Backyard view of a modern extension with large glass doors and windows, surrounded by a brick house, wooden fences, and a small garden area with plants and outdoor seating.

Danby Street

Maximising height and light for tall parents of young kids in this Peckham refurb and extension

Architect: Susana Sousa Architects
Budget: £200k
Completed 2022

Photography: Adam Scott Images

This typical three-bed Victorian terrace in Peckham, having not been modernised in several decades, required a re-think for a young family. The goal was to create a brighter, taller, free-flow living space in the back of the house, whilst maintaining the structure and character at the front of the house. 

The back of the house was previously a long kitchen with low ceilings and prone to darkness. A new rear wraparound extension opened up the space, allowing for 3m tall doors to let a huge amount of light into the back of the house, opening directly onto the garden.

The structural support for the walls above was cleverly integrated within the floors and wrapped up the outside face of the building above to avoid any down-stand beams and achieving the maximum possible internal head height. 

Subtle retaining walls and planters were used to relandscape the front and rear gardens to better step with the hillside, creating new gardens fit for the younger members of the family to play in.

Bailiss & Co Danby Street Project - photograph of the back of the house.
Bailiss & Co Danby Street Project - photograph of the back of the house.
Bailiss & Co Danby Street Project - photograph of the inside of the kitchen, looking in from the garden doors.
Bailiss & Co Danby Street Project - photograph of the inside of the kitchen, looking at the dining table and chairs.
Bailiss & Co Danby Street Project - photograph of the inside of the kitchen. Looking out the back window onto a sunny green garden. In front of the window is a dining table and chair with a long bench along the edge of the kitchen wall.
Bailiss & Co Danby Street Project - photograph of the kitchen island. I tall gold tap curves into a deep sunken sink in the middle of a marble countertop. behind the Island you can see a window and bi-fold doors open out onto a sunny green garden.
Interior view of a modern kitchen with open sliding glass doors leading to a backyard garden with bushes and grass. The kitchen has light-colored cabinets, a countertop with kitchen appliances, and a small seating area with chairs facing the garden.
Open sliding glass doors lead to a modern living room with colorful furniture and interior decor, connected to a backyard garden with a small gravel patio and fenced yard.

The goal was to create a brighter, taller, free-flow living space in the back of the house, whilst maintaining the structure and character at the front of the house. 

Room under renovation with exposed flooring and debris, construction materials, an open doorway revealing an outside yard with fencing, a wheelbarrow, and building supplies.
Living room with a fireplace, decorated with small items and a mirror, leading to a bright room with a built-in seating area and pillows.
Small modern bathroom with pink subway tiles, a round mirror, a white sink with a gold faucet, a gold toilet paper holder with a roll, and black terrazzo floor with gold and beige chips, illuminated by a round wall light.
Construction site with dirt ground, wooden fencing, and building walls, indicating ongoing renovation or construction work.
View of a room with a green wall, white fireplace, bookshelf, and wooden chair, seen through an open door.

“I really appreciated the commitment to make best use of the existing structure’s good parts- not knocking things down for the sake of it - whilst completely transforming the house: the space, the light, and making the most of every last corner .”

Harriet, Client

Modern open-concept kitchen and living room opening to a backyard patio with a brick house in the background.
View of a backyard garden undergoing excavation or construction. The ground is dug up with a trench in the center, and a small orange excavator is present. Wooden and metal fencing encloses the area, with a shed at the back and some stacked bricks and building materials around.