Victorian House
renovation & extension

This 1890, three storey Victorian house in Cambridge had not been touched since the 1970’s and needed total updating throughout. Although it is situated in the Conservation area, the house itself was not listed. The clients were both fellows of Kings College at the time and they needed a generous study each with as much as possible bookshelves to accommodate their vast collection. They also wanted an en-suite bathroom and a guest bathroom with a shower for their guests (frequently visiting friends and lecturers from Europe and America). Working for FRR Architects in team Tristan Rees Roberts, we stripped the house right back to the essentials, renewed all electricity and plumbing and decorations, while changing the layout to suite a modern, contemporary lifestyle. We added a double storey Green Oak frame extension, accommodating a double garage, utility and Garden room on ground floor with a handmade Iroko staircase leading to a private study on the first floor. As a link between the existing red brick house and the Oak frame extension, we built a double story matching red brick and tile building. This link building had a generous Kitchen on ground floor level and two separate private sitting areas above.

Client: Sir Martin Rees and Dr Caroline Humphrey
Location: Herschel Road, Cambridge
Budget: £550 000
Engineer: Andrew Firebrace Partnership
Contractor: York Construction
Status: Completed 2004