Stack House
Location: Tunbridge Wells, Kent
Property type: Victorian Terrace
Scope: Ground floor remodelling and extension
Size / area: Approx. 45m² extension
Budget band: £150k–£200k
Completed: 2023
A Victorian townhouse transformed into a bright, open-plan family home with a playful stack-bond brick extension.
The clients came to us wanting a larger family space that was suitable for entertaining and practical for their young family. Their Victorian home was beautifully built but compartmentalised — rooms were small, dark and cut off from the garden. The client is a florist and keen gardener, so the challenge was to improve internal flow without encroaching on their much-loved garden.
We provided full architectural services from initial feasibility through to completion. Our role encompassed developing design strategies, securing statutory approvals, preparing detailed technical information, administering the building contract, and maintaining close oversight through regular site visits. This holistic involvement ensured that the architectural intent was carried through with precision and care.
The design evolved from a rigorous study of light, proportion, and circulation. A pair of discreet side extensions allowed the plan to open up without compromising the garden and enabling an elegant spatial arrangement. Internally, the longitudinal kitchen layout with a central island creates a sociable heart to the home, supporting modern family life with ease.
A careful choice of glazing floods the space with light. Large sliding doors dissolve the threshold between interior and garden, establishing a calm, continuous ground-floor axis. A six-metre rooflight along its length, introduces a soft, even wash of daylight deep into the plan, creating an uplifting central family space.
The extension is articulated in stack-bond brickwork, both horizontally and vertically, providing a quiet playfulness that complements the existing Victorian façade in texture and tone, while asserting its own identity.
The reconfigured ground floor now offers a large open plan family space which feels truly connected to the garden, with a large area of glazing and level threshold onto the terrace. There has been a huge improvement in the quality of natural light. The sophisticated design elevates the character of the original Victorian house and provides the clients with a beautiful new family and social space.
“Sharpe Architecture were fantastic throughout. From inception to delivery, Frances and Simon helped us to realise what we set out to with the project, and they were always on hand to offer their advice and support.””
