two detached homes, reading
richmond road is a pair of new detached houses on a tight residential street in caversham, replacing a single existing house. mature trees and close neighbours made the site difficult, and the council opposed the scheme as back-garden development.
we found a layout that answered each constraint and made the case for it at appeal, where it was approved. the two finished houses share a crisp contemporary identity of black cladding and light brickwork.
a difficult plot isn't the same as an impossible one.
small infill sites often stall because the constraints overlap: trees, privacy and neighbours' concerns all pulling in different directions. the answer is rarely compromise. it's usually a smarter layout that meets every concern at once.
03
black and light
dark cladding set against light brickwork gives the pair a strong, simple identity. they read as a matched set without being identical.
02
a crescent plan
setting the two houses on a gentle crescent let them step around the protected trees and away from neighbours' windows, giving each generous space on a plot that looked too small for two.
01
consent on appeal
the council refused the scheme, treating it as development in a back garden. we argued that it was a replacement of the existing house, not a new house in its garden. the planning inspector agreed, and consent was granted for both homes.
