Basement Extension in Fulham, London Following on from a series of successful basement extensions in Fulham that incorporated whole house conversions, Shape Architecture was asked by our Client to undertake the project at 71 Ellerby street. This project involves the addition of a large basement with front, rear and middle light wells, a side and rear extension at ground floor, a pod room at the upper level and the complete internal refurbishment. Fulham Basement Conversion: Connecting the Interior to the Garden The particular success of this Fulham basement extension is the visual and physical connection between the interior and the garden beyond. The kitchen and dining space has uninterrupted views of the garden through elegant sliding doors, which can be pulled back to open the whole façade onto the garden. A glass bridge then connects the inside to the garden as it crosses the light well. Fulham Basement Conversion: Integration of Spaces This new basement conversion in Fulham is light filled and spacious with numerous and varied views. It also enjoys a variety of visual and physical connections with the spaces around and above. The garden light well has an elegant glass and wood stair leading up to the glass bridge over and provides a direct route to the garden. The corridor space linking all basement accommodation is set fairly wide and helps create a sense of space as soon as one walks down into the basement. In addition to this, a light well is formed in the middle of the basement which brings light and air a sense of space into what might otherwise be a ‘darker’ section of the basement. Set over the light well is another link from the ground floor reception room to the kitchen at the rear. This provides long views from the front to the rear of the property and the garden beyond. Fulham Basement Conversion: The Floor Plan A series of rooms have been created in the basement that includes a large play room, media room and study. Other supporting accommodation provides space for a Wine Store, WC and Utility Room. Shape Architecture undertake many basement extensions in London and are able to provide the client with a very detailed study of the many configurations of rooms that a basement might contain. In this instance we can point to a number of basement extensions in Fulham and also arrange visits with previous clients. The use of 3D computer graphics is also very helpful in explaining the design of the basement and all parts of the project to the client and forms the basis of a clear discussion. Ground Floor Extension in Fulham and Internal Re-Modelling A wrap around extension has been added to maximise the size of the Kitchen and Dining space. The side return features an elongated roof light that fills the space with light and sunlight and provide s views to the upper levels of the house. Set below the roof light is a large kitchen island. The resulting kitchen and dining room is a considerable space and forms the heart of the house. Fulham Pod Room Extension A large pod room has been created to form a further bedroom. Given that as architects Shape Architecture was working on the adjacent house (number 69 Ellerby Street) we were able to lodge a joint application to obtain permission for a long pod room. This Fulham pod room is constructed as a highly insulated box clad in slates. Fulham Basement Conversion: Internal Refurbishment Throughout the project at all levels the accommodation has been reworked. This has been most notable at first floor level where an elegant and spacious Master Suite has been created to include En-suite and Walk-in-Wardrobe. The en-suite bathroom is finished with light colour large format tiling to help reflect light around the space and this is complimented with glass screens and simple elegant fittings including a free standing bath and walk in shower. The existing bedrooms are all upgraded to create light and airy spaces. This has been helped with the addition of roof lights over the spaces. Similarly roof lights have been introduced over corridor and stairs to bring daylight and sunlight into the circulation routes. Fulham Basement Conversion: Basement Construction and Fabric Upgrade The basement extension has been tanked using a robust studded membrane. The advantage of undertaking many such basement conversions in Fulham is that we have an extensive tried and tested library of details and products which we know work and are happy to use. We also have good working relationships with the companies that provide these products. A key part of the project has been the thermal upgrade of the house, whereby high insulation standards are achieved. This has seen the upgrade of sliding sash windows, the addition of thermal lining to solid masonry walls and the specification of new glazed windows and roof lights with a high thermal performance. Our Fulham basement conversions that involve additional works to the house very often take this opportunity to improve the energy performance of the building as a whole. At Shape Architecture we have over fifteen years of experience in sustainable design and are well versed in applying our knowledge the private residential projects. We are happy to indicate to the Client where opportunities exist and to discuss the implications of each measure and how cost effective they will be.