London-based Neil Dusheiko Architects has completed a striking home extension in Kent, England, featuring a minimalist glazed garden pavilion that transforms how the residence connects with its surrounding landscape. The project, named Pavilion Rest, extends a 1990s home located within the grounds of the Grade II-listed Pembroke Lodge in the Hildenborough Conservation Area in rural Kent.

Given the sensitive historic context of the location, the architectural team chose what they describe as a "single gesture of transformation" rather than making extensive alterations to the existing home's layout. The solution came in the form of a light-filled glazed pavilion that dramatically improves the relationship between the interior living spaces and the mature garden outside.

The design draws inspiration from California's iconic 1960s Case Study Houses, known for their minimal structural approach and emphasis on indoor-outdoor living. The glazed pavilion features a distinctive timber-lined roof with a thick black fascia that extends beyond the building envelope to create a garden canopy supported by slender steel columns. This architectural gesture creates both shelter and visual continuity between the interior and exterior spaces.

"Rather than dominate, the extension dissolves boundaries, bringing rhythm, warmth, and spatial generosity to what was a disjointed 1990s layout," explained Neil Dusheiko, the firm's founder. He emphasized that the concept focused on resolving layout inefficiencies while supporting modern family life through simplicity, flexibility, and warmth. "The new timber-lined pavilion acts as the social heart – an open, light-filled volume that anchors the layout and strengthens connection to the garden."

The pavilion extends what was originally a living area at the southwestern corner of the home, adding a new single-story living and dining area. The extension has been carefully set back from the front of the home to minimize its visual impact on the historic setting. Adjacent to this new space, the existing kitchen has been expanded into the former dining area through the removal of an internal wall, creating a unified, L-shaped living, dining, and kitchen area that flows directly from the home's main entrance hallway.

The material palette was carefully selected to complement rather than imitate the existing building. The extension features exposed reclaimed brickwork alongside slatted timber screens that provide privacy for outdoor seating areas while preventing overlooking from neighboring properties. These materials are carried seamlessly into the interior spaces, where the brick walls remain unlined and the slatted timber ceiling extends from the terrace canopy into the dining area, creating visual continuity.

"Our challenge was to introduce a clearly contemporary intervention without disrupting the character of its historic setting," Dusheiko noted. The solution involved setting the extension low to the ground and screening it with vertical oak fins to respect neighboring properties and sight lines while embracing the mature garden through open glazing and deep protective eaves.

The renovation also included thoughtful improvements to the upper level of the original home. A series of minimal alterations were implemented to enhance circulation between the existing five bedrooms, and an additional en-suite bathroom was added to improve the home's functionality for modern family living.

This project represents another successful residential intervention by Neil Dusheiko Architects, which has previously completed notable projects including the addition of spa-like spaces clad in charred timber to a London home and the conversion of a former showroom in Lancaster Gate into a light-filled residence for elderly owners. The Pavilion Rest project demonstrates how sensitive contemporary architecture can enhance historic settings while meeting the practical needs of modern homeowners.