Fairfield Park is an exercise in modernisation. The catalyst for this partial new-build and full refurbishment was to challenge how a family home can adapt to evolving needs. The existing home is a building of rooms – a labyrinth of spaces – that demanded rationalising to improve the relationship between formal and informal spaces. To support modern standards of family living, we created a spatial hierarchy that brought clarity to the proposals. Using space as a platform and with the use of internal moveable walls, this not only enables adaptability but also encourages it. To help define this approach and also create an identity, a single storey extension stretching the full width of the house acts as the focal point for family use. Large scale full height glazing emphasises a sense of lightness, while the curved corners and exposed timber structure provides a softness as well as creating a visual anchor back to the main building.