Slab Design Union were commissioned by a private client for a project comprising a new rear extension to a Grade 2 listed Victorian property in the Moseley Conservation Area of Birmingham that was originally connected to the adjacent building when it was a school and schoolmaster’s house (c1851). The property had a poor quality existing single storey timber conservatory that was thermally inefficient, susceptible to water ingress and was damaging the original brickwork. The strategy was to remove the existing extension, refurbish the property and construct a new single storey extension that visually connected to the house whilst improving comfort and security. A refined palette of matching imperial gauge brickwork, thin profile black steel framed glazing and a zinc roof, canopy and accessories with conservation rooflights created an elegant and subtle addition to the listed building that retained the footprint of the previous extension. Solar control and management of internal light levels was an important part of the design brief, so an internal open rafter ceiling and plywood soffit was introduced to provide generous height and minimal glare, with integrated blinds to manage ambient light levels. Internally the existing brickwork is retained and left visible in the finished space, with a timber floor and new internal doors between the existing ground floor and the new extension that match the external glazing system. A revised landscaping strategy formed part of the proposals, including a new terrace and new boundary wall with an integrated security gate. The new extension is a multi-functional space that can be used for dining, entertaining, or quiet personal work. Sight lines from the existing rooms are maintained through the new extension into the garden, creating a legible diagram of movement.