Green light for Dartmouth Park house with floating kitchen

The bricks are longer and narrower than traditional bricks (Image: Archant)

A family in Dartmouth Park have been given the go ahead to transform an uninhabitable cellar and dilapidated garage into a bright basement with a kitchen ‘floating’ on top.

Amos Goldreich Architecture has designed an extension that will bring a new sense of light and space to the end of terrace property.

There was some pushback from the council over the extension, but they were ultimately supportive (Image: Archant)

The basement is to be extended in line with the kitchen and the ceiling height raised by digging further down.

A new kitchen will be cantilevered over it with a perimeter of clearstory windows at the base, taken up to allow natural light to come in from the garden.

The kitchen now has more storage space and flows better for family living (Image: Archant)

“At night time it will appear to be floating,” said architect Amos Goldreich.

Floor to ceiling glass windows at ground level will open up the kitchen space and give views out over the garden.

At first they wanted a contrasting effect with the bricks, but the final selection blends more harmoniously with the existing architecture (Image: Archant)

A new garden room is also planned in a complimentary design to mirror the extension.

The new design will see the cellar become children’s play room and home gym, as well as housing a guest room with its own lightwell and a utility room.

The narrow kitchen will be expanded and reconfigured to provide much more in terms of work surfaces and storage, becoming a new hub for family life.

Amos Goldreich and his team worked closely with Camden Council’s planning department to ensure the work will be sensitive to the needs of the conservation area.

“Initially we wanted a completely different colour for the extension to achieve a concrete effect, but Camden council asked to have a colour that was closer to the existing brickwork,” explained Mr Goldreich.

The bricks used for the extension work and garden room have to be hand crafted and colour matched to precisely match the existing façade.

“It’s a Danish company called Petersen. They’re narrower and longer than traditional bricks, and we liked the size and scale of them.”

Getting the planning permission, particularly for the basement, took a lot of back and forth.

“It was very long, it took nine months. It was almost like childbirth! There were times when we thought we wouldn’t get it, but they were very supportive in the end,” said Mr Goldreich.

“The clients are relieved and very happy. We’re keen to move ahead now.”