Forest Road
Tunbridge Wells
Extension and alteration of a 1970s detached house
Context
This project involved the extension and reconfiguration of a 1970s detached house in Tunbridge Wells, influenced by mid-century modern design.
The existing house had a clear architectural language and a carefully considered layout, typical of its time, with a strong relationship to the surrounding mature landscape.
Brief
The brief was to create a larger family home, including an additional bedroom and improved living space, while retaining and complementing the character of the existing house.
This included a side extension and a considered reworking of the internal layout to better support modern family life.
Design Response
The proposal introduces a side extension designed to sit comfortably alongside the existing house, responding to its proportions and material palette while giving the new work its own identity.
Clerestory windows were introduced within the extension to bring daylight into the deeper plan and provide framed views of the sky and surrounding trees. This allows natural light to reach further into the home while maintaining privacy.
Internally, the layout was carefully adjusted rather than reworked entirely, building on the original arrangement to create a more generous kitchen and dining space centred around a large island.
Externally, materials were selected to complement the existing house. A dark vertical cladding is used at ground level as a contemporary response to the original brickwork, while the upper level retains the red clay tiles and roof finish to maintain continuity.
Outcome
The result is a five bedroom family home that feels more open and better suited to modern living, while retaining the clarity and character of the original design.
The extension and internal changes work together to enhance what was already there, strengthening the relationship between the house and its setting.
Location: Tunbridge Wells
Project type: Extension and alteration
Existing house: 1970s detached
