphVF4

Description

Beautiful long grey bricks clad the double-story extension to this property near the Chilterns in Seer Green. The extension forms a new volume externally while merging old and new spaces internally.

Approaching Long Brick House, you would not have the slightest idea that behind a standard door lies a home that beams with natural sunlight and clever design ideas. The existing dis-jointed house had endured multiple conversions, over time it had become a house full of small spaces and no cohesion. It lacked a key focus, a place where a family could spend time together. The house seemed to almost reject the beautiful garden. The easy solution was to knock down the house and rebuild it. The smart solution was to transform.

Our aim was to make sure the house addressed its local environment whilst achieving something very different and unique. The solution is a two-story box that sits on the back of the existing building with a 'canyon of light' separating old from new.

Questions and Answers

What were the key challenges?

The existing property was disjointed. It had been transformed many times over the years, resulting in a large property that had no cohesion, a lcak of daylight and very small circulation areas. The challenge was to transform the property to what was a reatively small budget.

What was the brief?

The brief was to provide more bedrooms to the existing property and to create open-plan living spaces suitable for family life.

What were the solutions?

The solution was to keep as much of the existing property as possible and build a simple and separate structure to create the new spaces. This kept the cost of construction relatively low and created a very strong concept to guie the design and the choice of materials.

Key products used:

Longbricks - Wienerberger
Bespoke glazing and sliding doors - Maxlight
Upstairs windows - Velfac
Roof Windows - Glazing Vision
Flooring - Havwoods
Paint - Dulux
Kitchen Carcasses - DIY Kitchens
Kitchen Doors - Coloured MDF by Porta
Worktop - In Opera (Terrazzo)
Tap - Vola
Thermostats - Nest
Socket plates - Schneider
Bathroom sinks + taps - Lusso Stone

What do the architects have to say?

"We knew that the layout was dysfunctional. The house just didn't work and our job was to open everything up and create a warm inviting space to live." Ewald Van Der Straeten

"to simplify the solution we created a two-story box to sit on the back of the building that is clearly separated by a canyon of light, that brings natural light right into the heart of the building" George Bradley

Why is it called Longbrick House?

The Roman long bricks which have been used throughout the build provide contrast to the old building but still appease its local surroundings. To be able to use the bricks outside and inside the building gave us the ability to clearly define the new build with four distinct pillars. These pillars, while being aesthetically pleasing give you orientating point while moving through the building.

What design ideas did you use to design for storage?

Clever storage space can be found throughout the house. By simply moving the kitchen forward from the side wall we created a space for a walk-in larder and a utilities room. Using hidden doors, the kitchen feels bigger than before but using less space. The client and their family where a sporting bunch, so having room for all the equipment was important to them. Using the space under the walkway on the first floor we were able to build in huge amounts of storage to house all their requirements. Moving upstairs, there are subtle changes which have allowed for more bathrooms and cupboard space (Can be seen on before and after plans) throughout all the rooms.