Cambridge family home features private garden spa annex
Sun Slice House, designed by London architect Neil Dusheiko, is a relaxing suburban retreat

Edmund Sumner - Photography
Located in South Cambridge, this subtle yet luxurious home – the renovation and extension of an existing Victorian semi-detatched property – is the brainchild of London architect Neil Dusheiko. The project, named Sun Slice House, was conceived around a meticulously designed extension and includes the expanded living spaces, but also adds a rich garden and a chic private spa in a separate building within it.
The clients spend a considerable amount of time at their residence, as both adults work there permanently and their three children are home-schooled. It's a set up that works particularly well in these pandemic times, when more and more of us seek designs that encourage home-working arrangements.
‘We wanted the extension to feel like it was enveloping the existing home, creating a new layer around the older shell of the house so that they would read together,' says Dusheiko. ‘We also wanted to design the house from the inside out, where the form of the extension would be created by a combination of the solving environmental issues [solar and thermal] as well as dealing with the practicalities of everyday life from parents who work from home to home-schooling children.'
With that in mind, the architects worked closely with their clients to determine the best spatial expression for their needs. Creating a dedicated area for leisure and exercise was key, for example. Dusheiko and his team obliged and drafted a lush, green garden for ample outdoors space (featuring work by landscape designer Jane Brockbank), and created a brand new outbuilding at the back, to house a gym, sauna and spa area.
The minimalist spa annex acts as a ‘retreat' for the parents and offers a much needed breakout area when needed. Meanwhile, a large, open plan family room in the main house is a light-filled flexible space spanning sitting, dinning and kitchen. Timber and neutral colours create a calming and easily adaptable environment. Skylights and expansive glazing bathe the interiors in natural light.
The rear extension features slim, yellow hued, handcrafted Petersen Kolumba bricks, which lend texture and natural tone to the new structure, helping it blend harmoniously with the more natural surroundings of the garden.
INFORMATION
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).
-
Unlike the gloriously grotesque imagery in his films, Yorgos Lanthimos’ photographs are quietly beautiful
An exhibition at Webber Gallery in Los Angeles presents Yorgos Lanthimos’ photography
By Katie Tobin Published
-
Remembering architect David M Childs (1941-2025) and his New York skyline legacy
David M Childs, a former chairman of architectural powerhouse SOM, has passed away. We celebrate his professional achievements
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
At the Institute of Indology, a humble new addition makes all the difference
Continuing the late Balkrishna V Doshi’s legacy, Sangath studio design a new take on the toilet in Gujarat
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Are Derwent London's new lounges the future of workspace?
Property developer Derwent London’s new lounges – created for tenants of its offices – work harder to promote community and connection for their users
By Emily Wright Published
-
Showing off its gargoyles and curves, The Gradel Quadrangles opens in Oxford
The Gradel Quadrangles, designed by David Kohn Architects, brings a touch of playfulness to Oxford through a modern interpretation of historical architecture
By Shawn Adams Published
-
A Norfolk bungalow has been transformed through a deft sculptural remodelling
North Sea East Wood is the radical overhaul of a Norfolk bungalow, designed to open up the property to sea and garden views
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
A new concrete extension opens up this Stoke Newington house to its garden
Architects Bindloss Dawes' concrete extension has brought a considered material palette to this elegant Victorian family house
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
A former garage is transformed into a compact but multifunctional space
A multifunctional, compact house by Francesco Pierazzi is created through a unique spatial arrangement in the heart of the Surrey countryside
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
A 1960s North London townhouse deftly makes the transition to the 21st Century
Thanks to a sensitive redesign by Studio Hagen Hall, this midcentury gem in Hampstead is now a sustainable powerhouse.
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Manchester United and Foster + Partners to build a new stadium: ‘Arguably the largest public space in the world’
The football club will spend £2 billion on the ambitious project, which co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has described as the ‘world's greatest football stadium’
By Anna Solomon Published
-
'Bold and unapologetic', this contemporary Wimbledon home replaces a 1970s house on site
This grey-brick Wimbledon home by McLaren Excell is a pairing of brick and concrete, designed to be mysterious
By Tianna Williams Published