Sale House

Having purchased a 1950’s mid-century, semi-detatched house in Sale, Manchester, the client’s sought to reinvigorate the house through refurbishments and new architectural extensions to create additional space and faciliate strategic reconfigurations.

The dwelling benefits from a side alley and rear outbuilding, and a large rear garden. Internally, the house presented large front and rear rooms, a dated rear conservatory, and a kitchen, drastically small with no garden outlook. An initial appraisal further identified the property’s long term potential - a tw o-storey rear extension and a rear roof dormer extension - the latter being of interest for the future. Further design work considered such future development.

The project aspiration was to create a well connected, open and spacious ground floor layout which comprised of a front reception room, a dedicated dining space, and an open social family space accomodating both a kitchen and sitting area, well connected to the rear garden.

The proposal comprises a wrap-around, single-storey side and rear extension, where three longitudinal axis’ are established, threading spaces together and culminating in physical and visual connections to the garden. One axis links the formal reception and dining space with a garden sitting room to the rear, whereas another strengthens a central circulation route. The third links the kitchen to a protruding sunken garden study providing work-from-home space which overlooks the garden and connects work life and family life. The side extension hosts a secondary tiled ‘wet’ entrance, served by a utility and toilet.

The rear family space steps down to maximise headheight and volume and bring the internal floor level with the external floor. The kitchen is orientated to face the sitting space to create one connected social room, pulled together as a single volume by a characterful vaulted ceiling overhead, pitched towards a framed skylight.

Externally, the existing material palette is complimented by a new light white brick, coupled with white aluminium. Three external brick soldier courses define three key junctions; where wall meets floor, where wall meets window / doors heads, and where wall meets sky.