The Georgian ‘tea caddy’ houses on Shooters Hill Road have their best rooms on the raised ground floor with the kitchen downstairs in the basement, deprived of light and views out. The client asked CB Architects to design a side extension in place of the existing garage to provide a kitchen/dining room on the same level as the main reception rooms, with a sunken garage below, and a basement playroom to the rear.
A terrace on the playroom roof leads down to the rear garden and a rear light well includes a water feature in Carrara marble inspired by Renaissance fountains in Cordoba. The interior of the kitchen is lit by a 5m long rooflight and glass floor panels bring additional light down to the playroom. From the front, all this extra accommodation appears to be a simple side garage, matching the other garages and coach houses nestled between these historic houses.
