Project: The Klee House

This project extends a 1950s architect designed house in the Chilterns by creating a modern addition that echoes and complements the existing building rather than trying to mimic or compete with the original design.

It is conceived as a metal clad, folded butterfly roof that floats above an iroko-clad ‘box’ containing a large living space, with wonderful views across a small valley and this in turn, sits above a masonry base containing a double bedroom and en-suite bathroom.

Winner of the 2005 Chilterns Building Design Award, the house was described as;

‘A really well designed extension to this fine example of twentieth century modernist architecture, and that is furnished and occupied in a way that complements the style of building.’

PROJECT DETAILS

With a growing interest in post-war Modernist architecture, JPA took on the remodelling and extension this 1950’s house set on a sloping site in the outskirts of Great Missendon in Buckinghamshire.

The existing flat-roofed house was clad in red brick with white painted timber panels. On the upper level was an open plan living space and below, bedrooms built into the sloping site with a mid-level entrance onto the staircase.

We moved the restricted mid-level entrance to the lower ground floor level to create a frameless glass ‘porch’ set beneath the existing overhang and closed the existing entrance in favour of creating a new external terraced and landscaped area.

The new building stands adjacent to the existing house with a delicate glazed link connecting the two. The addition mirrors the layout of the original with master bedroom suite at the lower level and a new open plan living space perched above.

The new living wing takes flight from its sloping site by means of a tcs clad butterfly roof that in turn folds down to form an end to the composition,

with a sculptural water spout sending rainwater cascading into a pool below. Clad in iroko and with aluminium sliding screens and louvred ventilation panels, the new space exploits the roof shape to create high level clerestorey windows, while the valley becomes a light source onto the plywood clad ceiling.

Limestone flooring above underfloor heating and a purpose designed folding mahogany unit that supports media equipment and woodburning stove, along with a specially designed Helen Yardley rug, make this room in the Chiltern hills a special place to be.

Client: David + Sharon HurleyStatus: Completed 2004Contract value: £350,000.00

Structural Engineer: AKT EngineersContractor: Richard Kendrick Contracting