Gamlingay House

Set within a generous, mature plot, the house is identified in the Village Design Guide as part of the historic village core. The brief was its long-term adaptation, able to accommodate changing mobility needs without future intervention – with accessibility embedded as a design principle throughout, rather than treated as a separate requirement.

Rather than replacing what exists, the design works with the grain of the original house – extending, repairing and reconfiguring it to support contemporary domestic life and future change.

The ground floor is reorganised around a generous open-plan kitchen, dining and family space – the social core of the home – opening directly onto the garden. It is balanced by more defined rooms, including a study, snug, library and utility, so the house can shift between openness and retreat.

A flexible family room at the heart of the plan, alongside a WC, can serve as an additional living room or a future ground-floor bedroom. Upstairs, two master en-suite bedrooms and two further large doubles are served by a family bathroom.

From the street, the house remains largely unchanged, its front elevation upgraded with insulated render and new windows that respect the rhythm and character of the original architecture.

At the rear, the tone shifts. A single-storey extension sits low in the garden, defined by full-height glazing, deep verandah overhangs and a sedum roof. Charred timber cladding clearly distinguishes new from old while remaining subordinate to the original house.

A fabric-first approach reduces energy demand by upgrading the existing structure rather than replacing it: breathable external wall insulation, high-performance glazing, improved airtightness, and upgraded roof and floor construction. The house is fully rewired and replumbed, with a high-efficiency heating system and provision for EV charging.

The sedum roof adds ecological value and assists with rainwater attenuation, while softening the extension’s presence in the garden.