A terraced house in Leiden city centre was extended with a bright kitchen-diner towards the back garden. We handled the design, the structural work and the building permit within the strict requirements of the protected townscape.
Illustrative blueprint view · existing situation, permit sketch, 3D impression and the delivered result.
The owners of a terraced house in the Leiden city centre wanted to open up the rear facade for a spacious kitchen-living area. The property is located in a protected townscape: every rear extension requires a building permit and assessment by the aesthetic review committee. In addition, the connection to the existing foundations had to be carefully calculated, because the soil in the low-lying city centre is susceptible to settlement.
We designed a single-storey extension of 18 m² with a large glazed roof plane. This keeps the extension low and subtly visible from the street, while the interior is filled with natural light. The facades received a dark plastered finish that connects to the rear facade style used by the municipality of Leiden for this part of the city centre. We resolved the foundation with a shallow concrete beam that does not interfere with the existing floor structure.
The building permit was granted within 8 weeks, including a positive aesthetic review recommendation. The contractor started immediately without any additional questions: all details, connections and specification drawings had been worked out to execution level. The result is a bright open-plan kitchen of 18 m² that completely transforms the ground floor. The clients describe it as "the house we always wanted".
Key project details
What we delivered
Whether you live in Leiden, Zuid-Holland or elsewhere in the Netherlands: we handle design, structure and permits from A to Z. Since 2016, 800+ projects. A no-obligation quote within 1 working day.