ConForm’s extension and reconfiguration of a terraced house in Dulwich uses light, layered views and carefully positioned voids to create stronger spatial connections across a split-level family home.

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Jame Reteif

ConForm has reconfigured and extended a terraced house in Dulwich for a family of three, using light and layered connection across floorsl to reorganise the home around changing patterns of family life. Named Komorebi after the Japanese term describing sunlight filtered through trees, the project focuses on the movement of daylight through the house and the spatial relationships this creates between levels.

The existing property contained an unusual central roof light positioned above a split-level plan. Rather than infilling this area during the extension works, the architects retained and extended the void vertically, using it to structure the organisation of the house. Open stair treads, perforated steel floorplates and interconnected voids allow light, air and views to move through the centre of the plan, establishing visual connections between floors while maintaining distinct rooms and zones of occupation.

From the street, the original front elevation remains largely intact, preserving the rhythm of the surrounding terrace. To the rear, however, the house has been substantially reworked through a series of extensions and insertions that draw on the pitched roof forms and angled outriggers typical of the surrounding context.

A first-floor extension has a vaulted study space, making space for a bedroom which has been inserted at second-floor level. Internally, the plan is organised vertically. Shared living spaces occupy the lower floors, where kitchen, dining and living areas are connected through an open arrangement extending directly onto a rear terrace and garden. 

Integrated lighting and timber-framed openings reinforce the project’s emphasis on cohesion and clarity. ConForm focuses on improving the quality of light, circulation and spatial connection within the existing structure, creating a home that feels more open, adaptable and connected to the daily routines of its occupants.

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