Oak Village: A Modern Garden Retreat
A Project By: Square Feet Architects
Location: Gospel Oak, London
Project Summary:
The Oak Village project introduces a light‑filled conservatory extension to the rear of the existing home, creating a flexible connection between the house and garden that reflects how small‑scale residential design continues to evolve within the built environment. Aluminium bi‑folding doors, a low‑pitched zinc roof, polished concrete flooring and a bespoke shoji screen combine to create a calm, contemporary space with subtle Japanese influences.
A Light‑Filled Extension to the Garden
The proposed extension at Oak Village creates a new conservatory area at the rear of the existing house, providing a bright and flexible space that strengthens the relationship between the home and its garden – a relationship increasingly prioritised across the built environment.
Designed as a carefully considered addition to the existing property, the extension is conceived as a simple contemporary volume, with extensive glazing providing natural light and views towards the garden. Aluminium bi‑folding doors form a key part of the design, allowing the space to open directly onto the garden and creating a seamless transition between inside and outside during warmer months, a design approach seen widely throughout the built environment.
The extension has been designed to sit comfortably alongside the existing house while introducing a contemporary architectural language. The proposals include powder‑coated aluminium double‑glazed doors and a low‑pitched roof, set at just 3 degrees, finished in zinc sheet. Together, these elements create a clean and understated addition that complements the existing building without attempting to replicate it.
A Calm and Considered Interior
Inside, the extension is designed as a warm and tactile space, contrasting the crispness of the aluminium and zinc exterior with natural materials and carefully crafted details that mirror broader shifts in residential design across the built environment.
A polished concrete floor provides a robust and contemporary surface that visually connects the extension with the garden while creating a simple, understated base for the interior. Its tonal neutrality allows the timber elements and furnishings to become key features within the space.
A bespoke timber shoji screen introduces a distinctive Japanese influence. Traditionally used in Japanese architecture to divide spaces while allowing light to filter through, the screen provides both privacy and a sense of enclosure without compromising the openness of the extension.
The timber grid of the screen complements the natural warmth of the built‑in oak shelving and cabinetry, creating a cohesive material palette. The combination of timber, translucent panels, polished concrete and expansive glazing gives the room a calm, contemporary character while maintaining a strong connection with the garden.
Connecting Architecture and Garden
The result is a modest but carefully detailed intervention that makes a significant improvement to the way the existing house connects with its outdoor space. Rather than creating an overly dominant addition, the extension uses proportion, material selection and screening to minimise its impact while maximising daylight and usability – a balance increasingly sought within the built environment.
Oak Village demonstrates how a relatively simple rear extension can combine contemporary architectural detailing with natural materials and Japanese‑inspired design, creating a tranquil space that feels both connected to the existing home and distinctly new.
