Warm Urban Retreat
Location
Trevor Place is a small, quiet street located in the heart of Knightsbridge, one of London’s most prestigious neighbourhoods. The street is characterised by late Victorian terraced houses, modest in scale yet rich in character, which contribute to an intimate and discreet urban setting. Despite its tranquillity, the location is exceptional: the street is free from through traffic and noise, yet only a five-minute walk from Brompton Road, home to Harrods and a wide range of amenities. Hyde Park is just a few metres away, offering immediate access to one of London’s most significant green spaces.
Brief
The client approached us to prepare a feasibility study to analyse and identify the most optimised layout and potential extensions for the property, with the aim of increasing the internal area while maintaining a high quality of space. A key objective of the study was to balance spatial efficiency with daylight, proportions, and overall liveability.
Many properties in the surrounding area have been heavily overdeveloped, particularly at the rear, where original small gardens have often been completely removed. Our approach carefully considers this local context, seeking to enhance the property without compromising spatial quality or the relationship between the house and its outdoor space.
The 3D section clearly illustrates the over-scaled nature of the rear garden development.
Proposal
Our design approach is based on the concept of re-establishing the original hierarchy of the house, restoring the relationship between the main building and its external space. The original rear patio is reinstated and transformed into a high-quality design feature, conceived as a small Japanese-inspired garden. This intervention re-establishes a strong visual and spatial connection between the interior and exterior, while allowing natural light to penetrate the lower ground floor.
This strategy also created the opportunity to increase the height of the existing lower ground floor, enabling the formation of a generous open-plan kitchen and dining space with improved proportions, daylight, and usability.
The additional floor area required is therefore accommodated at the new basement level, which houses the service spaces, utility room, and a wellness area. This strategy frees the rooms and living spaces above, allowing them to be fully dedicated to primary residential use and improved spatial quality.
