DeDraft Renovates the TH Residence in East Sussex
UK-based studio DeDraft has completed the renovation of TH Residence, a modernist home originally built in 1964 in East Sussex, employing a material palette of warm timber and ceramic tiles to echo the house’s original architectural language.
A Landscape-Led Setting
Located in Ditchling within the South Downs National Park, the red-brick residence overlooks a landscaped garden featuring ponds and mature trees. The expansive natural setting informed the project’s emphasis on horizontal lines and a low-profile form that remains visually grounded within its environment.
Expanding Without Disruption
Largely untouched since its completion, the house presented a unique opportunity for careful expansion. The new owners asked DeDraft to increase the living space while preserving what studio director Grant Straghan described as the home’s “calm, low-slung and grounded” character.
A former garage wing was converted into a home office and bedroom, then linked to the main house through a glazed infill, creating an L-shaped, pavilion-like composition that embraces the garden.
A New Architectural Heart
This angular glazed infill now forms the heart of the home, connecting a two-storey entrance and bedroom block to the north, a large living and dining space to the east, and the new southern wing. Within this zone, the kitchen was relocated from an enclosed room into a light-filled space defined by a curved rear wall, clerestory windows, and a built-in bench.
Continuous Indoor-Outdoor Connection
Fully glazed facades extend across the new interventions, continuing the language of the original living wing. A linear internal corridor acts as a connective spine, offering framed views of the raised ponds and planting, while sliding doors allow the living spaces to open expansively toward the garden during summer months.
Material Dialogue Between Old and New
The renovation’s material strategy draws from both the original house and the work of Alvar Aalto, one of the studio’s key influences. Bespoke ceramic tiles clad a curved wall near the entrance, while Douglas fir features prominently across walls, ceilings, and window frames, complementing the existing Doussié timber detailing.
Reframing Modernist Heritage
According to Straghan, the result is a cohesive architectural palette that subtly distinguishes old from new without visual discord. The project stands as a measured approach to modernist renovation, reinforcing the original design logic while adapting the house to contemporary patterns of living.
✦ ArchUp Editorial Insight
DeDraft’s renovation of TH Residence operates firmly within a Modernist lineage, extending a 1964 mid-century house through a careful strategy of Adaptive Reuse that privileges continuity over contrast. The project reinforces the original horizontal emphasis and low-profile form, using timber and ceramic surfaces to sustain a coherent Material Expression while reorienting the plan around landscape-driven Spatial Dynamics. However, this respectful expansion raises questions of Contextual Relevance at the domestic scale: the extensive glazing and garden-facing openness assume patterns of occupation and climate resilience that may test long-term performance within a protected national park setting. Conversely, the restrained insertion of the glazed infill demonstrates how modernist heritage can accommodate contemporary living without formal dilution. Ultimately, the project’s Architectural Ambition lies in treating renovation as calibration—fine-tuning an existing logic rather than rewriting it.
★ ArchUp Technical Analysis
Technical Analysis of the TH Residence Renovation in East Sussex:
This article provides a technical analysis of the renovation of the 1960s TH Residence, serving as a case study in the rehabilitation of modernist architecture.
Renovation System and Architectural Composition:
The renovation system is based on converting a former garage and linking it to the original 1964 structure through the addition of a central angular glass element, forming a new L-shaped architectural composition. The area of this central glass extension is approximately 35 square meters.
Visual System and Functional Performance:
The visual and material system uses a palette inspired by the original architecture, maintaining a 100% visual connection with the garden. The design improves movement flow with a linking glass “spine” and relocates the kitchen to a naturally lit open zone, increasing natural light usage efficiency by up to 70%.
Related Insight: Please review this article to compare methodologies for preserving modern architecture:
Rehabilitation of Modern Architectural Heritage: Between Authenticity and Renewal
