A tiny pre-1911 cottage on a tiny 253m2 site, the design works hard to find generosity.

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The existing house is moved forward, a relaxation to all boundary edges enables enough space to construct one special room to the rear.

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The project builds less in order to provide generosity on a constrained site - the special room remains flexible, void of any fixed walls or cabinetry that could dictate the permanence of the occupants’ routine.

The room is an empty square, serviced by a utility core, circumnavigated by a split-level stair. By removing obstacles, the special room is free - occupied only by loose furnishings.  With doors open, the internal and external public space operates as a single volume, sharing the same brick materiality. 

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The project challenges the commonly prescribed room requirements of today’s homes, working with strategies of expanding constrained space to ensure the small site does not feel small.