Two and a Half Storey House

Project Info

Priced out of three-bedroom properties in the area, the clients decided to investigate what could be done to create more space in their existing two-storey, two-bedroom home.

As they were unable to secure planning permission for a single-storey loft extension, the architects approached the project as an interlocking jigsaw. Two interlocking floor levels have been created in the space of one and half floors.

The design hinged on using the ceiling of the bedroom below as a bed platform for the bedroom above. Integrating the bedframe into the fabric of the design allowed space to be freed up for other things, such as communal circulation spaces. Plywood unifies all the spaces and helps to conceal clever storage spaces. Close attention to millimetre detail ensured ceiling heights could be maximised. This included exposing structural timbers in the ceilings and using vacuum insulation panels to limit floor and roof depths.

Watch judging tour on YouTube.