THE LONDON HOUSES - Fulham Palace Road - “The Shed”

Fulham Palace Road

Sometimes the smallest piece of information turns out to be the most important piece of information. A simple enquiry regarding a Ground Floor Council Flat on the Fulham Palace Road led to a most interesting project that almost never happened. I received a phone call one day from a lady who told me that she had interviewed many Architects and none of them could see a solution to her problem. I arranged a site visit and, after many cups of tea & fondling all of the dogs & cats equally, I got up to leave and affirmed my colleague’s opinion that getting Planning permission to extend her leasehold council flat would be a lengthy legal process, would be unlikely to succeed at Planning Committee stage and was beyond her budget anyway. I had to leave via the garden and remarked in passing “who owns the garage”. She replied that she had purchased the garage and land from an old man who had lived in the end of the terrace house at the bottom of her garden. So, back to the drawing board we went.

I produced a quick sketch to show the possible conversion of the garage into a small house which she approved. We then applied for Planning permission to build a basement directly under the garage which was granted as there was no elevational change to the “garage”. We then applied to fit out the garage with a mezzanine gallery, ground floor Kitchen, Dining & Living space, a basement bedroom with courtyard and that was approved.

In order to build the basement we had to prop “the Shed” up on supports, retaining 3 walls and the roof as existing and excavate out underneath it. A simple idea, but structurally a challenge.

She was delighted with the result and was able to let the “garage house” (we fondly called it “The Shed”) out to produce a modest pension without having to sell her flat.

That income allowed her to extend her lease & build a conservatory where she lives happily with ALL of her animals.