A monumental Oxford home extension makes probably the most of concrete’s structural power

Though this new Oxford home extension is comparatively small, it makes a considerable influence. Crafted from concrete, drawing inspiration from among the most celebrated modernist structure constructions of the twentieth century, Adrian James Architects has created what it calls a ‘gazebo with a distinction’.

An Oxford home’s ‘concrete gazebo’

The brand new extension is formed like a triangular wedge that extends out into the backyard on the rear of an current interval home. Concrete is the dominant materials, forming the ground slab, steps, columns and roof.

The latter cantilevers out throughout a brand new terrace, offering a coated area that wraps round a glazed front room extension. A response to the consumer’s request for a robust assertion comprised of concrete, the architects have definitely delivered. 

One of many key inspirations was John Lautner’s iconic Sheats Goldstein home in Los Angeles, and the underside of the brand new roof construction options inset triangular parts and round pavement set into the concrete.

‘The temporary for this challenge was easy: to offer shelter,’ the architects write. ‘Our consumer needed a coated terrace within the backyard so they might spend extra time outdoor, day or evening, rain or shine. 

Past its pragmatic operate the consumer additionally needed one thing of upper architectural objective. Supported on simply 4 columns, the huge roof construction pulls off that uncommon trick of showing far lighter than it truly is.

The flipside to this sculptural boldness and ‘structural gymnastics’ is concrete’s huge carbon footprint. ‘We have been clear from the beginning that if we have been going to make use of concrete we would want to compensate for it by correctly and absolutely offsetting,’ the architects clarify. ‘We researched the best and warranted method to do that and the consumer has financed the requisite quantity of recent woodland planting in Yorkshire.’

AdrianJames.com