Rodic Davidson Architects have recently obtained planning permission for a Victorian residential property to the north of Clapham Common, within Clapham’s conservation area.
The flat sits at the uppermost floor of the five-storey Victorian property, with a roof terrace overlooking Clapham Common. The property was built in the late 19th century, with the addition of dormers and a roof terrace in the early 1980’s to convert the original villa into flats.
Prior to our involvement, the council issued negative written advice on a previous planning application, which included the modification of the existing dormer windows and a loft extension.
The clients appointed Rodic Davidson Architects to submit a different proposal, informed by the pre-application advice by Lambeth. The officers have given a positive response, showing no objections to our proposed development.
We proposed an extension of the existing dormers to the east and the west of the property to create a more usable floor space, gaining up to 12m2, meeting the Government’s minimum space requirements and improving the overall accommodation. Our proposal includes the replacement of the existing spiral staircase access to the roof with a newly-proposed stair in a more appropriate location. This upgrade deems the property to be more compatible with a family unit and provides a long term accessible solution. The proposed new access is a glazed openable skylight that will replace the existing pop-up structure/enclosure at the rear and will allow for a safer, more accessible formal staircase. It will be set back within the existing balustrade, making access safer and less visually prominent than the existing pop-up/enclosure.
The proposal sits comfortably within its neighboring context, with the proposed palette of materials, including Welsh slate tiles to align with the historic character of the property. An introduction of a green roof will sit above the extended dormers, providing an environmental benefit to the property and contributing to the naturalistic setting of Clapham Common.