The Victorian mid-terrace house was in poor condition, and later extensions had blocked daylight into the interior and cut off connections with the garden. We removed these additions and created a large basement – with bedroom, gym and cinema room – that can potentially be used as a one-bedroom apartment at some point in the future. While these lower-floor spaces can potentially provide privacy and independence, we also wanted them to feel fully integrated into the main house, so we took out the rear dining room floor, creating a double-height atrium with a russet-coloured steel stair as its focal point.