LISTED BUILDING EXTENSIONS

Tap into our pick of expert design knowledge and real-life project inspiration to boost your chances of creating an eye-catching extension that enhances the character of your listed home, adds value and improves your quality of life

Jane Crittenden showcases ways to get more from a heritage property, plus tips to get it through planning

Sun Rain Room

The sweeping curved plywood roof on this extension to a grade II listed Georgian townhouse is angled to follow the sun’s path throughout the day, and planted with greenery to blend into the garden. Rainwater is harvested in a tank and, at a touch of a button, floods the patio to transform it into a shallow pool. The additional space forms a living area and studio for the architect owners. Project by Tonkin Liu (www.tonkinliu.co.uk)

Parchment Works

Originally, the ruins of a 17th-century parchment factory in Northamptonshire were set to be demolished and the adjoining cattle shed converted to add more space to the owner’s listed Victorian home. However, in homage to its historical significance, the new extension has instead been built within the remains of the masonry walls, incorporating the traditional farm building to create a unique open-plan kitchen, living and dining area.

Project by Will Gamble Architects (www.willgamblearchitects.com)

Gatsby House

This steel-framed glass box extension by IQ Glass (www. iqglassuk.com) slots onto the back of a grade II terraced property in Chelsea, London, expanding the narrow layout and drawing valuable light into the dark downstairs floorplan. The glazed roof creates the illusion of space and the use of black steel combines modern and traditional elements to complement the charm of the listed house. Design by Atelier West (www.atelierwest.co.uk)

The Old School

This grade II listed property was rebuilt in 1852. It is set within a rural Yorkshire hamlet that’s designated as a conservation area and an area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB). The main house remains unchanged, with a lightweight link structure connecting to a new extension built with glass, stone and wood to complement the property’s vernacular limestone facade and to reference local agricultural barns. Project by Arkleboyce (www.arkleboyce.co.uk)

Tower House

The new two-and-a-half storey tower extension at the rear of this grade II listed 1830s house in Islington replaces a 1980s addition that had been poorly built. The upper section contains a new bathroom. Beneath is a partially vaulted ceiling above the dining room, alongside a single-storey level illuminated with a glazed roof. A new 3.5m high timber sash window echoes the original unit above. Project by Dominic Mckenzie Architects (www.dominicmckenzie.co.uk)

Islington Listed Terrace

Extending this grade II listed terrace in Islington’s Barnsbury conservation area needed a light touch approach to preserve the house’s appearance. The brick build is contextual and complementary to the property’s original materials with a large rooflight drawing natural brightness into the lower ground floor level. Project by Hut Architecture (www.hutarchitecture.com)

Stanyard Cottage

An angular glass walkway links a series of renovated farm outbuildings to this 400-year-old cottage in Surrey, surrounded by woodlands. The starkly contemporary design purposefully stands out to emphasise the sense of travelling through time from the rural historic past to the modern present. Inside the barns, original board cladding was removed and reinstated over insulation, with bold sculptural elements creating a pleasing juxtaposition between the old and new. Project by Alter and Company (www.alterandcompany.com)

Chestnut Cottage

Structural glazing proved a clever design solution to extending this pretty grade II listed cottage in a historic village in Oxfordshire. The red brick property features an unusual stair turret at the rear, so the owners sought a design that would preserve this historic feature while adding space and light. The frameless glazed porch connects sympathetically and with minimal alterations to the limestone wall, allowing the historic details to remain on show. Project by IQ Glass (www.iqglassuk.com)

Edinburgh Pavilion

Designed as a deliberate contrast to the main grade B listed property (the Scottish system goes from A to C), this sleek red sandstone and glass extension in Edinburgh uses a sensitive approach, featuring materials that pick out the colours of the original stonework and roof tiles. Its position at the rear wing, the former servants’ quarters, preserves the architecture of primary elevations.

Project by Archer + Braun (www.archerandbraun.com)