nimtim architects were approached by a young family to look at their existing ground floor layout with the possibility to extend at the rear. The house forms one of a terrace of identical houses built post-war close to Nunhead Cemetery. nimtim proposed a sunken living space with the kitchen/dining at the rear raised to be level with the existing garden. The different levels become a design advantage creating visual integration as well as privacy; it also allows for underfloor heating to be included without any excavation works. An exposed timber structure holds a playful sawtooth roof with rooflights flooding the new spaces with natural light. The new extension is clad in diagonal Larch timber, referencing the still visible cladding of the existing house. The use of timber externally and internally creates an extension both fun and contemporary while the natural effect of weathering will allude to the passing of time.

The project was granted planning approval from Southwark in July 2016 and work completed in late summer 2017.