Buckingham Terrace
Living Spaces
A ground and basement apartment within a category-B listed townhouse in the New Town conservation area, Edinburgh.
In addition to a whole house refurbishment, our brief was to bring natural light into the lower level of the property, create improved living spaces and engage the house with it’s long south facing garden.
An original kitchen outshot sat in the centre of the rear elevation, creating a small, dark and damp courtyard at each side, and obscuring the garden from the house. Our design involved the demolition of this outshot, and the creation of a contemporary, open and bright living space to one side of the garden. Within the original footprint of the house, we have formed a new utility room and new kitchen, which has direct views into both the extension and garden. Where the outshot was connected with the main building, stonework damaged during demolition has been completely rebuilt, and a new tall glazed door allows for views to the garden from the long hallway.
Through wide, flush-level sliding doors, the new lounge and dining areas within the extension looks on to a sunny, sheltered courtyard. So as to amplify the connection between inside and outside, the internal oak parquet flooring lines through precisely with the external porcelain parquet tiling. An asymmetric zinc roof allows for the positioning of a large rooflight over the dining area, which floods the space with natural light throughout the morning.
Externally, the garden was regraded, creating 3 level terraces in place of the original steeply sloping lawn. New solid stone steps, cedar raised beds and steel handrails were designed by Helen Lucas Architects to compliment the aesthetic of the extension itself and embed the project in its surroundings.