ROAR have completed a sustainable & natural material-led extension to a historic Victorian property in Chislehurst, South East London. With a brief for a minimal retreat for homeowner Kelly Johnson and her family, the oak extension adds 30sqm to the property for £450,000 plus VAT. A Grade II Listed property located in the Chislehurst Conservation Area, Newton Park Place was designed by Victorian architect Ernest Newton and characterized by its Vernacular Revival style, asymmetrical plan, and irregular fenestration. Rather than imitate the traditional Victorian architecture, as had been done previously with alterations in 2007, ROAR designed the new timber-framed extension to be purposefully different — a modern addition that matches the contemporary garden and allows for a large extension to the home’s interiors.

Kelly approached ROAR as she had seen their work via Don’t Move, Improve! and felt they had the experience and skills to design something that would be contemporary, sustainable, and beautiful. Initially, she was looking for the usual brick extension with Crittall windows, but ROAR wanted to do something bolder and greener, convincing her to go with timber instead. Oak was selected for its low embodied carbon and longevity, along with the specification of wood fiber insulation. Working in partnership with specialist joiner Tim Gaudin, the frame was fabricated in their workshop in Devon, dismantled, and then reassembled on-site in London.

Inside, rather than the customary open-plan design that‘s typical of London residential extensions, homeowner Kelly Johnson asked for two separate spaces to the rear for kitchen & dining and living room. The new dining area is a separate nook off the kitchen, framed by the skylight above and picture window. Finished off by the red string pendant, with warm and rich exposed oak joists, soffit, and fenestration. The homeowner’s wine selection is also now neatly archived in a 3m deep spiral wine cellar crafted from engineered limestone concrete. Full-width, 4m wide bi-folding windows with an integrated window seat complete the new living area, with the exposed joists extending into the oak pergola. The planters to the pergola provide privacy screening in the living room and solar protection but also, over time, will form a green enclosure for outside dining. During summer, the bi-folding doors can be fully opened, maximizing this connection between inside and out.

In terms of sustainability, ROAR were keen that any works felt in keeping with the garden and high-quality design. Solar panels were incorporated on the roof of the main house, concealed from view to reduce energy bills. The extension is topped by a wildflower green roof, improving biodiversity, softening the extension, and creating an amazing experience & view from the master bedroom akin to having your own wild meadow.

The garden design, by Lily Gomm, extends directly from the architecture of the house, defining the planting beds and framing the view back to the extension. A run of bespoke large-format paving aligns to the door opening, drawing the eye out into the garden and directing you to two spaces: an area with a pond and adjacent bench seating as a spot to sit and enjoy the wildlife the pond attracts, and a larger open space containing comfy chairs and feature tree planting. Both spaces are further defined by edging details of clay pavers and are laid with self-binding gravel to contrast against the larger areas of clay pavers closer to the house.