1930s semi extension and reconfiguration in Firswood, South Manchester

Project Information

Year Completed: 2017

Estimated Cost: £40k

Our client says:

We have 1930’s semi that had almost nothing done to it. Magda had spend 4 hours with us this morning and drew up 3 options. She had pushed the ideas of what we can do with our house and we are very pleased with it!

~ Jamie & David

Magda, a popular architect from Manchester, designs another extension of a 1930s semi detached house

This morning, I spent four hours with my clients in Firswood. I also work in other parts of Manchester such as Chorlton, Sale, Urmston or Stretford. We took 3 approaches and produced 3 different options that gave Jamie & David the space they needed. We didn’t push for an extension, we firstly (or lastly) look at the space of the house that is within the existing footprint. Each house is different and has its own sunny and shady sides.

Why my clients wanted to extend their 1930s semidetached house in Firswood?

Jamie & David wanted to have a large kitchen/ diner/ living space close to the garden but also a dedicated room that would be an office. The existing kitchen was too small. The office that was contained in a cabinet and had outgrown its space. David wanted to have a desk where he could leave unfinished work and come back to it later. We designed a side extension and a rear extension option with an office, a toilet and a small utility room. Internal configuration gave two answers to one question. The last option that we looked at was an outbuilding for the office while keeping the old footprint of the house intact. We didn’t want to take too much space from the garden.

How different were the options?

Some options were good if Jamie & David wanted to keep the passage from the rear to the front of the house. This passage comes to be handy as an access for your green bin and the window cleaner. But its all about the priorities that you have. There was an option taking the least amount of space in the garden, so the little one could play. And the option that can be split into two phases of internal reconfiguration and the outbuilding as a second stage. The main goal was achieved, and all boxes were ticked – large kitchen/ dining / living + office + loo and an utility space. Now they need to rate the plans with ‘+’ and ‘-‘ get the quote from the builder that will help to make a decision. When decided, the design will be ready to go to a further, detailed CAD stage of Planning Application and Building Regulations.

Magda Haener

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Pride Road Says:

We spend a full 4 hours discussing and valuing the options. There are always this small needs and habits that come up from the client. I would never know it if we didn’t do this workshop together. ‘I like to have a access to the bins from the side of the house…oh ok… Can be through the back. Perfect!’ or ‘ Oh I use my bike very often, where can we store it ? ‘ ect… all this questions we solved there and than so all the design options work and fulfill the needs!