An airy and light-filled extension by AR Design Studio has revitalised a listed Victorian villa in Hampshire

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Martin Gardner

Hong Kong House is a domestic extension and renovation project in Winchester, Hampshire, by local practice AR Design Studio. A world away from the client’s former Asian residence, the three-storey dwelling allows the family to enjoy an inside-out approach to living and relaxing. Located on a historic Roman road, the grade II listed, red brick house is set within a mature walled garden.

The existing kitchen has been removed, making way for a quiet drawing room and enfilade of spaces at the rear of the plan. Forming a bridge between the existing rooms and new garden room is the family room. Cutout doorways replace large windows, allowing daylight from the glass link to penetrate the house. A three-step threshold guides visitors from a vertically formatted space into the horizontal emphasis of the garden room. A deep section of roof obscures views of the pool and garden, which are then revealed upon arrival.

A 1.5-metre wide, mono-pitch glass roof separates the garden room from the existing masonry structure. Double-glazed sliding doors, together with large 3×2 metre ceramic grey tiles used on the floor, patio and pool, blur the distinction between inside and outside. Dark-grey fibre-cement cladding complements the tone and colour of the existing slate roof.  A deep roof profile is intended to give the extension added visual presence. Where once the house loomed over its quiet garden, now it embraces and draws it in, says the architect.

Elsewhere, the existing rooms have been redecorated with period features rejuvenated and the original timber floors exposed and treated. The entrance and side hall feature bespoke glass and timber staircases that are designed to flood the once dark home with daylight and an increased sense of space.

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