Drakefield Road: A Basement and Rear Extension Case Study

Drakefield Road, in South Wimbledon, is one of our favourite recent projects: a classic terraced house in a conservation area, transformed into a modern, light-filled family home. It involved a full-footprint basement, a rear extension across ground and basement levels, and significant structural change — all on a constrained terraced site. Here is how we did it.

The brief

Our client wanted a home that combined contemporary living with the character of the terraced row. The project brought together several demanding elements:

• A full-footprint basement excavation

• A rear extension at both ground-floor and basement level

• Replacement of the ground-floor structure

• Contemporary interiors that still respect the character of the street

Isometric section

Design: light, space and a new lower ground floor

The design opens the ground floor into a bright, open-plan living space, with a new feature staircase leading down to the basement. Below, we extended the basement across the full footprint of the house and dug down to create proper ceiling height — turning a dark undercroft into generous kitchen, dining and living space, with bedrooms and bathrooms finished to a high standard.

Floor plan drawing

The challenge: excavating a terraced basement

The hardest part was the basement dig. With a terraced house and no garden access except through the property, getting machinery in and spoil out is genuinely difficult. Our solution was an electric digger, carefully lifted in through the bay window, which let us:

• Minimise disruption to the neighbouring houses

• Excavate the full footprint efficiently

• Keep the site cleaner and quieter than a traditional diesel machine would allow

Structural overhaul

Removing and rebuilding floors in a mid-terrace demands care because of the shared walls. We installed temporary support to protect the building and its neighbours, deconstructed the existing floors without damaging party walls, and put in new beams and floor structure to suit the redesigned spaces.

The completed rear extension

The result

From the first drawings to the final reveal, every detail was planned and executed with care, using durable, high-quality materials throughout. The finished house is modern and spacious, meets the client’s needs in full, and sits comfortably within its conservation-area setting — proof of what thoughtful design and meticulous delivery can achieve on a tight London site.

Thinking about a similar project?

If you are considering a basement, a rear extension or a whole-house transformation, book a free consultation with Studio MASS: email info@studio-mass.com, call 0208 638 6727, or use the Talk to Us button above.

About the author

Robert McBride BSc(Hons) MFPWS is an architectural technologist and director of Studio MASS, a London practice specialising in residential extensions, conversions and new-build homes.