The owners of this cottage style house in a leafy suburb were desperate for more space to accommodate their growing family. Given the low roof of the existing dwelling it was thought that the house would be difficult to extend over two storeys.

After assessing a number of options it was found that the inclusion of additional accommodation might actually serve to improve the external appearance of the property as well as provide the much-needed space.

The existing half-gable inspired the proposal, which comprises two staggered gables with a glazed garden room connected to the existing garage. The garage, which was inaccessible to cars, was converted to form utility and cloakroom spaces.

The gable elements are constructed of thin-joint blockwork and prefabricated roof trusses, which greatly reduced construction time.