Melanie Whittington

This Victorian end of terrace house in Hackney was in a dilapidated state when it was bought by the current owners and MWA was appointed to refurbish and extend the house, bringing it up-to date to suit a growing family.

The kitchen was extended and a fixed glazed roof wraps down the rear facade maximising natural light and framing the garden from the built in dining area. A large pivot door open fully onto the patio and exposed beams define a further seating area below. The reception rooms were opened up to form one large space and an internal Crittall screen was added to help the room feel wider and connected to the rest of the house.

The Master Bedroom opens up to a luxurious en-suite with a free standing bath and walk in shower. Lime render, Tadelakt and ageing brass finishes throughout the interiors work together in harmony to create a warm, natural and pared down aesthetic.

This Edwardian House was transformed through a series of black timber clad cubes forming a new living space for this family house in Higham’s Park, London.

The L shaped extension provides a large kitchen with a private yet connected dining space, offering views out to the garden beyond. The black cladding wraps around into the interior space, further defining the dining area. A glazed box over the new stairs into the kitchen draws light into the second Reception Room, where a playful green ceiling contrasts with dark woodwork. In addition, a new Utility space and Pantry were included on the Ground Floor.

The entire first floor was reconfigured to accommodate a master bedroom suite, with dressing room and en-suite shower room, a guest bedroom and a new family bathroom. Serene finishes such as pale tiles and a marble vanity tops compliment the brass sanitaryware and gentle colours elsewhere.

Returning at a later date, the loft was converted to add a two further bedrooms and a shower room, with carefully selected colours to compliment the children's bedrooms on this level.

Recently completed, this contemporary extension to a previously converted flint barn in Alfriston in East Sussex adds a new living space filled with light, and an improved connection to the garden. Vernacular materials are used in a modern way to differentiate between the old and the new, and large curving steps leading up to the garden form the new patio, working seamlessly with the existing garden.

Professional photos coming soon.

Currently awaiting planning permission, this 60's bungalow in north London is to be renovated inside and out, and will be sensitively extended to create further living space, as well as add a design studio of the client.

The house will be upgraded to improve its thermal performance and use eco friendly materials, as well as being fitted with an air source heatpump, solar panels and electrical car charging points.

A contemporary charred timber extension was added to this Grade 2 listed property in Lewes to add a light filled dining area. The roof was finished with a black polyurea, which was sprayed on to create a seamless waterproof finish.

This 3 floor maisonette in a Hackney Conservation Area was refurbished throughout and extended at loft level to add a further storey within the unused roofspace.

Due to the very high ceiling height available in the loft, and the views that this new level would offer, we decided to turn the flat upside down. The bedrooms are all now on the lower levels, with the living spaces on the top two floors, interconnected via a bespoke oak staircase and a double height space.

A new family bathroom, an office and an en-suite bedroom were also designed into the plans.

Professional photos coming soon…

This Victorian three storey house had been split into flats and was in a state of disrepair when the clients took it on.

In collaboration with Ursula Tucker Architects, the house was converted and carefully restored back to its former glory, modernised throughout to create a bright and airy family home.

The ground floor was opened up and the garden landscaped, creating a series of flowing spaces from inside to out.

We are excited to announce that planning permission has recently been granted for the extensive refurbishment and extension of a detached 1960's house near Heathfield.

Working with but modernising the style of the house, the plan will be rationalised to create generous living areas with large amounts of natural light. The existing property will be re-clad in charred timber on the upper floors and roof, and a full width balcony, emphasises the longitudinal nature of the house.

The proposals will use passive methods and components to make it as carbon neutral as possible. These include a ground-source heatpump, MVHR heat recovery systems, natural fibre external insulation, solar panels and eco-friendly materials.

Cool clean lines with timber accents create a serene space for this Victorian terraced house.

The ground floor was refurbished and extended to provide the clients with a generous light filled space.

The kitchen and the living areas are separated via a large glazed box, which draws maximum amounts of natural light back into the middle of the house.

A dark and confined kitchen was extended and transformed to create a generous and light filled room for a busy family. The kitchen was carefully designed to ensure every inch of space was utilised.

The extension to this mid Victorian terraced house completely transformed the ground floor, opening it up to the south facing garden and making the most of the sunlight through the glazed ceiling. The exposed structure doubles up as joinery along the extended wall, forming large storage cupboards and integrated birch faced plywood shelves. The palette was kept simple and light, made up of birch plywood and Carrara marble, contrasting with the adjacent dark green room beyond.

We are in the early stages of design on a project in Lewes, East Sussex, which involves combining two terraced houses into one house, to form a spacious and practical family home. A wide extension at the rear of the house will connect the two properties together.

• Awaiting professional photos

This four storey house has being fully refurbished and extended throughout. The lower ground floor has been extended to create a generous Kitchen/ Living /Dining area with a new connection to the garden which has been partially excavated to create a patio, further adding to the sense of space.

A Utility Room and Office/Guest bedroom are also incorporated within the lower ground floor. The top floor has a new dormer window and provides a new Master Bedroom suite with dressing area and ensuite shower room. A new Family Bathroom on the first floor, along with a rationalised layout of the staircase, allows for two further bedrooms, a second office space and two reception rooms.

This house in Hassocks is being extended and refurbished throughout, with a new clay tiled roof forming new rooms, and pop out dormer windows. Due to start on site August 2023.

This house is being extended to make the most of the site’s steep stepped garden, replacing a poorly built outrigger with a new pale brick clad double height extension. This will provide a new lower ground floor, vastly improving the houses’s connection with the garden, and will also allow for a terrace above, accessed from the Dining Room, overlooking the beautiful South Downs.

This detached 60s house is currently being refurbished throughout, modernising the internal spaces for 21st century family living whilst respecting the original style and period as much as possible. We particularly love the top floor, flooded with sunlight through the wall to wall doors, leading onto a little terrace - perfect for a morning coffee!

Through reconfiguring the layout, extending the loft and ground floor, and introducing natural light where possible, this nondescript terraced house was transformed into a bright and airy family home.

Located in a totally urban location, in the heart of Westminster, this 1927 building (originally an old pub, then used for many years as an office building), has found a new purpose as a bright and modern upside down family home, with open plan living quarters clustered around a roof terrace. The section through the building has allowed for double height spaces and hidden staircases...

During her time at Barbara Weiss Architects, Melanie was project Architect for the award winning Wokingham Medical Practice.

The practice was approached to transform a redundant 1990s office block, substantially extending it to the front and adding a penthouse conference room to the roof.

The 1,600 sq m NHS medical centre houses 16 doctors, 5 nurses, pharmacy and a dentist suite. Design features include room layouts divided by bespoke joinery allowing for ‘domestic’ consulting areas to the front and ‘clinical’ examination areas to the rear; the use of intelligent glazing to the front elevation providing privacy to consulting rooms behind; and calm, non-institutional spaces throughout.

AWARDS
Winner - AJ Retrofit Healthcare 2015
Commendation - Civic Trust Award 2015
Shortlisted - RIBA South Regional Awards 2015
Winner - Building Better Healthcare, Primary Care Development, Refurbishment 2014

Photographs copyright Barbara Weiss Architects