Willow lodge is a small cottage built in 1908 and sits on the edge of the picturesque village green in Wiltshire. The property is not listed yet sits within a sensitive rural setting in the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The house had a large and well kept rear garden but it was somewhat remote from the house – separated by a slightly sunken and dark, north facing patio with a cold and inadequate rear extension in it. The Client’s brief was simply to make the most of a challenging site and they were not afraid of a striking and contemporary design in this sensitive location.

Although the extension is on the north side of the house, the orientation of the openings provides south and east as well as north facing glazing and privacy from a rather overbearing neighbour. The east facing glazing provides a miniature courtyard to the east to take advantage of morning sunshine.

The complex form was made by constructing a series of plywood portal frames which were accurately modelled (and optimised structurally) using a parametric Rhino / Grasshopper model, which was then turned into a cutting pattern file for all the elements to be simply cut out using a CNC router. The pieces were numbered and delivered to site, where they were assembled using low tech screw and glue technology. The extension is clad in standing seam zinc cladding, in a manner which compliments the existing house and minimises the building’s whole life embodied carbon footprint.