No one would mistake this extension for an original part of the Georgian house attached to it – which was exactly what the owners wanted
Conservation specialists are in the business of preserving the past. If there’s a way to save it, they will find it. So it takes a brave conservationist to admit that a structure needs to come down. That was the situation Donald Ross and Bridie Russell found themselves in when they purchased their home in Inverness in 2011. Their B-listed Georgian townhouse had been augmented in the 1980s with a rather crude addition to the rear. Discussions about how the extension could be altered to suit the needs of the new owners concluded that the best way to begin would be to knock it down and start again.
Tim Meek, a conservation contractor, worked on the project with Jenny Humphreys at Simpson & Brown Architects to devise an extension that would be light and contemporary. “And which in no way would try to outdo the original Georgian building,” says Jenny. The house sits on the banks of the River Ness and had been subdivided to create two rental properties. It appealed to new owners Bridie and Donald, who were downsizing and keen to find a home with character and a view.
This is just a taster, you can browse the full article with more stunning photography on pages 140-148, issue 105.
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Photography Andrew Dowsett
Words Catherine Coyle
What A Georgian terraced townhouse with a contemporary extension
Where Inverness
Architect Simpson & Brown
