The client approached us after failing to obtain planning permission for a new-build house to be built on a tight site in Camden. We have immediately reached out to the planning department to work together in delivering a scheme that would suit the client's needs while enhancing the context. The site is burdened with challenges: small in size, meaning the requirement to negotiate between living and open space and to bring light to the bedrooms in the basement. A large Sycamore tree, just outside the rear boundary, projecting its roots well within the site, limits the footprint of the construction. The requirement for a roof garden and a very limited maximum height. The ground floor is set almost one metre below the street level in order to reduce the impact on the views through the rear of the terraces. We have worked to make the transition between levels as smooth as possible. while making the most of all the livable space. The result is a 110 square metres, four-bedroom house with a small rear garden and generous living areas. We successfully obtained planning permission in 2020.