下厅花园屋顶扩建部分 丨英国伦敦丨AR Architecture

NetherhallGardens Roof Extension crowns a converted Victorian apartment in London, United Kingdom with an unexpectedly generous upper level by AR Architecture. The project adds a family office, leisure rooms and a private outdoor terrace, all concealed within the conservation area roofline. Daily life now shifts easily between work, reading, music and time in the open air, without disturbing the building’s brick gables and street-facing character.

Morning light slides across the herringbone floor, catching the edge of a bright blue lounge chair before spilling toward the terrace doors. From this quiet upper level, roofs, chimneys and treetops sit at eye height, while the street-front Victorian gables remain visually untouched.

NetherhallGardens Roof Extension is a compact apartment project in London, United Kingdom, designed by AR Architecture for a family that wanted work and leisure on their roof. The brief folds a generous office, library, and everyday sitting room into the attic volume of a converted Victorian building, all while staying invisible from the conservation area below. Program drives every decision: where people sit to work, where they read, and how they step directly outside.

Climbing To The Roof

The transition starts on the existing upper floor, where a timber stair with glass balustrade rises toward a band of roof glazing. Each tread reads as a separate plane, so the ascent feels light rather than heavy. White walls and angled ceilings frame black roof beams, giving the climb a clear rhythm as daylight marks each landing.

At the top, the stair arrives not at a tight corridor but at the heart of the new level. People step directly into a tall room, already oriented toward workstations, books, and sky. Movement from family living rooms to this quieter zone takes only a few steps, which makes short tasks and long projects equally easy to accommodate.

Working Above The Trees

The main rooftop room acts as a shared studio, with desks lined along the wall beneath rooflights and shelving wrapping the perimeter. Overhead, a row of skylights brings in soft, even light that suits computer work and reading throughout the day. The rhythm of the glazing sets up natural workstations, each one with its own patch of sky.

A dining-height table at the center doubles as meeting surface and family desk, surrounded by upholstered chairs that encourage longer use. Bookshelves anchor one end, turning the room into a small library where reference volumes sit within arm’s reach of screens. Without partitions, family members can work separately yet still sense each other’s presence.

Leisure Room In The Eaves

Back on the lower attic level, a softer sitting room tucks under the original rafters. A deep sofa, patterned rug, and floor lamp create a casual second living room that picks up leftover roof volume. Here, the sloping ceiling and exposed dark beams give a more intimate character, suitable for reading or playing music.

Arched openings and tall framed mirrors link this sitting room to the stair hall, so circulation edges double as display walls. The modest footprint works hard: guitars lean ready for use, artwork fills vertical surfaces, and low cabinets slide neatly against the knee walls. Everyday downtime happens in view of the stair, never feeling cut off from the rest of the apartment.

Terrace Within The Roof

Beyond the studio, tall sliding doors open to the sunken terrace, formed entirely within the original attic height. High parapet walls keep railings and new structure out of sight from the street, preserving the conservation area roofline. Paved flooring and a simple table create an outdoor room that functions as extra office, dining corner, or play zone depending on the day.

Because the terrace sits level with the interior floor, carrying coffee, laptops, or books outside becomes a natural extension of indoor routines. The family can take calls in the open air, shift a meeting to the table outside, or step out between tasks for a brief pause. Work, rest, and outdoor time now share one compact rooftop level, threaded carefully into the old Victorian attic.

As daylight fades, activity drifts back down the stair, past the beams and arches and into the original apartment below. From the street, the house still reads as a brick gabled villa from its era, untouched in silhouette. Above that familiar roof, daily life has simply gained one more layer of rooms, tailored to how the family works and unwinds.