ECOBuilder_Specifiers Journal 2018_2019

The Hong Kong House
AR Design Studio
The Hong Kong House is a private
extension and renovation project,
by Winchester based architects
AR Design Studio. A world away from
the client’s former home in Hong Kong,
the house provides an opportunity for
the family to have a familiar inside-out
space to live in and relax.
Set beside an ancient Roman Road,
the existing Grade II listed Victorian
property is a beautiful townhouse of
proud red brick. The clients bought
the house for its scale and charm and
approached AR Design Studio to help
bring it up to modern standards and
provide a much needed connection to
their stunning walled garden.
space of the new garden room. A deep
section of roof obscures the view of
the pool and garden, which, upon
arrival is revealed.
The garden room is a refined addition
to the existing house, acting as a
bridge between the garden and the
home. A 1.5m wide glass link prevents
the old and the new clashing into each
other, with the ‘light-touch’ approach
reducing the physical impact on the
listed building, while exposing the
character of its brickwork.
The approach to the existing listed
house focused on sensitive restoration.
The removal of the existing kitchen
allowed for the creation of a quiet
drawing room while setting up an
enfilade of spaces along the rear of the
home. The family room is the bridge
between the rooms of the home and
the new garden room. Where once
there were large windows, now there
are cut-out doorways, allowing light
from the glass link to flood deep
into the house. Three steps are the
threshold separating the old and the
new, guiding you from a vertically
formatted space into the horizontal
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