THE LOWDOWN ON... ADDING AN OUTRIGGER EXTENSION

DAVID ELAND, DIRECTOR AT OEB ARCHITECTS, TALKS US THROUGH PLANNING THIS CLEVER REAR ADDITION OTHERWISE KNOWN AS A POD ROOM

- RACHEL CHRISTIE

Lawford Road is a Passivhaus retrofit with a new pod room over the original Victorian outrigger. Project by OEB Architects

An outrigger is the smaller rear projection of a traditional Victorian house, often containing the kitchen on the ground floor and a bathroom and small bedroom on the first floor. Often, an outrigger loft extension is undertaken alongside a larger loft extension on the main roof as part of what is sometimes called an L-shaped loft extension, but it can also be added retrospectively. This new space is often turned into a spare bathroom, children's bedroom, office or dressing room as the size tends to be smaller than the main loft and the ceiling height is lower. An outrigger extension is a great way to add room to a property and increase its value. However, they do need to respond to a number of constraints. David lists those restrictions here, and shares his advice on what to look out for when planning a successful outrigger extension.