Nestled into a protected woodland in South London, architect Helena Rivera’s family home has impressive design credentials. Part of the famed Dulwich Estate—a midcentury conservation area built by Austin Vernon & Partners—it’s full of modernist charm and has an enviable location that’s central to the city yet surrounded by mature woodland. However, it wasn’t quite up to the demands of busy family life for Helena, her husband Hernando Alvarez, and their two teenage sons.

The family wanted to add a fourth bedroom to the house, but they couldn’t extend upward due to the constraints of living in a conservation area. They also sought to relocate the kitchen, where they spent 80 percent of their family time, from an enclosed room at the front overlooking the street to embrace the woods at the rear. The family spends lots of time barbecuing and relaxing in the garden, so it was also essential for the new space to easily extend into an outdoor kitchen.

“One day, I was in our idyllic garden, and I thought, ‘What if I move the kitchen into the woods?’,” recalls Helena, who founded the firm A Small Studio. “It would be daring and difficult to get consent, as no houses in this row had services towards the rear—but it would greatly increase our quality of life.”

To achieve this ambitious plan, it was paramount for the extension to have a light ecological impact that would avoid disturbing the abundant wildlife in the garden—including foxes, squirrels, birds, and bats. So Helena designed the structure as a simple rectangular form that subtly extends from the existing home into the forested surrounds.

A green roof integrates the addition within the landscape and helps to balance the thermal performance of the home, keeping the kitchen cool in the summer and warm in the winter. A large oculus punctuates the roof, bringing daylight into the space.

Helena placed the structure on what she calls “an acupuncture of concrete columns”—which resulted in less concrete being poured into the ground. She also embraced electrical appliances to avoid bringing gas into the garden.

Beyond creating a comfortable, site-sensitive home, Helena sought to actually enhance the surrounding habitat. Her practice, A Small Studio, was working on a research project, called the “Bat’s Highway,” focused on increasing bat activity in urban areas. The extension offered a perfect opportunity to put the research into practice through the inclusion of “bat bricks”—special building blocks that offer a safe space for bats to nest within masonry walls.

Lighting was another key concern. “At A Small Studio, we are careful not to design external spaces with too much light, which affects insects, birds, and important night ecology,” explains Helena. “So, the lighting at the rear is all indirect, low-wattage spike lights that don’t disturb bats and nighttime activity.”

The materiality of the extension needed to be in keeping with the original material palette, so the studio selected horizontal white timber cladding angled at 45 degrees to distinguish the new build, and the base is red masonry that matches the existing brickwork.

The interior features practical surfaces that can withstand daily use. Manmade quartz countertops evoke the character of Carrara marble, and American walnut cabinetry ties in with the existing interior.

“We use the new space daily, and it’s changed our family dynamic for the better,” says Helena. “Whenever we cook, eat, read, chill, or hang out in the garden, we are all together. With so much time spent on devices or behind computers, it’s really special to have a space where we all enjoy gathering.”

Related Reading:

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14 Extraordinary Additions That Transform Centuries-Old London Homes

Project Credits:

Architect of Record: A Small Studio / @a_small_studio

Builder: Rose Development Services Ltd.

Structural Engineer: Blue Engineering

Landscape Designers: Ed Oddy & Aarde Landscape Architects

Lighting Design: A Small Studio & Atrium

Interior Design: A Small Studio

Bat Bricks: Ibstock Brick

Photographer: Manuel Vásquez