"Given the incredibly broad brief to re-design my home, I opted not for an unnecessary blank slate but instead adapted the original building to best suit our purposes and the land. Taking inspiration from Scandinavian houses, from the minimalist aesthetic and the simple but effective use of wood to the form of the staircases. These staircases proved to be a pain to model in sketch-up, subsequently I spent more time on the two flights than on the rest of the design!

The rear extension, re-design of the roof and the front-facing first floor extension are perhaps the most drastic changes, the latter designed to preserve car parking space, but still utilising an otherwise underused space. Internally, the house is significantly more open plan, with a simpler allocation of rooms. When entering through the front door, the full height of two floors and the two sets of staircases are immediately visible – aiming to impress any visitor.

The placement of windows are, for the most part, designed to maximise the amount of natural light entering during the day. Had I more time, I would have added various environmentally friendly features – solar panels and suchlike. Not to forget a sauna, no Scandinavian inspired house would be complete without one!

Thanks again to Askew Cavanna for having me, invaluable before studying architecture at university."

Peter Brooks