The project seeks to address the current limitations of the first-floor layout, where approximately 45% of the footprint has a head height at or below 1.5 metres from finished floor level. This significantly restricts the usability of the space and undermines the overall functionality of the house. While the client appreciates the location in Epsom, particularly the proximity to local schools, and the open-plan living space on the ground floor, the compromised first-floor configuration and poor vertical connection between two levels, now necessitates comprehensive intervention.

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Rather than pursuing the costly and disruptive option of moving to a larger home with similar ground floor qualities in the same location, the client has opted for redevelopment. The scope of works includes the removal of the existing roof and construction of a new roof with a raised ridgeline, increasing the height by approximately three metres to match the adjacent property. The ground floor footprint will remain largely unchanged, with the exception of a staircase relocation to improve spatial clarity and vertical circulation. The first floor will be extended towards the south and south-west, enabling the creation of an additional bedroom and bathroom so that the entire family can be accommodated on a single level, a significant improvement over the current arrangement.

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Due to restrictive covenants with the adjacent property, which once shared the site as part of a larger garden, there are specific limitations on overlooking and the height of habitable rooms along the boundary. These constraints have informed the design strategy, prompting the use of rooflights and double-height spaces to allow light and volume while respecting privacy and planning limitations.

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The design approach aims to deliver a building volume that is proportionate to its surroundings and minimises any adverse impact on neighbouring dwellings. The intention is to create a modest, well-resolved architectural addition that enhances the area’s character. The building is conceived as a modern interpretation of the existing detached house typology common in Epsom and Ewell, expressed as a pitched-roof, gable-ended two-storey form. The design responds to the varied yet consistent character of the surrounding streetscape, taking cues from its mixture of architectural styles and rooflines while establishing a distinct identity.

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To support the clarity of the architectural form, a simplified material palette has been adopted. Both the external walls and roof of the main form will be clad in handmade linear clay shingle tiles. These tiles, with their red-brown hues, modular format, and traditional overlapping installation, reference the prevalent use of brickwork and clay tiles on surrounding buildings and the nearby historic 18th century boundary walls. This continuity in materiality ensures that the building reads as contextually appropriate while offering a refined contemporary expression.

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Given the cantilevered elements, complex roof geometry, and structural limitations of the existing foundations, traditional brickwork is unsuitable for this project. The clay shingles offer a lightweight alternative that allows for continuity between vertical and pitched surfaces. To provide contrast and define the secondary form on the road-facing façade, rust bronze standing seam zinc cladding is proposed. Its vertical seams and non-modular appearance differentiates it from the clay tile volume, offering visual depth as well as aiding to articulatie the overlapping architectural forms. This approach mirrors the layered compositions found in many local homes, where changes in material help to define volume and hierarchy.

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Throughout Epsom and Ewell, the use of plain clay tiles is a common feature, particularly where they provide a visual contrast to rendered or timber-clad façades. The proposed zinc cladding respects this tradition by offering a contemporary material counterpoint to the clay shingles, while contributing to a balanced and carefully considered street elevation. The proposal engages with the architectural evolution evident in the area, which is defined by buildings from different periods contributing to a rich and varied streetscape. The new design is intended to sit confidently within this context, adding a respectful and contemporary chapter to the ongoing development of the area.