THE SUNNY SOLUTION FOR A PERIOD PROPERTY

Allowing original design features to shine through was key when developing Frame House, a dark but characterful mews property in Holland Park, London. Nic Howett of architecture firm Jonathan Tuckey Design outlines the key issues to be aware of when adding skylights to a period property ( jonathantuckey.com).

Why did you choose to use skylights? This home already had skylights built in, but they were small and didn’t deliver much sunshine. Due to the listed status of Frame House, and the fact that it is located in a conservation area, we were unable to introduce new skylights to the building. Instead we had to improve what was already there, increasing the size of the existing lights. What type of skylight did you opt for? We chose to go with ‘Neo’ frameless skylights by The Rooflight Company (therooflightcompany.co.uk), which are designed to sit flush with the roof, limiting their impact on the look of the house. Was there anything you had to consider when installing them? As Frame House is an old building there were complications to consider: the light wells had to be carefully positioned within the existing timber joists, and had to align perfectly with the joints in the timber-lined ceiling. Apart from light, what do they add to the property? Atmosphere! The Douglas Fir plywood cowls around the skylights direct light to specific areas in the rooms, creating ambience and mood. The overall effect is made even more bright, airy and spacious thanks to the exposed beams and timber framework – which replaced the original walls – on the first floor (pictured).

Was there anything about the project that you didn’t expect?

As more of the original skeleton of the building was revealed during construction we incorporated it into the final scheme, making a feature of the original timbers. ➤