Dezeen Magazine

The Quarter Glass House extension by Proctor & Shaw

Quarter Glass House by Proctor & Shaw is an angular extension to an Edwardian terrace

Proctor & Shaw has completed an L-shaped extension with angular glazing that connects a terraced house in southwest London to its leafy garden.

The Quarter Glass House project overseen by London studio Proctor & Shaw involved the refurbishment of ground-floor spaces at an Edwardian property in Wimbledon Park.

The angular exterior of The Quarter Glass House by Proctor & Shaw
Glass Quarter House links a London terrace to its garden

The new extension replaces a leaky PVC conservatory at the rear of the terraced house. It contains a kitchen and dining area designed to fulfil the client's request for spaces with as much light and height as possible.

The project involved lowering the floor level throughout the entrance level and creating a gradually stepped transition towards a rear garden that is 1.2 metres lower.

A residential kitchen with an exposed timber ceiling and duck-egg blue cabinetry
It has an angular form and openings that bring light inside

"There's a lovely movement in this space," said the studio's co-founder Mike Shaw, "a gradual progression from the house through the new space out to the garden, articulated through stepped plateaus that give the clients distinctly separate zones despite there really being one large space."

Neighbouring extensions on either side of the site informed the design of an L-shaped addition with angular openings, used to optimise light levels whilst preventing overlooking.

A residential kitchen with duck-egg blue cabinetry
Its timber structure is exposed across the ceiling

The project takes its name from the triangular windows found in some older car models. Just like these cars, the Quarter Glass House features glazing that is custom-made to suit the building's specific requirements.

"The quarter glass forms came to the design naturally," added Shaw, "finding their way into the plan as we considered ways to ensure the extension was light but still considerate of the clients' and neighbours' privacy."

The kitchen of an angular residential extension in London
There are four different openings to maximise light

The four openings in the timber-framed structure include a clerestory window above the sliding doors to the garden, and a smaller window at the side that frames a view onto the garden from a wooden window seat.

A third trapezoidal window located toward the centre of the house looks onto a new courtyard. This space functions as a lightwell connected with a utility room that doubles as a guest WC.

The fourth opening is a triangular skylight set into the sloping corner of the extension and above deep downstand beams. This shields the interior from overlooking by the neighbouring house.

A pastel-hued kitchen with an exposed timber ceiling
The timber is teamed with copper surfaces and duck-egg blue cabinetry

The brief for The Quarter Glass House called for warm and textural materials, so the interior combines exposed timber with muted copper surfaces and cabinetry painted a duck-egg blue.

The ceiling soffit is constructed from Douglas fir that is complemented by the copper-topped, birch ply kitchen island and the pale-pink microcement that was used as a wall finish and splashback.

A residential kitchen with an exposed timber ceiling and duck-egg blue cabinetry
A triangular skylight is set into the sloped corner of the extension

Large, light grey floor tiles extend from the kitchen to the adjacent patio, creating a sense of cohesion between inside and outside.

The cabinets and drawers are from Ikea, which freed up some budget for premium details such as the kitchen island and a custom-made aluminium-framed dining table.

An exposed timber roof in a kitchen by Proctor & Shaw
Deep downstand beams prevent neighbouring houses from seeing inside

Proctor & Shaw was founded by Shaw and John Proctor in southwest London in 2004. It specialises in residential new-builds, refurbishments and extensions around the UK's capital.

Its double-height extension to a house in Lambeth, south London, was named London's best new home improvement project at the 2020 Don't Move, Improve! awards.

Other London extensions completed by the firm include one with a timber-lined snug overlooking a garden and another featuring faceted tiles on both internal and external surfaces.

Photography is by Ståle Eriksen.

More images and plans

A floor plan for Quarter Glass House by Proctor & Shaw
Floor plan
A section of Quarter Glass House by Proctor & Shaw
Section
The kitchen of Quarter Glass House by Proctor & Shaw
The Quarter Glass House extension by Proctor & Shaw
An exposed timber roof by Proctor & Shaw
The kitchen of Quarter Glass House by Proctor & Shaw
The kitchen of Quarter Glass House by Proctor & Shaw
An exposed timber ceiling by Proctor & Shaw
The Quarter Glass House extension by Proctor & Shaw