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Single-story brick extension with pitched roofs, large glass doors, and windows, attached to a traditional brick house, overlooking a paved patio and garden.

Clever RIBA award-winning extension in Hertfordshire

Home › Case Studies › Clever RIBA award-winning extension in Hertfordshire

Open Corner doorsRoof lightstheEDGE2.0

In the leafy market town of Harpenden, an Edwardian home has been reborn as a bold, light-filled family home, thanks to a thoughtful renovation and award-winning extension by Emil Eve Architects. RIBA Architecture.com logo with the text "East Award 2025 Winner" displayed below.

Previously used as a nursery, the property was purchased in 2020 by new owners who saw beyond the dated interior to its generous proportions and large garden. Their brief was clear: create an open, contemporary space fit for family life, with a seamless connection between indoors and out.

The architects delivered with a clever redesign that balances tradition and innovation. A sympathetic side extension complements the existing structure, while a striking full-width rear extension adds drama and utility.

Emma Perkin, founder of Emil Eve Architects, explained the approach:
“We added three angled volumes to the rear, each topped with a sawtooth roof that flows across the extension. The staggered form breaks up the overall scale, helping it sit comfortably against the original house. From outside, it looks like three distinct forms; inside, it’s one continuous, flexible space.”

The new ground floor is designed for versatility. The kitchen, dining, and living spaces interconnect but can be separated as needed. Each room opens to the garden independently, including a sheltered patio where two rooms meet at a stunning post-free open corner sliding doors that breakdown the boundary between interior and exterior.

For glazing, the owners followed the architects’ recommendation and selected IDSystems’ award-winning theEDGE2.0 ultra-slim sliding doors. With 20mm sightlines, these doors offer near-uninterrupted views and high-performance insulation – ideal for year-round use.

Edward Stobart, Technical Sales Manager at IDSystems, collaborated closely with the team:
“The clients wanted more than just an open connection – they wanted to feel linked to the garden at all times. Sliding doors with slim frames were the ideal choice, and the placement of the large rooflights above enhances that connection, flooding the interiors with natural light.”

Each of the three volumes in the rear extension features its own tailored configuration of theEDGE2.0 with flat rooflights above:

The rear extension is clad in handmade waterstruck yellow bricks, offering a warm contrast to the original house. Frames are finished in a soft Light Ivory (RAL 1015) to echo the brick tones and soften the modern lines.

The result is a family home that feels both rooted and forward-looking – flooded with daylight, rich in character, and perfectly attuned to indoor-outdoor living.

The extension has proven popular not only with the homeowners, it has also found favour with the RIBA awards judges, picking up a RIBA East award for 2025 with the judges stating “The interior space is broken up not only by the functional uses but also by how the light is modulated through four different-sized rooflights placed within the sawtooth-shaped roof. The client is relishing the experience of living with the changing pattern of daylight and expressed her enjoyment of watching the movement of light across the spaces.”

Location: Harpenden, Hertfordshire
Architect: Emile Eve Architects
Structural Engineer: Mark and Partners
Photos: Taran Wilkhu Photography

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Gallery

Modern dining area with a wooden table and four chairs, large windows, a built-in bench with a red cushion, and views of a garden and patio outside.
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A modern brick house with large sliding glass doors opens to a patio with a raised flower bed and potted plants. Indoor seating and shelves are visible through the doorway.
A hallway with a patterned rug, bookshelves, a wooden cabinet, houseplants, and a view into a dining area with large windows overlooking a green outdoor space.
View into a modern kitchen and dining area with a wooden table, chairs, blue cabinets, and large glass sliding doors leading to an outdoor patio.
Modern brick extension with zigzag roofline, large glass doors, and windows, attached to an older brick house with a garden visible inside.
Contemporary open-plan kitchen and dining area with blue cabinetry, wooden table, chairs, and garden view through large sliding glass doors.
Modern kitchen with blue cabinets, an island, and a wooden dining table with six chairs. Shelves with plants and dishes are mounted on the wall above the countertop.
A modern interior with light wood furniture, red chairs, and a long table is visible through a large open window, with flowering plants and shrubs in the foreground.
A modern brick extension with large glass doors is attached to the rear of a traditional two-story house, with a tree and garden in the foreground.
Modern brick house extension with large glass sliding doors, zigzag roof design, and a patio overlooking a green lawn. Original older brick house visible in the background.
Modern kitchen with teal cabinets, a central island with bar stools, open shelving with plants, and a wooden dining table with fruit bowl and red chairs.
Modern kitchen and dining area with a wooden table, four chairs, a built-in bench with cushions, and a minimalist island with black stools, next to large glass doors opening to a garden.
A hallway with carpeted stairs on the left, a runner rug, and a view into a dining area with glass doors opening to a green backyard.
A dining area with a wooden table and red chair overlooks a green backyard through large glass doors; bookshelf is visible in the foreground.
A modern dining area with a wooden table and chairs, built-in bench with red cushion, large sliding glass door, and a view of a patio and living room.
Modern kitchen with dark cabinetry, a central island, and large glass doors opening to a green backyard. Natural light fills the space through windows and a skylight.
Modern kitchen with teal cabinets, a white countertop island with two black stools, a yellow coffee machine, and a shelf displaying plants and decor against a white tiled wall.
A modern living space with large glass doors opens onto a patio and a green backyard with a children’s playset in the distance. Indoor plants and a patterned rug are in the foreground.
Modern kitchen with teal cabinets, a large island, open shelves with plants and decor, wooden dining table with red chairs, and sliding glass doors letting in natural light.
Modern dining area with a wooden table and four chairs, large windows, a built-in bench with a red cushion, and views of a garden and patio outside.
A modern kitchen with teal cabinets, a white island with black barstools, open shelving, plants, and glass doors leading to an outdoor area.
A modern brick house with large sliding glass doors opens to a patio with a raised flower bed and potted plants. Indoor seating and shelves are visible through the doorway.
A hallway with a patterned rug, bookshelves, a wooden cabinet, houseplants, and a view into a dining area with large windows overlooking a green outdoor space.
View into a modern kitchen and dining area with a wooden table, chairs, blue cabinets, and large glass sliding doors leading to an outdoor patio.
Modern brick extension with zigzag roofline, large glass doors, and windows, attached to an older brick house with a garden visible inside.
Contemporary open-plan kitchen and dining area with blue cabinetry, wooden table, chairs, and garden view through large sliding glass doors.
Modern kitchen with blue cabinets, an island, and a wooden dining table with six chairs. Shelves with plants and dishes are mounted on the wall above the countertop.
A modern interior with light wood furniture, red chairs, and a long table is visible through a large open window, with flowering plants and shrubs in the foreground.
A modern brick extension with large glass doors is attached to the rear of a traditional two-story house, with a tree and garden in the foreground.
Modern brick house extension with large glass sliding doors, zigzag roof design, and a patio overlooking a green lawn. Original older brick house visible in the background.
Modern kitchen with teal cabinets, a central island with bar stools, open shelving with plants, and a wooden dining table with fruit bowl and red chairs.
Modern kitchen and dining area with a wooden table, four chairs, a built-in bench with cushions, and a minimalist island with black stools, next to large glass doors opening to a garden.
A hallway with carpeted stairs on the left, a runner rug, and a view into a dining area with glass doors opening to a green backyard.
A dining area with a wooden table and red chair overlooks a green backyard through large glass doors; bookshelf is visible in the foreground.
A modern dining area with a wooden table and chairs, built-in bench with red cushion, large sliding glass door, and a view of a patio and living room.
Modern kitchen with dark cabinetry, a central island, and large glass doors opening to a green backyard. Natural light fills the space through windows and a skylight.
Modern kitchen with teal cabinets, a white countertop island with two black stools, a yellow coffee machine, and a shelf displaying plants and decor against a white tiled wall.
A modern living space with large glass doors opens onto a patio and a green backyard with a children’s playset in the distance. Indoor plants and a patterned rug are in the foreground.
Modern kitchen with teal cabinets, a large island, open shelves with plants and decor, wooden dining table with red chairs, and sliding glass doors letting in natural light.
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