Every contemporary home extension is unique, and while architects and homeowners often take great care to preserve existing greenery, sometimes removing a tree becomes unavoidable for safety or spatial reasons. Whilst Sitting Under a Tree by Turner Architects is a thoughtful rear extension designed to replace a large, precariously close backyard tree. The project transforms that lost shade into a carefully composed interior addition that houses a new kitchen, dining area and family room while maintaining a strong connection to the garden.
The extension’s defining feature is its sculpted wooden roof, a wavy canopy that filters sunlight and casts moving patterns of light and shadow across the interior—evoking the dappled shade one associates with sitting beneath a tree. This roof becomes both a practical shading element and a poetic reference to the tree that once occupied the site, allowing the homeowners to retain a sensory memory of that outdoor experience even after its removal.
Organized across multiple levels, the extension balances distinct activity zones while keeping a clear visual and material continuity. The kitchen sits at the back of the new volume and connects seamlessly to the original house through a continuous wooden floor. This unified flooring helps the new addition feel like an intentional extension of the existing home. The design embraces a modern wood-and-white color palette that keeps the interior calm, warm and contemporary.
The dining area sits one step down on a limestone-finished floor, creating a subtle separation in level that gives the space a sense of intimacy and grounding. Adjacent to the dining space, the family area provides relaxed seating and visually opens to the garden. Large glazed walls fold the interior outwards, creating a strong indoor-outdoor relationship and drawing the eye toward the stone-clad backyard.
Between the dining area and the family zone, a cleverly integrated wooden cabinet organizes several functions: it houses a fireplace, conceals a television, and provides discrete storage. This multifunctional unit keeps the plan compact and uncluttered, while reinforcing the warm timber aesthetic that runs through the extension. At the end of the family area, a built-in bench frames views of the garden, giving the homeowners a quiet spot from which to observe the outdoors at any time.
The custom wooden ceiling is designed to admit soft, filtered light throughout the day. By controlling direct sun and allowing changing daylight patterns to animate the interior, the ceiling enhances comfort and creates a lively atmosphere without compromising privacy. This approach carefully balances daylight, thermal comfort and visual character.
Overall, this extension demonstrates how careful design can turn a necessary landscape change into an opportunity to improve living conditions and spatial quality. The result is a warm, functional and visually engaging addition that honors the memory of the removed tree—translating its canopy into a crafted roof, its light into a moving interior atmosphere, and its presence into an expanded, day-lit home.
Project: Whilst Sitting Under a Tree — Turner Architects. Photography and project notes courtesy of Adam Scott.