Project Type
Single-Storey Rear Extension
Duration
11 weeks
Project Value
£68,000
The Challenge
The property was immediately outside the West Hampstead Conservation Area boundary, but Camden's planning officers applied conservation area sensitivity to the design given the proximity. The rear garden was narrow, meaning the extension depth was limited to 3.5m — the minimum needed for the open-plan kitchen layout the clients required. A drainage manhole was within the proposed extension footprint, requiring diversion.
Our Solution
The drainage manhole was diverted to the garden perimeter by a specialist drainage contractor before main construction began. Our architect designed a clean, contemporary extension with a matching stock brick exterior that Camden's planning officers accepted as contextually appropriate, approving at officer level in 6 weeks. The 3.5m extension was maximised with a clever kitchen layout and peninsula.
Results
- ✓Camden planning approval in 6 weeks at officer level
- ✓Drainage manhole successfully diverted to garden perimeter
- ✓18m² open-plan kitchen-diner created
- ✓Full-width bifold doors — four panel, 3.6m wide
- ✓Structural rooflight over kitchen work zone
- ✓Peninsula kitchen maximising 3.5m depth
- ✓Estimated property value uplift: £75,000
Key Features
- ✓Camden planning consent — near-conservation-area design
- ✓Drainage diversion completed before main works
- ✓Four-panel bifold doors — full garden connection
- ✓Structural rooflight over kitchen workspace
- ✓Peninsula kitchen maximising limited depth
- ✓Wet underfloor heating throughout extension
Specification
| Item | Specification |
|---|---|
| Extension walls | London stock brick, matching existing, lime mortar, 100mm cavity fill insulation |
| Bifold doors | Smart Architectural Aluminium four-panel bifold, 3600mm wide, RAL 9005, double-glazed |
| Rooflight | Glazing Vision Flushglaze fixed rooflight, 1800×900mm, triple-glazed |
| Kitchen | Bespoke painted Shaker peninsula kitchen, Quartz worktops, Neff appliances |
| UFH | Polypipe wet underfloor system, 65mm screed, extension footprint only |
| Flat roof | Alumasc Hydrotech hot melt single-ply membrane, inverted insulation, 20-year guarantee |
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