Extension

The project is inserted within a stratified rural system composed of a stone house and a former barn, both carrying a precise scale and a clearly legible constructive memory.

London-based architecture and interiors studio House Of EM – the new practice by former Michaelis Boyd directors Emma Bodie and Matthew Sanders – has completed a renovation and extension in Kensal Rise for a young family of four. Designed for clients Anthony and Roberta, Loggia House includes a ground-floor rear extension, internal alterations throughout, and preparatory work for a future dormer extension, all enhancing scale and functionality for the family to enjoy.

Located in the municipality of Saint-Ferréol, Québec, the secondary residence presents itself as a retreat removed from the everyday, a place of escape that lives to the calm rhythm of the forest. The existing building bears the imprint of architecture inspired by Austrian chalets: a compact elevated volume, a light base, generous roof overhangs, and a strong presence of wood. These qualities, highlighted and carefully revealed, guided the integration and design of the extension.

This house was built in the 1980s, following the design codes of the time: a semi-subterranean ground floor housing the garage and boiler room, a raised floor above the garden for the living areas, and an attic converted into bedrooms. In the early 2000s, an extension was built on the garden side to accommodate a large living room, but it quickly showed signs of deterioration. After a decade of legal proceedings, the owners were finally compensated for the damages suffered. They then decided to move on from those difficult years by considering the construction of a new house. However, the architect proposed a different approach: to retain as much of the existing structure as possible and demolish only the damaged sections.

The project completes and reinterprets a residence in the countryside of Ostuni, surrounded by centuries old olive trees and long views toward the Adriatic Sea and the white skyline of the city. When the owners first encountered the site, the house existed only as an unfinished concrete shell abandoned on the slope. Instead of demolishing it, they chose to work with what was already there, using the existing volume as the starting point for a new spatial and material vision.

The client’s assignment was to expand the existing family house. The existing building was built at the beginning of the 20th century on the edge of a rocky slope above the Sázava River. In 2010, it underwent a major renovation and an extension of the hanging part to the garden. However, it gradually became clear that the size of the building no longer met the client’s needs.

Fowóralé II extends the calm, coastal character of the original building, completed in 2024 along the quiet, sun-dappled sands of Ilashe. This extension unfolds as a natural continuation of the first phase, with spaces thoughtfully oriented to capture natural light, coastal breezes, and views of the shoreline. The design balances areas for communal gathering with quieter moments of retreat, supporting everyday activity in harmony with the sea. In this phase, the extension gains a more outward-facing dimension to meet the client’s evolving program, introducing spaces for dining, connection, and curated social experiences while maintaining the structure’s balance and order and adding a warmer, more inviting character. Rather than appearing as an addition, the extension feels like a gentle widening of the building’s spatial and experiential boundaries.