High Gate, London

The original house was designed and built for Ove Arup in 1958 then remodelled and extended in 1985. The present owner bought the house for his family home but needed to extend it.

The purpose of the extension is as an annex for use by visiting guests and eventually by the owner's children as they become more independent. It therefore had to have the capability of being both separate from and linked to the main house. The brief also called for an extension of very high quality that reflected that of the existing house but with a distinct and highly comtemporary architectural style.

The solution was a single storey extension positioned to enclose the only remaining open side of the property and orientated towards the main body of the garden and pool area. Large areas of framless glass have been used to give the extension transparency and lightness. This language is emphasised by the floor slab which is raised off the ground on stub columns with lighting below so the extension appears to float when lit at night. The roof edge is slim, finished with a satin stainless steel channel along its perimeter and cantilevered over the small morning terrace at the front to reinforce the feeling of lightness.