We were approached by the owners of a large, detached home on Belmont Hill in Blackheath following their unsuccessful planning application to alter the original house the previous year.
The client needed us to work proactively with the local authority to develop a scheme that balanced the sensitivities of the property’s Conservation Area setting with our client’s aspirations for their family home.
.webp)
We started by carefully removing later additions to the 1930s home, before reinstating or refurbishing original elements including new double glazed Crittall windows to match existing, roughcast render and chimney stacks.
A series of sensitively added volumes – mindful of key views from Belmont Hill and nearby St Margaret’s Church – allow for more generous living spaces.
At the front, a two-story extension adds a further bedroom and garage whilst enhancing the facade composition facing Belmont Hill.
A first-floor addition to the primary gable is designed in harmony with the Arts & Crafts detailing while to the rear, a new single-storey family room extends out into the garden.
The family room extension is offset to the existing house, connected by a lightweight link. Our design approach was consciously contemporary to preserve the legibility of the original house and maximise views into the garden, with modern crafted details applied to 1930s materials.
Our sensitive handling of the 1930s house, respect for its heritage setting and open dialogue reassured the planning officers, and the proposals gained consent.
The reconfigured house and carefully added volumes have allowed the family to celebrate original Arts & Crafts qualities and enjoy a series of connected living spaces.
