Reading Room

Text description provided by architect.

The single room extension is designed as a flexible space that will allow the client to enjoy their tranquil garden setting all year round. 

The key design feature of this small extension to a 17th century cottage in the Cotswolds is its glass walls which can disappear entirely behind three timber bookcases.

This design allows the walls of the building to vanish entirely, creating a surreal outdoor living room.

The unsupported roof corner allows the space to bleed into the garden, which has been transformed into a series of landscaped terraces, whilst the bookcases frame views across the valley to the hills beyond. 

The new extension is clad in charred timber to reference the original dark stained windows, Victorian ironwork and wooden beams of the cottage while the interior finishes are light birch plywood to complement the existing Cotswold stone walls.

These walls were in a poor condition having been painted previously and so were restored by stripping off the paint, repointing and repairing where necessary in order to expose the beautiful Cotswold stone and add warmth and texture to the cottage.

The modular design adds to the flexibility of the space by allowing the client to reconfigure the arrangement and move the furniture inside or outside depending on the weather.