Putney riverside restoration and extension

The client, a Sri Lankan couple, fell in love with a house facing the river Thames, with an overgrown garden that reminded them of home. Incorporating client's personality and heritage while preserving as much as possible from the character of the building and reconnecting it to nature became the main theme of the project.

The house came in a very bad condition, with structural issues that required underpinning. To offset part of the costs into gaining more space, we created a basement connected to a lightwell leading to front garden. At the ground floor, the garden is invited to flow inside the house, with a side garden fully open to the dining area. The interior materials are rough, reminding of a Sri Lankan feel - exposed concrete and lime plaster, are warmed up by oak insertions stained in a colour similar to Sri Lankan teak. The house did not have many features left, and everything we could keep was preserved and enhanced - the old plaster was kept exposed were was not affected by damp, floorboards were upcycled, and stair and doors were fully restored. The property is fully insulated internally and thermally efficient and demonstrates that thermal improvements can be done while still preserving the character of the property. Ultimately, a terracotta coloured concrete extension relates to the Sri Lankan heritage while borrowing from the colour of the brick arches and trees nearby, creating a contextual intervention fully respectful of the surroundings.