A Victorian home in northwest London has been transformed with a striking contemporary extension that showcases the raw beauty of grey basalt stone blocks. Local architecture studio EBBA designed the project, aptly named Basalt House, to bring what they describe as "tactile richness" to the minimalist addition while respecting the historic character of the original structure.
The ambitious project involved adding both a rear extension and a loft conversion to the narrow Victorian property. EBBA's design philosophy centered on "doing more with less," using these two strategic additions to completely reconfigure the home's circulation patterns and flood the previously dark, deep floor plan with natural daylight. The studio explained that their approach was to "respect the Victorian arrangement of the original home while introducing a bold yet harmonious contemporary intervention."
The choice of basalt stone as the primary building material was both aesthetic and environmental. EBBA emphasized their commitment to sustainability, noting that stone's reduced embodied carbon footprint provides an excellent alternative to traditional residential construction materials. The raw blocks of grey basalt were left exposed on the rear elevation, creating a dramatic contrast with the Victorian brickwork and adding substantial visual weight to the new structure.
The loft extension adds significant living space with two new bedrooms and features an innovative circular skylight that serves as a light well. This skylight draws natural light down through the existing stairwell, illuminating both the first and ground floors of the home. Meanwhile, the rear extension houses a new kitchen area positioned beneath a long, sloping skylight that provides abundant overhead illumination and offers direct views of the home's newly landscaped garden through a full-height sliding glass door.
Inside the rear extension, the design creates striking material contrasts that bridge old and new. White walls and built-in storage provide a clean backdrop for a dark-stained ash kitchen island and grey Valchromat counters. The polished concrete flooring in the extension creates a deliberate transition from the wooden floorboards of the existing Victorian rooms, emphasizing the dialogue between historic and contemporary elements.
The extension's connection to the existing home was carefully planned to improve the overall flow of the house. Two strategic openings link the new space back to the original structure, creating direct sight lines from both the front door and the adjacent living room straight through to the garden. This reconfiguration transforms the home's layout, making it feel more spacious and connected to its outdoor space.
EBBA's attention to structural details adds to the extension's architectural honesty. A large white-steel lintel spans the top of the sliding door opening, and the supporting steel beam remains visible to emphasize the structural logic and reinforce the sense of weight in the basalt blocks. The studio explained that this approach reflects their ethos of "subtle, material-led transformations that elevate daily living while respecting historical narratives and celebrating the method of construction."
The project represents the innovative approach of EBBA, which was founded in 2016 by architect Benni Allan. The studio has built a reputation for thoughtful residential extensions, including previous projects such as a "Victorian-like" steel-framed addition to a Camden home and an interactive installation for Houghton Festival that responds to surrounding trees. The Basalt House project demonstrates their continued commitment to sustainable materials and sensitive interventions in historic contexts, proving that contemporary architecture can enhance rather than compete with Victorian heritage.
