Site history The site was a former Victorian billiard room set into a large walled garden. In the mid sixties when it became a children's nursery with ancillary kitchen. Change of use (in outline only) had been granted in October 2006 for a residential unit. My clients bought the property in May 2007 and were finally granted permission for the current plans in October 2008 The site The site, in Twickenham close to the Thames, comprised a Victorian billiard room, commercial kitchen (formerly a garage), isolated nursery building and a motley collection of glazed and solid extensions binding the nursery room to an old walled garden bounded by minor local roads, and rear gardens. Architecturally, the only building of any merit was the old billiard room. The brief My clients wanted a spacious, light, bright and unique home. Of course, the very fact they had bought a nursery, billiard room and commercial kitchen meant it was hardly going to be run of the mill! They were unsure whether to keep the nursery building and somehow utilise the space, or demolish it and start again. The existing location of the nursery building would necessitate a link with the billiard room if it were to be retained. The old boundary wall, whilst not listed, was certainly of importance in planning/ conservation terms. Parking somewhere within the site was essential for the new family home. Planning and Conservation The site fell on the edge of the Conservation area. An initial check with planning and conservation highlighted a few issues which would create severe limitations for any future development: The wall was sacrosanct, we were not allowed to alter it in any way. The area bounded by the wall had a ridge height restriction for any new or altered building. This effectively meant any new building would be single storey. The site also fell within the flood risk area determined by the Environment Agency, and we would have to undertake a flood risk assessment before we could even think about designing the building. Worryingly, the site also came with a section 106 agreement forbidding any owner to apply for a parking permit within the Borough of Richmond. This combined with the fact we were not permitted to alter any entrances through the boundary wall effectively meant a car free development! Architect's response It became clear early on that the height restriction and limited size of the walled garden meant we could not get close to the size of accommodation demanded in the brief without exceeding a reasonable ratio of building to garden. This was a major obstacle as we felt an essential characteristic of the site was its walled garden and that the ultimate solution demanded a sympathetic approach without overloading the site. The flood risk assessment mysteriously showed the site would become an island in the event of a flood. The flood model showed the river splitting either side of the site and flowing down the railway lines and river. We have conducted tests to ascertain the water table at the site, ensuring that there is no tidal element which might risk making our basement into a boat! Our appraisal of the existing buildings resulted in the conclusion that the only building worth keeping was the billiard room. The nursery building turned out to be a 1990's poorly built brick and tile affair with cheap windows and doors. Several advantages of demolition immediately became apparent: We could reposition the new accommodation away from the boundary wall thereby attaining architectural clarity. We wanted to create an accommodation block as an echo of the old nursery building and link it back to the billiard room. The flood model meant we were able to sink the new building into the site and effectively make a two storey extension without breaking the ridge height limit imposed by planning. We were conscious that the creation of what was effectively a basement level posed a few problems with achieving sufficient daylight to the lower rooms. We designed a sunken garden level as a partial solution to give us the whole of the lower elevation window/ doors, light and natural ventilation. We have also designed a glazed rooflight above a glass floor at the centre of the link and family block introducing light to the basement lobby. The retention of the existing boundary wall with its two pedestrian doors and gate offered us a choice of how to enter the building. The style and handling of the new extension was a key design decision. We chose to follow the lead from the surrounding pitched roof brick buildings and a perceived Frenchness of style. This tied neatly with my clients duality of residing partly in France and England. We had to introduce dormers to the pitched block due to the restricted eaves height. Our preference was for pitched dormers, but the planners preferred flat roofed dormers. We felt that it was important to unite the billiard room and new accommodation block with a contemporary style that would not compete with the two more substantial elements and achieve an interesting juxtaposition of new and old. This also allowed us the planning freedom of a zinc flat roof to provide an entrance into the living heart of the link block and at the same time create a courtyard enclosure around the central gate. We wanted to create the "secret garden" effect of entering the house through the modest front door in the old boundary wall and having subtle glimpses of the courtyard, link block, and main garden beyond. In this way you are able to see from one end of the site to the other from the front door. The entry gently ramps up to the living level before entering the centrally located family kitchen/living area. This also allowed us subordinate access to the guest room (previously the nursery kitchen), with cloakroom and coat storage en route. The family room opens up a panoramic view of the walled garden between the living block and billiard room. This is the contemporary heart of the house which we have treated as an inside/ outside space onto the terrace. From the family room the lower level can be accessed via a stair running parallel to the courtyard wall. The great billiard room turned into a fabulous living room with an interesting surprise. On stripping out the billiard room dry lining (it had formerly been the nursery playroom) we discovered a beautiful brick fireplace. This is a totally internal space with a conventional roof lantern providing the only daylighting. Green measures We are heavily insulating the building where we can, particularly at basement level and all the new build elements. The old billiard room and kitchen areas will be re-roofed and newly insulated. The walls to the old part of the building will be dry lined and insulated to upgrade their thermal performance. Parking There is no doubt this is a serious issue for my clients. We have had to take the view that we will build the house with the restrictions as they stand. My clients are considering their options regarding a future application to alter the access to allow them to park within the curtilage of the site. Whilst this looks impossible at present, we can't help but wonder why the local authority are so intransigent on this issue. There is a real argument for improving the delapidated wall and entrances whilst giving the family the parking they need for a family home. I believe that with a little co-operation something should be achievable.