Sleep + retreat
Original rooms repaired, serviced and kept quieter.
The retained cottage stayed at street level; the everyday living floor moved down to garden and courtyard.
The site offered very little working space, one difficult side path and close neighbours. Excavation, temporary support and material movement shaped the programme before the new room could be considered.
The lower level is intentionally quiet beneath the retained cottage: recycled brick, burgundy steel and concrete establish a grounded base while the weatherboard house remains familiar above.
Original rooms repaired, serviced and kept quieter.
A clear internal route replaces the feeling of two unrelated levels.
Everyday living opens directly to the garden and compact courtyard.