Cork Room

This project is a one room addition to an attached cottage in an historic village.  The cottage, which had a previous rear wing extension, had no rear facing windows at ground floor level despite having a handsome courtyard garden.

We used fixed glass in the wall and roof to create a strip of separation between the existing brickwork building fabric and the new room.    An additional opening rooflight and large area of glazed doors in the remaining small areas of pitched roof and external wall helped enclose the space as lightly as possible and give the sense that the room disintegrates into the out of doors.

Internal and external finishes consolidate the connection between the new room and courtyard garden.  Natural cork internal wall covering and oak floor have a strong visual correlation with the texture and tone of the external cedar shingles.  The room enjoys step-free access to the soft sandstone surface outside and is finished with a sedum green-roof visible from bedrooms above.

The resulting space is an exercise in craftsmanship and materials which gently transforms the clients everyday experience of the traditional cottage and garden.

Photography  Cristina Granena