CASE STUDY OPEN HOUSE LONDON


Despite having no initial plans to alter their traditional Victorian family home in Greenwich, David and Nicola Fleming ended up reinventing it, building two highly contemporary extensions which dramatically improve look and layout


TEXT DEBBIE JEFFERY IMAGES JOSEPH TRAYLER/HENRI BREDENKAMP W


hen David and Nicola Fleming bought their detached, double-fronted Victorian house, just a short stroll from


Greenwich, they had absolutely no plans to tackle any building work. The couple and their children – James, now 27, Lottie, 25, and Issy, 20 – moved into their new home in 2008, feeling pleased that the property was in such good condition. “We’d always bought houses which needed


improving, and had been living in a rundown, rambling old wreck of a Victorian house, so down-sizing and finding somewhere which had already been renovated was a relief,” says Nicola. “We were fed up with constant maintenance and outgoings at the other house, so we ended up doing a house swap with the woman who bought it, and it seemed like a treat to be able to move straight in and enjoy living here.” Years passed, and the three children grew up. Gradually, the three-storey house began to lose its appeal, and no longer served the Fleming family’s needs. “The kitchen and dining room were long and thin, stretching across the back of the house, and we were always getting in each other’s way and tripping because of the different floor levels, which was particularly annoying,” Nicola continues. “There was an awkward island unit cutting up the kitchen space, and our dining table was pushed up close to a set of French doors, obscuring the lovely fireplace. Other rooms in the house were also starting to look quite tired and in need of an update, so in 2014 we decided to put the property up for sale and look for somewhere else to live.” However, when the sale fell through, the family began to have second thoughts about trying again, realising that there were many aspects of their home which they still enjoyed. With three reception rooms, six bedrooms and three bathrooms, it offered bright accommodation and period features, including sash windows, fireplaces, cornicing, ceiling roses, and stripped wooden floors. “After some discussion, we decided to stay put, and the Stamp Duty and legal fees we saved went towards improving the house instead,” says David (who works in IT). “We


24 www.sbhonline.co.uk FACING PAGE


The new glass-box extension has added space without impacting on the garden, with large format floor tiles laid both inside further blurring the division. Reclaimed bricks ensure the first-floor bedroom extension suits its setting


LOW POINT


Henri’s design for a glass box extension with sliding doors reveals a wide aspect and fills the space with light


knew that the layout just wasn’t working for us, and approached Henri Bredenkamp of Studio 30 Architects to come up with a feasible solution.” Henri is an award-winning architect who established his London-based practice in 2010. Specialising primarily in contemporary residential developments for private clients, the practice has also been commissioned for projects in Henri’s native South Africa. Prior to setting up Studio 30 Architects, Henri worked for a number of high-profile practices, where he was project lead for several RIBA Award-winning schemes. His projects have been widely published in the press and online, which is where Nicola first spotted his work. “We clicked immediately and didn’t need to look elsewhere once we’d met Henri,” recalls Nicola. “I absolutely loved the whole design process, working with him to come up with an improved layout, without sacrificing too much of


april/may 2020


“Work did take longer than planned, and we ended up moving back in before the builders had quite finished, which wasn’t ideal.” – David Fleming


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