POD BATHROOM

In a clever twist on the conventional, this house gained a generously sized kitchen extension and a bathroom that appears to float in the air above it...

Easing the pressure on family space can be done in surprisingly inventive ways, and this project for a young family in south-east London takes the extension concept to a whole new level. Suspended above the new kitchen, a bathroom pod has been created that appears to hover in mid-air. Designed by architects Proctor & Shaw, it’s part of a major renovation of a doublefronted Victorian house – the main aim of the project being to extend and re-invent the ground floor for modern family life.

Like many Victorian homes, the building had a two-storey outrigger – the portion of the original house that protrudes into the garden to provide extra rooms. The architects decided to demolish this entirely when planning the new full-width extension, but then looked for a way to replace the lost upstairs area. ‘The pod bathroom was a practical solution in many ways and, due to the floor levels, it forms an interesting feature for the ground-floor open-plan space,’ says John Proctor, director of Proctor & Shaw.

Fortunately, the design sailed through the planning process, then building firm Orchestrate got to work, inserting steel beams to support the floating bathroom, which were then clad with mirrors to make them seem to disappear. ‘Bringing tonnes of structural steel through the house and inserting it without disturbing the existing cornicing, wall covering and skirting was hair-raising – needing precision and an

incredibly light touch,’ says Orchestrate’s managing director Ross Malone.

One of the most impressive elements is the cladding, which seamlessly continues from the exterior to the interior. Thermowood by Metsä Wood was selected as it has a similar tone to the floorboards. ‘It’s a bakedtimber product and requires no additional finishing for maintenance,’ says John. Thanks to a painstaking approach, the lines of the cladding converge above the island unit. ‘This was one of the trickiest aspects and had to be measured meticulously, but it’s a real highlight of the project,’ says Ross.

The cladding was just one of the features that caught the attention of the judging panel at the Federation of Master Builders (FMB), who awarded Orchestrate a Master Builder London Award, praising the execution and attention to detail of the project.

Now the ground floor has been rejigged – with openings between the sitting room, snug and rear extension, and hinged cabinetry that can close off areas – the house has a spacious, flexible layout that perfectly suits family life.

‘Easing pressure on family space, this project takes the extension concept to a whole new level’

The hanging timberclad ‘pod’ forms the dramatic centrepiece to the ground-floor kitchen/dining space. A power float concrete floor flows from inside to outside

The cladded pod bathroom (left) protrudes down into the kitchen area. Positioned across the front of the house, the main bedroom (below) has a chic ensuite

Mirror cladding on the supporting beams makes the structure appear to float above the kitchen island