kitchen of corten steel extension with brick walls

Office snug in a Corten steel extension

This unusual extension provides a work from home space above a new kitchen.

By Caroline Rodrigues |

Architect Adam Knibb designed a rear addition with an office snug that has its own staircase. His brief was for a stylish and functional space for home working.

Rear exterior of a corten steel clad extension to a victorian house

The snug can be seen on the upper level. Photo: Martin Gardner

Tell us how the project came about

My clients, Donna and Brian Malone, asked me to design a rear extension with a first-floor office snug. It is a new addition to their two-bedroom Victorian home in Hampshire. They occasionally work from home. So, the room had to serve as both a study and reading nook with views of the garden.

Why not go for a bigger extension?

Donna and Brian were keen to explore the way the snug, which is 9.3 square metres, relates to the Victorian house. Also, the ground-floor extension replaces and expands on a conservatory and an infill utility room. The project cost £115,000 and neither the brief nor the budget allowed for a larger addition.

Looking through the kitchen in an extended Victorian house to the garden

Overhead glazing provides light into the back of the extension. Photo: Martin Gardner

Any hiccups with the planning process?

Pre-application advice tests the waters, which is useful when proposing a more unusual scheme. The initial feedback was very good. We overcame concerns, such as the impact on neighbouring properties due to overlooking or loss of light by using 3-D modelling. This way we were able to present the proposal from a variety of different viewpoints.

Architect Adam Knibb designed a rear addition with an office snug that has its own staircase. His brief was for a stylish and functional space for home working.

Rear exterior of a corten steel clad extension to a victorian house

The snug can be seen on the upper level. Photo: Martin Gardner

Tell us how the project came about

My clients, Donna and Brian Malone, asked me to design a rear extension with a first-floor office snug. It is a new addition to their two-bedroom Victorian home in Hampshire. They occasionally work from home. So, the room had to serve as both a study and reading nook with views of the garden.

Why not go for a bigger extension?

Donna and Brian were keen to explore the way the snug, which is 9.3 square metres, relates to the Victorian house. Also, the ground-floor extension replaces and expands on a conservatory and an infill utility room. The project cost £115,000 and neither the brief nor the budget allowed for a larger addition.

Looking through the kitchen in an extended Victorian house to the garden

Overhead glazing provides light into the back of the extension. Photo: Martin Gardner

Any hiccups with the planning process?

Pre-application advice tests the waters, which is useful when proposing a more unusual scheme. The initial feedback was very good. We overcame concerns, such as the impact on neighbouring properties due to overlooking or loss of light by using 3-D modelling. This way we were able to present the proposal from a variety of different viewpoints.

What were the challenges?

Since the height of the building’s gable end set a height parameter, we had to calculate the ground and ceiling levels from the top down. The extension floor was excavated, steps down to it from the original part of the house. This creates a subtle transition between the new and old spaces, and helped us gain as much head room as possible in the snug.

View of the compact multipurpose snug that has a deep window seat

The snug is a multipurpose space and has a deep window seat. Photo: Martin Gardner

Tell us about some of the key features

The exterior cladding is striking. It gives the new-build an industrial look that reflects the maritime history of the area. Corten steel weathers to an attractive patina and its robustness creates a continuous facade. The snug has brushed-zinc cladding. The staircase is an opportunity to bring some of the industrial aspects inside. Hence, the single piece of steel that is folded to create the stair. Markings from its manufacture were retained and the mesh balustrade infill mimics the rust colour of the Corten cladding.

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