Hempstead – an old village post office goes from bank to bank
Aim: to extend the tiny cottage – and successive owners have wanted to add space, and the only way to do it was to extend over the brook which runs parallel to the village high street.
How: the first client wanted a new kitchen and double bedroom, and this was achieved by adding a wing to make an L-shape. But when the second client wanted two more bedrooms and a large sitting room, the confines of a narrow site became obvious.
Problem and Solution:a stream ran through the prime spot for building an extension, so it was built straight on top. The brook is not hidden, but is a now a feature, with the water disappearing under the cottage. The original rendered, flint and brickwork style was echoed in the additions, so although the cottage is about twice the size of the old two-up, two-down building, it settles comfortably in its plot.