Sycamore Cottage

Jersey Design Awards 2019 ‘Winner’ – Award for Best medium to small-scale building or building extension

The old property in Le Mourier Valley was originally constructed over two eras; the main house in Circa 1800 with a later addition to the North being constructed in the latter 19th Century. The house has a multitude of charming and rare details and features, such as a carving of a human face that appears on the South gable. These made the site categorized as ‘Potentially Listed’ by The Department of Historic Environment at the time of design development, requiring any work to be carried out very sensitively. Godel Architects were approached by the clients to create better connectivity and quality of space internally and to increase the much needed living areas and bedrooms for the clients’ growing family.

The massing of the extension was designed to minimise its visual impact from the road. This was achieved by nestling the extension into the existing bank the side and rear of the house. The new areas were formed so as to lie subserviently to the main body of the house. Internally, a light-touch glass link hallway connects the extension to the existing house, flooding the heart of the building with natural light and allowing the spaces to transition seamlessly between old and new.

The external finishes were carefully selected to look consistent with the original dwelling’s features, in a mixed palette of natural materials including granite, terracotta pantile and timber cladding. The garden is complemented by a new natural swimming pond, which serves as a fantastic amenity for the family and a habitat for many indigenous flora and fauna.