In Light In

LOCATION: Edinburgh, Lothians

CLIENT: Private

CONTRACTOR: Gillies Builders

The Vision

CSY were commissioned to design a rear extension to an Edwardian bungalow in West Edinburgh which would open up and connect the rear of the house to the generous, south-facing garden and mature trees. The client was particularly interested in how the design would respond to the particular qualities of both light from the west and east.

The Solution

We worked closely with the client to resolve the dislocation of the rear of the house from the garden through a series of simple, internal reconfigurations.

Opening up the rear of the house within the entrance hallway allowed for the potential to glimpse through to the garden from initial entry into the house. The qualities of the Edwardian hall were emphasised using a simple material palette of herringbone flooring and timber panelling which flowed through and opened up to the light-filled rear extension.

Modelling the seasonal sun path around the site throughout the course of a day allowed us to develop a light and airy volume by creating two opposing roof forms that captured the morning and evening light respectively. This formed an open-plan family space comprised of living, dining and kitchen areas that were subtly planned to respond to the various views to the garden and qualities of light.

Large folding-sliding doors opened up the space to a south-facing, landscaped terrace that benefits from the sun throughout most of the day. A restrained, external material palette of white render and timber cladding was selected to allow the expressive form of the extension to be clearly read.

The Conclusion

In Light In represents a successful collaboration between client and architect, sensitively responding to both the changing needs of a family and verdant, garden setting whilst harnessing the qualities of natural light and allowing it to enhance the everyday living experience.