This was not the first set of rooms of my making that Ben Fogle would inhabit . The Taransay Pods and communal buildings had been his home for a year and Ben had been very enthusiastic. Ben was consulting me in a bid to purchase Taransay Island when it came up fro sale in 2007 and mentioned the London home he was now sharing with his wife Marina. The House was exact;y where they wanted it to be, but was not living up to their expectations. Connections between kitchen and garden were poor and Ben wanted more of the outdoors in his life while he was in London. When he came back from his adventures he wanted to be able to congregate with friends and family in the kitchen and garden and to be able to open the house up. The kitchen and dining areas were boxed and tiny and the request was to unlock the Tardis in it.
Andrew surveyed the existing house carefully and drew that up by hand . and then used the survey drawings and specifics of the house to generate options on reworking and extension.
Although the Garden was small there had to be room for a man shed and he provided various options on the form of that. Ben was keen for that to be rustic and evocative of Castaway and the adventurer spirit he was now famous for. Marina wanted outdoor and indoor dining for 12 and the practice investigated how that could happen by making an end wall of folding glass.
At the first meeting with South Kensington Planning department they explained how the "Prior Notification" scheme allowed for an extension of a certain size to be fast tracked . We submitted quickly and the approval was granted.
As the Glass extension was to be put through manufacturing process in London it became difficult for the practice at that time to supervise. Marina took over as Project manager and elements metamorphosed again in manufacture, but it was built roughly as per our Designs.
Things the practice added to the quality of the end product.
Improved circulation Vastly improved open plan kitchen and dining. Openable gable glass wall that seasonally allows for indoor outdoor living. Exposing and accentuation of the linear garden walls and their appearance inside the house. Clerestorey lighting details that light the entire interior of the down stairs. Space above for provision of an extra first floor room. An adventurous Vista across the small landscape to ... Bens shed. Various options on a small garden room with a small boat Stove.
Ben did not mange to buy Taransay Island but he has hos man shed and the adaptive refurb of a terrace House ... well, It turned out ok .