Our main priority is helping clients make great architecture that serves their needs and responds in a vital way to its context and cultural surroundings. In order to do this and to further the studios own knowledge base we invest in a wide programme of research which enables us to be inventive and to find new and sometimes unexpected solutions to the problems that we are posed.
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We work in collaboration with like-minded consultants in order to further our thinking and skill level and since our inception, we have always looked to develope concepts grounded by good research that have a light touch on the planet, are low in carbon and energy-use. We look to our research to help us and our clients mitigate the impact of climate change.
23 CR
23CR is a sensitive remodelling of the ground floor layout with a new mono-pitched extension to the rear of the property. The clients approached WR-AP with a brief to futureproof their beloved family home by adapting the plan to provide for their changing accessibility requirements. Free movement between rooms and level access to the outside are fundamental drivers for the project, as the clients seek continued use of the property in as much comfort as possible.
The additional space gained by the extension will be invaluable to the occupant’s changing accessibility needs in the future. Extending the property not only affords necessary living space and improvements to the layout, but also enables completely accessible circulation and amenities arrangement within the property. As such, there is an opportunity to redevelop and rejuvenate the existing property to become an exemplar for accessible design.
For the rear extension to unify the existing rear elevation, a new mono-pitched roof has been introduced to visually connect with the roof of the earlier side extension. This creates an architecturally satisfying asymmetry to the rear elevation and minimises the structure’s impact on neighbouring properties. The material palette, including the use of London Stock bricks to match the existing property, has been chosen to work sensitively with the existing fabric of the house and with surrounding properties. The triangulated forms of the fixed glazing units have been informed by the pitch of the roof and add a contemporary twist to the façade, whilst continuing to complement the original structure.
