Project Information:

For this project, PiP were approached by our clients to renovate and extend an existing house on the highly sought-after, and quintessentially Cambridge, Portugal Place.

The existing house is identified in the Central Cambridge Conservation Area Appraisal as a 'Building of Local Interest'. The early 20th century townhouse is two-and-a-half storeys in height with a tiled mansard roof. The walls are red brick with pebble dash panels to the bay windows.

PiP's proposed design restored and upgraded the existing elevations, which were in desperate need of repair to return the building to its former glory. In addition to the restorations, we created a new single-storey rear extension to rationalise and optimise the internal layouts, using high-quality materials and finishes that created a sensitive addition to the building. The footprint of the proposed extension does not extend far beyond the existing building line, so as not to reduce the usable garden space. The angled walls of the extension are designed to maximise light with a westerly aspect whilst maintaining as much garden as possible. Furthermore, a new boundary wall constructed from brick, that matches the extension, creates a seamless transition between garden and house, and a retained feature tree is framed within this courtyard space.

The extension features a sedum roof that brings seasonal variation and additional greenery to the site and it's urban location; creating a pleasant outlook from the bedrooms and neighboring properties whilst improving biodiversity. The proposed materials are simple, light and natural in tones. Together creating a homogeneous colour palette that balanced the busy, complicated form and materiality of the existing building. Using a vernacular Cambridgeshire Buff Brick for a natural integration with the existing, we opted to flip this coursing on its side to create a more visually interesting vertical stack pattern. This unique material treatment clearly defines new from old, whilst retaining the tactile character of its predecessor.