CHA have been appointed to extend and refurbish a 19th century Gothic Revival lodge in Surrey.The house lies within the Wray Common Conservation Area of Reigate, an area first developed in the mid-to-late 19th century and containing a number of distinguished Gothic Revival and Arts and Crafts houses.

Our approach was to design an addition that related closely to the original lodge in terms of scale, proportion and material character whilst also abstracting these elements in a more contemporary direction. The new extension forms a mirror image of the origjnal with details that play on associations between the two: it is neither distinctly new nor precisely the same as the original, but instead offers a contemporary reflection of it.

The new elements take the roof, ridge and eaves lines from the existing house to form a cross-shaped addition with three visible gable ends. The rich material character of the lodge - which incorporates three types of brick, Reigate stone and hanging clay tiles - is translated into a surface pattern that extends around corners to form a stretched and exaggerated version of the original. Much of the detailing is implied rather than real, with dental courses and stone inlays achieved through shifts in surface pattern. Specific features of the original lodge such as the triangular oriel window and the rectangular bay window are also mirrored in the new addition but with shifts in scale and detail treatment.

The new extension replaces a poor-quality single-storey extension dating from the 1990s and various outbuildings that reduce the usability and enjoyment of the house’s external spaces. Replacing these with a two-storey extension will free-up garden space and make for a more satisfactory relationship with the neighbouring properties. Internally, the house has been remodelled to provide a more open-plan living arrangement on the ground floor and three additional bedrooms on the upper floor. The ground floor now allows for a free-flowing quality of space but with columns and pilasters that give scale, proportion and articulation to the interior.  

CHA worked closely with Planning Consultants W S Planning & Architecture to develop a dialogue with the Local Authority Planning Department who were keen to see the character of the architectural and landscape setting of the lodge handled with sensitivity.