An exceptionally playful reworking of a humble stoker’s cottage that became the heart of a community, a family home for creative lives, and a testament to the vision of the Architect. The project centres on a dramatic double-height extension housing a sitting room and dining room, pushing the vernacular aesthetic through oversized curved bays, traditional Norfolk flint, and a half-moon window. Internally, the space unfolds as a single complex volume that operates both as a home and a theatre, complete with raked seating, balcony, green room, stage and orchestra pit.

Just 300 yards from the tidal channel at Overy Staithe, the house sits within the Burnham Overy Staithe Conservation Area. The original building and site conditions brought both opportunities and challenges. By setting the extension at the centre of the plot — away from the boundaries — a new entrance was formed where old and new overlap, creating sheltered courtyards to the north and south that respond to the changing coastal weather. The junction between past and present called for precise detailing, especially in structurally delicate areas like the balcony, where slender members preserve lightness and openness.

The design aimed to create adaptable, multi-use spaces that shift with different activities and emotional states. It invites interaction between residents and visitors while maintaining the intimacy of home. Functional ambiguity was embraced to support creativity, reflection, and play — allowing the building to move fluidly between performance and privacy, everyday life and expression.

The proposal is grounded in spatial flow and material continuity. Built-in furniture, concealed services, and deep reveals contribute to a language of quiet precision. Architectural features include curved bay windows with inset, mural-covered sliding screens, and an elliptical domed ceiling with coved cornicing. Varied floor levels enhance the sense of theatre, creating unexpected adjacencies and layered sight-lines. Deep window bays integrate rattan-covered joinery that conceals acoustic and heating elements. Meanwhile, the original bedrooms are filled with objects and curiosities collected through travel, adding richness and personality to the home.

At its heart, the project is driven by a strong architectural idea: the superimposition of two spatial arrangements — the home and the theatre — resulting in a spatial hybrid where personal retreat and collective experience coexist seamlessly.