New Commission: New Build with Full Plan Basement in Wandsworth Common

We’ve recently been commissioned for a project that, on paper, doesn’t sound possible: to knock down a small four bedroom house and replace it with a 3,200 sqft new build with a full plan basement in the Wandsworth Common Conservation Area.

The trick? To keep the front façade and get rid of absolutely everything else. This should keep the planning department happy, while giving us a blank canvas to work on behind.

As the client is a contractor, he has a bolder approach to building than most and didn’t shy away from such a bold project – in fact, he suggested the idea himself.

Here are the plans from the front. Most of the red brick is the original façade which we will maintain, while the yellow brick and the furthest right section of red brick is all new build.

While the house will remain largely unchanged from the front, as it is technically a new build it has to apply to strict rules for energy efficiency and sustainability. We achieve these thanks to PV panels on the roof and a combined heat and power plant.

The basement will house a TV room, gym and swimming pool with stairs directly up into the garden. On the ground floor will be an open plan kitchen, dining and living room, while the first floor and loft are dedicated to four bedrooms and a study.

This aerial view gives you a glimpse of the lower-ground terrace which doubles as an enormous light well with floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors. The pool will be located behind the doors on the left.

We’ve just submitted this project for planning permission to Wandsworth Borough Council, and we are confident we will have good news to share in the coming weeks.

Click here to see our latest planning permissions.