Refurbishment and Extension of a Grade II Listed Villa to Create New Apartments

Notting Hill, London - ongoing

Transforming a historically significant, yet previously mistreated, Grade II listed villa within a Conservation Area in Notting Hill, this ongoing project addresses the challenges posed by poor past conversions and harmful extensions. Through careful restoration and modernisation, the design re-establishes the building’s historical significance, exposes lost heritage assets, and integrates sustainable interventions to provide long-term, high-quality residential accommodation.

The property is a large, mid-19th century detached building, constructed in the Florid Classical manner. Originally built as a single house, the building was later poorly converted into numerous bedsits and studios, with a very large post-war extension added to the rear. The Client’s brief was to remove the existing harmful extensions and poor-quality internal reconfigurations, aiming to re-establish the building’s historical significance and provide long-term, high-quality residential accommodation.

Removing the large, overbearing rear extension created a significant loss of floorspace. In its place, a more appropriate, modest two-storey brick extension was added, which better responds to the proportions and elegance of the original building. Mansard and upper floor extensions were added to improve internal layouts on upper floors.

The internal layouts aim to reinstate the original plan, featuring large rooms set around the central core of the building. Internal refurbishment works will expose lost floor coverings, cornices, and lincrusta ceiling finishes previously concealed by earlier refurbishments. Original staircase balustrades will be re-exposed, and non-original additions will be replaced to reinvigorate this heritage asset.

A new, sustainable hot water and heating system is integrated into the scheme through the use of air source heat pumps, alongside allowable fabric and window upgrades.

New landscaping is added to the front and rear of the building to provide privacy to the front rooms and allow for additional bike and refuge storage. To the rear, a shade-tolerant landscaping scheme was developed, suitable for an overshadowed north-facing garden.

Heritage Consultant: Turley

Planning Consultant: FirstPlan

M&E Engineer: Ingine

Structural Engineer: HRPR Associates

Landscape Architects: Camlins