BIT ON THE SIDE

Some think an extension or other new addition should bring an element of surprise, that it should stand out from the existing building and not pretend to be an original part of it.

- Gillian Welsh

The counter viewpoint argues that it’s better to blend in and not shout too much. At the side of this impressive listed villa in the Grange, one of Edinburgh’s best-preserved conservation areas, is a structure that marries both ideas. It makes a statement, certainly, but it also complements the mellow sandstone that’s been here for a century and a half.

Completed last year, it replaces a run-down garage and shed that had become unfit for purpose. The owners didn’t need a place to park their car, but, as keen gardeners, they craved a practical area with ample storage.

“They could have bought a ready-made garden shed but they wanted a bespoke design that would respect its context,” explains Capital A’s award-winning architect Níall Hedderman. “Properties here are typically large and they often have garages at the side. This new garden shed keeps the form of a garage but is designed for alternative uses.”

Context was everything: the house might be Victorian but its neighbour is a 1960s chapel and this modern edifice is referenced in the proportions of the new shed, with its square elevation and clean lines. The house itself was subdivided long ago, with the clients living on the ground floor, which limited the height of any new structure. And the site is wide at the front (3.4m) but narrows dramatically further back (to 2.1m). Hedderman’s design was a response to all these factors.