Location: Northamptonshire | Type: Residential (Grade II Listed Building) | Stage: Complete
Awards: RIBA National Award (WINNER) | RIBA East Midlands Award (WINNER) | RIBA Small Project of the Year (WINNER) | RIBA Conservation Project of the Year (WINNER) | RIBA Stephen Lawrence Prize (Shortlisted) | British Homes Awards - Home Extension of the Year 2020 (WINNER) | British Homes Awards - Interior Designer of the Year 2020 (WINNER) | AJ (Architect’s Journal) Small Projects 2020 Award (Shortlisted) | Dezeen Awards - Residential Rebirth Project 2020 (Longlisted) | Dwell Awards - Renovation Project of the Year 2020 (WINNER)
Publications: Dezeen | The Architect’s Journal | ArchDaily | DesignBoom | Detail Magazine | INHABITAT | Architectural Digest | Architizer | Dwell Magazine | Elle Decoration | Elle Decoration Country | Enki Magazine | SelfBuild & Design Magazine | Grand Designs Magazine
The existing property consisted of a Grade II listed double fronted Victorian house. Connected to the house was a disused cattle shed and beyond that a ruin, which was a former parchment factory and scheduled monument.
The client’s initial brief was to convert the cattle shed and demolish the ruin to make way for a new extension. From the beginning of the design process it was clear that the client viewed the ruin as a constraint as opposed to a positive asset that could be celebrated through a sensitive but well conceived intervention.
Instead of demolishing the ruin, Will Gamble Architects proposed ‘a building within a building’ - where two lightweight volumes could be delicately inserted within the masonry walls in order to preserve and celebrate it.
A palette of honest materials were chosen both internally and externally which references the site’s history and the surrounding rural context.
Externally, corten steel, oak, and reclaimed brick were used. The extension was built from up-cycled materials predominantly found on site which was both cost effective and sustainable, whilst allowing the proposal to sensitively blend into its surroundings.
Internally the structural beams of the existing cattle shed were exposed, as well as the steelwork to the new parts - the stone walls were re-pointed and washed in lime to create a mottled effect, and a concrete plinth was cast along the base to create a monolithic skirting.
A contemporary kitchen (also designed by the practice) juxtaposes the uneven and disordered nature of the ruin and continues the theme of a modern intervention set within a historic context.
ARCHITECT | Will Gamble Architects
INTERIOR DESIGNER | Will Gamble Architects
STRUCTURAL ENGINEER | CDS
LANDSCAPE DESIGNER | Will Gamble Architects
PHOTOGRAPHER | Johan Dehlin
Location: North London | Type: Residential (Grade II Listed Building) | Stage: Complete
Awards: British Homes Awards - Home Extension of the Year 2023 (Shortlisted)
Publications: Dezeen | Architects Journal | Grand Designs Magazine | Dwell Magazine
The client approached Will Gamble Architects to extend, reconfigure and refurbish this unique detached grade 2 listed villa in a conservation area.
The brief was to sensitively restore the upper parts whilst creating a contemporary multifunctional living space along the lower ground floor to accommodate a number of different uses – working, entertaining, and relaxing.
The client’s strong affiliation to Palm Springs was a consideration during the design process. The scheme draws inspiration from Modernism, and more specifically Desert Modernism that defines the unique architectural landscape of Palm Springs, California.
Desert Modernism, notable for its use of floor to ceiling glass, clean lines, natural materials, and the connection between indoor and outdoor space became the driving principles behind the entire scheme, whilst sensitively responding to the architectural significance of the grade 2 listed building.
A lightweight contemporary addition was proposed that celebrates the unique character of the host building. The floor to ceiling glass sits on a monolithic plinth of terrazzo, anchoring the intervention into the surrounding garden. Like ‘fingers,’ the terrazzo extends from inside to out, establishing a unique connection with the surrounding garden and reinforcing its relationship between indoor and outdoor space.
The honest use of terrazzo and Douglas fir externally is continued through into the interiors. Suspended amongst the glazed walls is a lattice roof that appears to float over the informal living space below.
Terrazzo walls and floor to ceiling Douglas fir joinery provides a coherent design aesthetic - these elements are stitched together by a seamless polished concrete floor that is continued throughout the living space and into the garden. The large open plan living arrangement can be subdivided to create a private meeting room through sliding pockets doors.
Inspired by the American diner and at the heart of the flexible living space is a banquette for informal dining.
ARCHITECT | Will Gamble Architects
INTERIOR DESIGNER | Will Gamble Architects & Huxley Home
CLIENT REPRESENTATIVE | Brooke
STRUCTURAL ENGINEER | Axiom Structures
LANDSCAPE DESIGNER | Will Gamble Architects
PHOTOGRAPHER | Stale Eriksen
Location: Leicestershire | Type: Residential | Stage: Complete
Awards: British Homes Awards - Home Extension of the Year 2022 (Shortlisted)
Publications: Dezeen | The Architect’s Journal | ArchDaily | Dwell Magazine | Grand Designs Magazine
The client approached Will Gamble Architects to extend this Georgian style house in a conservation area.
The brief was to provide a contemporary kitchen, dining and living area within the ground floor and a master bedroom with an en-suite over the first floor.
Will Gamble Architects also reconfigured part of the existing house to rationalise the previously disjointed arrangement of rooms and provide a more symmetrical floor plan that is true to Georgian design principles.
Owing to the sensitive nature of the property being located in a conservation area the design of the first floor addition (which is visible from the street) draws inspiration from the vernacular of the existing property and the surrounding village scene.
It is conceived as an ancillary ‘pavilion type’ structure connected to the main house via a glazed link.
Throughout the ground floor, the extension is more contemporary in its appearance and draws inspiration from the garden pergola to establish a connection with the surrounding gardens.
A contemporary oak frame was proposed with full height glazing that maximises views of the gardens.
The lightweight nature of the ground floor extension juxtaposes the heavy masonry walls of the existing property and helps define old from new.
Internally there is a polished concrete floor with a sunken garden room.
A formal courtyard garden maximises the amount of light entering the space and forms a set-piece for the new accommodation to be arranged around. It also facilitates cross-ventilation to passively cool the main living space during the summer months.
The pergola structure provides solar shading to the glazed facade, whilst triple glazing with solar reflective glass improves the thermal efficiency of the building’s envelope.
The master bedroom is accessed via the glazed link through a double height space.
The ceiling to the master bedroom is vaulted with a centralised rooflight above - there is a roof terrace over the pergola accessed from the master bedroom with views down the garden.
ARCHITECT | Will Gamble Architects
INTERIOR DESIGNER | Will Gamble Architects
STRUCTURAL ENGINEER | Axiom Structures
LANDSCAPE DESIGNER | Emma Scarborough Garden Design
PHOTOGRAPHER | Rory Gardiner
Location: Richmond | Type: Residential | Stage: Complete
Publications: Dezeen | Enki Magazine | Archello
A unique home designed for a film producer and their young family.
The project includes a contemporary ground floor rear extension and the reconfiguration of the existing house.
The extension consists of two asymmetric interlocking volumes clad in black zinc to create a sculptural form that juxtaposes the existing architecture of the early Edwardian house.
Set into one of the volumes is a picture window that also acts as a window seat internally. In front of the picture window is planter dressed in wild grasses.
The other volume contains a large pivot door that provides direct access onto the rear garden.
Internally a controlled monochromatic pallet of honest materials has been used. Douglas Fir beams, finished in a white oil, celebrates the structure of the extension, these structural elements run across a large frameless rooflight animating the space below in light and shadow.
The joinery, also designed by the practice, is finished in black dyed MDF framed in birch plywood. The engineered edge of the birch ply has been left exposed to celebrate the structural composition of the material. The black MDF establishes a relationship with the interior and exterior of the building, referencing the metal cladding.
Built into the joinery is a homework space for the owner’s young children.
The birch plywood also frames the picture window and creates a window seat that helps define the dining area. It sits proud of the internal wall finish to emphasise its prominence within the space.
A microcement floor provides a homogeneous floor finish that allows the surrounding interior architecture to be appreciated.
The use of microcement has been continued into the ground floor bathroom where it has been used to finish a bespoke vanity unit designed by the practice.
ARCHITECT | Will Gamble Architects
INTERIOR DESIGNER | Will Gamble Architects
STRUCTURAL ENGINEER | Axiom Structures
LANDSCAPE DESIGNER | Will Gamble Architects
PHOTOGRAPHER | Stale Eriksen
Location: Clapham | Type: Residential | Stage: Complete
Publications: Dezeen | Enki Magazine | Architects Journal
T-House was designed for a young professional couple and their growing family.
The brief was to create a contemporary home that was sympathetic to the existing architecture of the Victorian terraced house.
The project included a ground floor rear extension, an extension over the entire length of the existing back addition, and a loft conversion with a generous roof terrace.
The entire property was stripped back to the bare bones and refurbished throughout.
To the rear, at ground floor, full height glazing is broken up by slender glazing bars to maximise views of the garden.
Above the full height glazing is a horizontal band of black zinc, broken up by oversized vertical seams that line through with the glazing bars below to accentuate the grid like nature of the rear elevation. A large pivot door provides everyday access onto a generous rear garden.
Internally a rooflight runs across the full width of the rear extension. Exposed timber joists run through the opening of the rooflight to help mitigate sunglare but also animate the pared back interiors with light and shadow - as a result the interior space is in a constant state of flux throughout the day.
The existing house was in a poor state of disrepair and required a full refurbishment. The original victorian features of the house were painstakingly reintroduced and now sit alongside contemporary joinery which includes a bespoke study nook.
In the loft, a frameless picture window provides panoramic views over the nearby rooftops, and a roof terrace creates an elevated external space for the summer evenings.
ARCHITECT | Will Gamble Architects
INTERIOR DESIGNER | Will Gamble Architects
STRUCTURAL ENGINEER | Axiom Structures
LANDSCAPE DESIGNER | Client
PHOTOGRAPHER | Building Narratives
Location: Croydon | Type: Residential | Stage: Complete
Publications: Dezeen | Enki Magazine | Grand Designs Magazine
Will Gamble Architects extended, reconfigured and refurbish this semi-detached property in Croydon to create a unique family home.
At ground floor the rear extension is conceptualised as a contemporary interpretation of a traditional colonnade.
The colonnade, with its deep angular fins is finished in rough microcement – a direct response to the rough cast render that defines the overarching character of the local vernacular.
Set between these fins is floor to ceiling glazing with large pivot doors that provide direct access onto the rear garden – above the slender glazing are angled soffits that increase the sense of height across the colonnade’s facade.
This architectural language is continued through to the inset dormer at second floor, with its deep angled reveals finished in red zinc – a contemporary interpretation of the red clay tiles that clad the original roof form. The dormer, alongside a hip to gable extension creates additional living accommodation within the existing roof space.
Internally, at ground floor, there is an open plan living arrangement that is subdivided by a series of walnut fins, referencing the verticality of the external colonnade.
A dark snug is sat centrally within the plan, with the kitchen and dining room addressing the garden. At the front of the property there is a formal reception room where the original mouldings have been sensitively restored.
In the contemporary living space the microcement has been continued through internally, as well as the fins it has been used to create the worktops and the backsplash to the bespoke kitchen. The kitchen cabinetry is made from black valchromat and walnut slats.
At second floor, in the masterbedroom, a desk space with a large window seat is inset within the angled cheeks of the rear dormer. These joinery elements frame dramatic views over the surrounding area.
The walnut joinery is continued through to the upper parts to create a cohesive architectural language throughout the entire scheme.
ARCHITECT | Will Gamble Architects
INTERIOR DESIGNER | Will Gamble Architects
STRUCTURAL ENGINEER | Axiom Structures
PHOTOGRAPHER | Chris Wharton
Location: Southwark | Type: Residential (Grade II Listed Building) | Stage: Complete
Publications: Dezeen
Butterfly House is the reconfiguration and refurbishment of a grade 2 listed terraced house in central London characterised by a unique butterfly roof – it has been designed for a pair of lawyers and their two young children.
The brief was to create a contemporary home that is sympathetic to the existing architecture of the listed property whilst maximising the available space.
The original features were retained and celebrated, and now sit alongside more contemporary elements to deliberately contrast old from new.
An honest palette of natural materials has been used including oak, microcement and stone.
The restrained material palette is continued throughout the entire scheme to create a cohesive design that celebrates the architecture of the listed building and provides a unique 21st century home.
ARCHITECT | Will Gamble Architects
INTERIOR DESIGNER | Will Gamble Architects
STRUCTURAL ENGINEER | Green Engineering
PHOTOGRAPHER | Building Narratives
Location: Fulham | Type: Residential | Stage: Complete
Publications: Dezeen | Grand Designs Magazine | Ignant
Will Gamble Architects were appointed to refurbish and extend this Victorian terrace in southwest London.
The proposal draws inspiration from Japanese architecture, in particular the Japanese tea house.
Inspired by the Shoji Screen, a common characteristic of the traditional Japanese tea house, the rear extension consists of full height glazed screens in a lattice arrangement formed of black slender steel framed glazing bars.
The façade is stepped in plan to form a contemporary bay window that houses a window seat. The larch boards to the window seat have been carefully burnt - a traditional Japanese technique (developed in the 18th century) used to preserve the timber and give it a rich jet-black appearance with a crocodile skin texture.
The floor to ceiling glass frames the view of the landscaped garden and the silver birch tree beyond. Like the Japanese lantern, the screens glow and illuminate the garden at night.
Polished concrete floors were used throughout the ground floor extension to create a muted backdrop that allows the bespoke kitchen cabinetry to be celebrated. A large frameless rooflight casts light over the kitchen below.
The existing property was refurbished throughout including a ‘speakeasy’ style bar hidden behind a pocket door and full height oak joinery.
The bar itself is clad in green leather. Above the bar is a frameless glass lantern which floods the space below and the adjoining reception room with natural light.
The project was designed in collaboration with the interior design practice, Smith & Butler Design, and the garden was designed by Garden Club London
ARCHITECT | Will Gamble Architects
INTERIOR DESIGNER | Will Gamble Architects & Client
STRUCTURAL ENGINEER | Axiom Structures
LANDSCAPE DESIGNER | Garden Club London
PHOTOGRAPHER | Stale Eriksen
Location: Hornsey | Type: Residential | Stage: Complete
Will Gamble Architects were appointed to refurbish and extend this Victorian house in Hornsey to create a unique home for a family of four.
The project included a ground floor side extension, an extension over the rear addition and the internal reconfiguration and refurbishment of the ground and second floor.
The brief was to create a series of contemporary spaces that could accommodate the growing needs of the family, including an open plan living kitchen and dining space, a playroom, a formal reception room and a study amongst other ancillary spaces.
The rear elevation of the ground floor extension is clad in heated treated ash arranged in slender vertical battens to accentuate the height of the addition. The battens frame a large picture window with views onto the garden.
A glass roof creates a delicate connection between the existing building and the proposal whist allowing natural light to enter deep into the floor plan.
The use of heat-treated ash has been continued into the interior spaces where its rich chocolatey tones have been coupled with a more monochromatic colour scheme to create a restrained and coherent colour palette.
The colour palette has been designed to complement the period features of the existing house whilst creating a contemporary living space.
Exposed joists, and an exposed off-black steel celebrates the structure of the proposal and helps demarcate the different spaces contained within the open plan living space. The timber joists are centred on the picture window drawing your eye out towards the garden.
A bespoke kitchen, also designed by the practice, accentuates the monochromatic colour palette with carrara marble worksurfaces.
On second floor, a new study space was created with a frameless corner window that provides uninterrupted panoramic views towards Alexandra Palace.
ARCHITECT | Will Gamble Architects
INTERIOR DESIGNER | Will Gamble Architects
STRUCTURAL ENGINEER | Axiom Structures
LANDSCAPE DESIGNER | Will Gamble Architects
PHOTOGRAPHER | Building Narratives
Location: North London | Type: Residential | Stage: Complete
The Hide is a bespoke pavilion building nestled in the rear garden of our grade 2 listed Palm Springs project. It is used as a yoga studio but can also function as a home office.
Clad in a combination of wavy and smooth cork, this innovative sustainable material insulates and protects the building from the elements, whilst allowing The Hide to blend seamlessly into its immediate context.
The textural qualities and brown tones of the cork cladding camouflage the intervention against the historic brick walls and dense vegetation that define the boundary to the rear garden.
Its subtle appearance was a key design consideration to ensure that the pavilion building did not impact the setting of the listed building, but appears subservient to its historic context.
The roof is finished in sedum, and a corner window frames views of a single stem acer tree and the surrounding garden.
ARCHITECT | Will Gamble Architects
INTERIOR DESIGNER | Will Gamble Architects
STRUCTURAL ENGINEER | Axiom Structures
LANDSCAPE DESIGNER | Will Gamble Architects
PHOTOGRAPHER | Stale Eriksen
Location: Clapham | Type: Residential | Stage: Complete
Will Gamble Architects were appointed to extend and refurbish this three-storey townhouse in Clapham to create a contemporary home for a young family.
The design is conceptualised as a series of stacked masonry volumes punctuated by a number of glazed openings - including a lightweight glass roof that runs along its entire length.
Along the ground floor there is a new kitchen, dining and informal living space with views of the garden - there is a formal reception room to the front.
At first and second floor there are four bedrooms, including a master en-suite with a Juliette balcony.
At the centre of the ground floor plan is a plywood clad box which contains a bathroom and provides a centrepiece for the formal and informal living spaces to be arranged.
Timber joists have been exposed to draw your eye down to the garden and create a decorative ceiling raft over the dining and informal living area.
Floor to ceiling sliding doors with slender frames maximise views of the garden over the ground and first floor.
On the second floor there is a large roof terrace with views of the surrounding roofscape.
Externally the walls are finished in a light buff brick with flush pointing.
The walls are capped in stone copings which are set flush to the external face of the brickwork to emphasise the monolithic appearance of the stacked volumes.
ARCHITECT | Will Gamble Architects
INTERIOR DESIGNER | Will Gamble Architects
STRUCTURAL ENGINEER | Axiom Structures
LANDSCAPE DESIGNER | Will Gamble Architects
PHOTOGRAPHER | Stale Eriksen
Location: Putney | Type: Residential | Stage: Complete
Will Gamble Architects were appointed to extend, reconfigure and refurbish this semi-detached property to create a unique design led home inspired by soft minimalism.
The roof of this historic building was replaced to create an additional floor through the provision of a rear mansard and pod extension alongside interiors that inspire a sense of calm.
Will Gamble Architects were instructed to design the interiors over the upper parts, whilst providing some interior design input for the previously completed ground floor to ensure a holistic design language.
The interiors are defined by curved lines, gentle tonal hues, natural materials and carefully curated spaces that maximise light and space.
A restrained palette of textural materials were chosen to encourage a sense of calm across the interiors. Marble, pippy oak, and micro cement were used throughout to ensure a consistent and coherent aesthetic across all floors. A muted colour palette of warm white hues provides a soft back drop, allowing the marble and oak to be celebrated.
Connecting these floors is a curved feature staircase with a turned oak handrail and white metal spindels. The stair is illuminated by an oval rooflight above, casting natural light deep into the floor plan below.
The bespoke joinery, niches and feature walls draw inspiration from the curved staircase, with the arch being a common feature throughout the interiors, softening the look and feel.
In the master bedroom, the bed is sat centrally within the space. A feature head board, finished in pippy oak provides additional storage whilst separating the ensuite from the bedroom - maximising the space without compromising the quality of the design.
A home automation system has been utilised throughout, removing the need for any visible switches and contributing towards the uncluttered minimalist interiors.
The building was thermally upgraded throughout, all the walls floors, and roofs were insulated to reduce its energy consumption and create a warm and comfortable environment.
Each space in this bespoke project has been carefully curated to create a sense of calm through a soft approach to minimalist design.
ARCHITECT | Will Gamble Architects and Proctor & Shaw (RIBA Stage 03 - space planning, for ground floor only)
INTERIOR DESIGNER | Will Gamble Architects
STRUCTURAL ENGINEER | Axiom Structures
PHOTOGRAPHER | Lorenzo Zandri