Modern extension to a Georgian town house near Bath

Taking out the entire corner of the lower ground floor of a four-storey house is a big undertaking and you need to get it right. That’s why we approached and undertook this project with very careful planning and meticulous execution. The result is a gorgeous piece of contemporary design that gives this Georgian town house a whole extra dimension.

What makes the extension particularly stunning is its use of corner to corner glass, topped by a cantilevered steel canopy, all fully visible alongside Western red cedar panelling – creating quite a statement.

To achieve this effect – glass meeting glass with no apparent support – Hart inserted a steel joist into the existing building, intersecting with a three-piece steel frame (goal post) that holds up the entire building. The two uprights of this frame, like the outside steels, are left exposed, galvanised and painted.

The doors slide back, an elegant contemporary solution the owners preferred and which allows much wider glass panels. Separating the kitchen from the living space, we built a staircase of oak, with glazed fire screens at the top, providing both a light, modern design feature and an excellent fire break.

This clean, modern design was by a Bath-based architect, with whom we collaborated closely through the project.