New Forms

Something a little bit different.

A bold and striking approach to extending a traditional semi-detached North Leeds family home.

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The client's brief

Having recently swapped city life in London for the leafy suburbs of North Leeds, our clients set about breathing new life into their Edwardian semi-detached home. With a deep respect for its heritage, they lovingly restored and revived the original features, allowing the house’s character to shine once more.

However, tucked away at the rear was a far less inspiring legacy: a cold, draughty uPVC conservatory left behind by the previous owners. Starkly at odds with the style of the rest of the home, it felt more like an afterthought than a considered extension. Naturally, the clients were keen to replace it with something more fitting and far more inspiring.

With period properties like this, there are usually two schools of thought when it comes to extending. One approach is to mirror the original architecture, drawing on traditional materials, proportions and detailing to blend old and new. The other is to introduce a bold, contemporary addition that stands in deliberate contrast to the existing building.

Thankfully, our clients embraced the latter, choosing a confident, forward-thinking solution that would complement rather than copy.

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Our Idea

With a clear brief for a contemporary, contrasting extension and clients open to being pushed creatively, we were excited by the opportunity.

One of the key challenges lay in the awkward connection between the house’s ground floor and the garden. Rather than treat this as a separate problem, we saw it as a design opportunity and something the new extension could help solve.

Our solution was to position the new volume directly at garden level, using the level change to define the interior arrangement. It’s an approach we’ve found works well in homes like this and offers a more characterful, layered alternative to the open-plan layouts many clients initially imagine. In this case, it helped carve out distinct zones while maintaining a strong sense of flow and connection.

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However, while the sunken floor level made sense internally, it presented a new problem externally. With the original house rising three storeys above, the single-storey extension felt visually underpowered, its low form looking squat and out of proportion.

This is where the angled roof form came in and it proved to be the key that unlocked the design. By tapering the height across the rear elevation, we were able to keep the extension modest and neighbour-friendly along the party wall, while gradually increasing its height toward the opposite side. This subtle geometric shift gave the extension more visual weight, allowing it to hold its own against the existing building without overwhelming it.

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Inside and out

Internally, the angled form created a series of dynamic and distinctive spaces. The kitchen and dining area now sit beneath a dramatically tall ceiling, bringing light, air and generosity to the heart of the home. Meanwhile, the snug and entrance hall, retaining their original floor level, enjoy clear and uninterrupted views straight out to the garden.

To celebrate the form, both the client and Mesh chose to fully clad the extension in charred timber a material that brings warmth, richness and texture, while offering a striking contrast to the red brick of the original house. The result is a confident and contemporary addition that feels both deliberate and deeply connected to its setting.

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‍A collaborative success

We’re proud of this project. It stands as a testament to what’s possible when creative ambition is met with trust and collaboration.

It’s the product of brave, open-minded clients, a thoughtful and well-resolved design, a clear understanding of local planning policy, and a team of contractors who weren’t afraid to do something a little different.

Together, we created an extension that not only transforms how the home functions but adds a bold, new chapter to its story.

Before

After

"We love the space that has been designed, it delivers everything we wanted. It’s bold and modern and a great space to be in with friends and family. It’s provides a space to gather in large groups but also feels intimate when it’s just the close family. Mesh were great to deal with and pushed us in the best possible way, by providing options that took our inspiration, requirements and the elements we liked about previous homes and made something completely unique. We can’t wait to spend Christmas in there celebrating the beautiful home we have created. It allows us to cook and entertain and never be cut off from the fun. It’s going to be a house of happiness, music and good food. Cheers Mesh!"