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38 GLOUCESTER ROAD, KENSINGTON, LONDON SW7

This new built contemporary 350 m2 house, winner of RIBA Award 2008, named as one of 5 best one-off houses in the UK by Mail on Sunday, was the winner of a private design competition and the subject of four planning applications and two appeals. Conceived as a garden pavilion it was shoehorned into a near impossible site replacing a shed in the back gardens of a highly influential and conservative neighbourhood. Its double volume living space is crossed by a bridge that links the children’s area with the parents’ quarters. Some 60% of its floor area is below the ground level, including a vast open plan living area and a terraced garden, in line with the UK government’s view that ‘basements can make an important contribution to modern housing policy’. The design was supported by Commission for Architecture and Built Environment ( CABE ) who wrote : “Our view is that this is a sophisticated scheme and in terms of design we see no reason why it should not be allowed to proceed”.

The Council refused planning permission on ‘design grounds’. Planning permission was ultimately won through appeal. The planning inspector wrote : "...the proposed building would have a distinctive contemporary and unique appearance as seen from surrounding buildings... The proposed building would thereby preserve or enhance the character and appearance of the conservation area and the setting of nearby listed buildings and the proposal thus accords with the above UDP policies".

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