London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Aug 24, 2025

Architects deliberately left a hole in the roof of this extraordinary rear extension

Architects deliberately left a hole in the roof of this extraordinary rear extension

The massive opening in the middle highlights rainfall and allows rain to collect in a shallow, reflective pool below.

A Grade II-listed Georgian townhouse in Clerkenwell hides a strikingly unusual two-storey rear extension.

    

Designed by architecture studio Tonkin Liu, the new extension serves as both a studio for the practice and a home for the partners’ family.

                                

REAR - BEFORE


Tonkin Liu's founders Anna Liu and Mike Tonkin worked to find a better use for their property's narrow back garden, hoping to create a work area at ground level as well as increase the living space in the existing basement.

                                            

REAR - AFTER


The extraordinary new extension leaves a massive opening in the middle to highlight rainfall and allow rain to collect in a shallow pool below.

                                

                                

Rainwater gathered at the top of the townhouse falls through a pipe and follows the roof’s curved edge to a spout over a long rainwater harvesting tank. The tank floods the patio at the push of a button, transforming it into a reflecting pool.

                                

The perimeter walls of the rear courtyard support a plywood roof, curved in plan and section to allow maximum light into a patio garden.

                                

                                

The roof’s thin 110mm structural shell is an insulated stressed-skin, joined by round coffered skylights that echo the wave pattern of raindrops landing in the pool.

                                

Animated by both sunshine and rain, the new extension creates a tranquil setting for the homeowners, and also incorporates a serene garden terrace.

The architects tell us: "It is a good place to be on a bad day."

                                

The basement was also extended and now accommodates a bedroom, two new bathrooms and a large, plant-filled light-well.

                                

                                

                                

                                

At the bottom of the garden, under the concave roof, a garden room offers a living space for the home and a meeting space for the studio.

A mirrored wall in the covered outdoor area conceals a workshop, cooking area, tool shed, store, and deep planter for the small trees in the green roof above.

                                

Being able to design something for themselves, they used the opportunity to test out radical new ideas that they may not have been able to try out on clients.

It enabled the couple to test new ideas through prototypes and non-traditional construction methods, and to build an innovative and testing piece of architecture for a modest budget.

                                

Their brave and innovative design has won numerous awards, including a RIBA award in 2017 and first prize for the Don’t Move, Improve! awards in 2018.

                                        

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner Purchases Third Property Amid Housing Tax Reforms Debate
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Italian Facebook Group Sharing Intimate Images Without Consent Shut Down Amid Police Investigation
Dutch Foreign Minister Resigns Amid Deadlock Over Israel Sanctions
Trump and Allies Send Messages of Support to Ukraine on Independence Day Amid Ongoing Conflict
China Reels as Telegram Chat Group Shares Hidden-Camera Footage of Women and Children
Sam Nicoresti becomes first transgender comedian to win Edinburgh Comedy Award
Builders uncover historic human remains in Lancashire house renovation
Australia Wants to Tax Your Empty Bedrooms
MotoGP Cameraman Narrowly Avoids Pedro Acosta Crash at Hungarian Grand Prix
FBI Investigates John Bolton Over Classified Documents in High-Profile Raids
Report reveals OpenAI pitched national ChatGPT Plus subscription to UK ministers
Labour set to freeze income tax thresholds in long-term 'stealth' tax raid
Coca‑Cola explores sale of Costa coffee chain
Trial hears dog walker was chased and fatally stabbed by trio
Restaurateur resigns from government hospitality council over tax criticism
Spanish City funfair shut after serious ride injury
Suspected arson at Ilford restaurant leaves three in critical condition
Tottenham beat Manchester City to go top of Premier League
Bank holiday heatwave to hit 30°C before remnants of Hurricane Erin arrive
UK to deploy immigration advisers to West Africa to block fake visas
Nurse who raped woman continued working for a year despite police alert
Drought forces closures of England’s canal routes, canceling boat holidays
Sweet tooth scents: food-inspired perfumes surge as weight-loss drugs suppress appetites
Experts warn Britain dangerously reliant on imported food
Family of Notting Hill Carnival murder victim call event unmanageable
Bunkers, Billions and Apocalypse: The Secret Compounds of Zuckerberg and the Tech Giants
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
Trump Called Viktor Orbán: "Why Are You Using the Veto"
Horror in the Skies: Plane Engine Exploded, Passengers Sent Farewell Messages
MSNBC Rebrands as MS NOW Amid Comcast’s Cable Spin-Off
AI in Policing: Draft One Helps Speed Up Reports but Raises Legal and Ethical Concerns
Shame in Norway: Crown Princess’s Son Accused of Four Rapes
Apple Begins Simultaneous iPhone 17 Production in India and China
A Robot to Give Birth: The Chinese Announcement That Shakes the World
Finnish MP Dies by Suicide in Parliament Building
Outrage in the Tennis World After Jannik Sinner’s Withdrawal Storm
William and Kate Are Moving House – and the New Neighbors Were Evicted
Class Action Lawsuit Against Volkswagen: Steering Wheel Switches Cause Accidents
×