Built circa 1842 with a later addition to the rear in the late 19th century, the property forms a ‘C’ shaped footprint with the courtyard area facing south. The client’s brief was to create a new open-plan kitchen, dining, and family room within the confines of the courtyard with a focus on natural daylight while ensuring no detrimental loss of existing features of the ‘B’ listed building.

Due to the placement of existing windows, located at different levels overlooking the courtyard, it was decided to create a minimalist design that filled the space and enclosed existing openings in a structure that offered large areas of glazing with a refined aesthetic. Clad in dark grey standing seam zinc panels, the extension provides two distinct areas using a stepped height design. This approach created a sense of spaciousness in the extension by providing a visual break in the ceiling from the single-storey over the dining area, to the double-height vaulted ceiling over the kitchen and family areas.

High-level windows draw light into the very back of the extension with the lower ceiling framing the large triple sliding glazed doors off the dining room, drawing the eye to the splendour of the garden beyond. Externally, the stepped design significantly reduces the massing of the extension, allowing the structure to be tucked into the courtyard space without compromising the established form of Corrachree House.