8 Downs View
At Downs View, Beyond Design refurbished and extended a 20th-century semi-detached house in West London to better support family life. The project transforms the existing three-bedroom home into a five-bedroom dwelling, introducing a generous open-plan kitchen, dining and study space alongside a dedicated play area.
Now known as The Play House, the extension was conceived to create adaptable spaces for a family of four, supporting both togetherness and independent use. The design takes its name from a series of playful folds along the rear façade, offering a contemporary reinterpretation of the traditional bay window. Generous folds to the south capture evening light while carefully controlling solar gain. These forms extend outward into stepped external seating, allowing indoor and outdoor spaces to flow seamlessly into one another.
Size
1230 sq. ft.
Location
Houslow, London
Status
Completed
Category
living
At the heart of the home, a centrally positioned kitchen connects the living, dining and play spaces, creating multiple ways for the family to gather or host guests. This arrangement offers flexibility, allowing adults and children to occupy the home autonomously while remaining visually and spatially connected.
The rear extension is expressed through a robust yet warm material palette, with deep pink brickwork at ground level and a lighter buff brick above. Large glazed openings frame views onto the rear garden, which is partially paved in rough terracotta pavers. This material continues internally through the kitchen and dining areas before transitioning to timber flooring in the living room and study. Level thresholds and full-height glazing strengthen the relationship between inside and outside, reinforcing the extension as an integral part of everyday life.
The material strategy offers a contemporary interpretation of the surrounding brick context. Internally, the palette is softened through finer textures and lighter tones, creating a calm and welcoming domestic environment.
