Making an office larger is only useful if the extra space supports the way people work. At Station Parade in Brent, Detailed Planning designed a first-floor rear extension alongside a reorganisation of the existing accommodation, combining open workspace with separate office and meeting areas.
Brent Council granted full planning permission for 28–28A Station Parade on 13 February 2026, under reference 25/3554. A subsequent non-material amendment, approved on 27 October 2026 under reference 26/2531, allows the rear first-floor finish to change from brickwork to pebble-dash render.
More workspace within a narrow building
The long, narrow plan is central to the design. The proposed first floor places an open-plan office towards the rear, with a separate office and meeting room at the front. Extending the rear gives the open workspace more room without requiring every activity to share one undivided space.
Glazed partitions help define the front rooms while maintaining a visual connection with the wider office. This gives meetings and focused work their own setting, with the larger rear area available for a more shared working arrangement. These relationships between room use, light and circulation form part of our architectural design services.
The ground-floor drawings also show an open-plan office, with a server area, kitchen and WCs grouped towards the back. Keeping those supporting functions together helps the main working area remain legible and straightforward to use.
Bringing light in while considering neighbours
Residential properties on Blenheim Gardens sit close to the rear and side of the commercial premises. The design therefore needs to balance useful office space with the relationship to neighbouring homes.
The first-floor extension projects approximately 5.4 metres and stops short of the deeper ground-floor accommodation. Its position is also set back from the adjoining first-floor extension. The proposal follows the existing side building line, keeping the addition tied to the shape of the original premises.
Rooflights bring daylight into different parts of the long first-floor plan. High-level obscure-glazed windows serve the rear, while the extension avoids new side-facing windows. This provides a way to introduce light without relying on direct views towards neighbouring properties.
Plans, elevations and sections explain these relationships together. Assessing the existing building and refining the proposal through coordinated drawings are key parts of our architectural process.
A modest change to the street frontage
Most of the additional accommodation sits behind the main frontage. At ground level, the proposal replaces a secondary front door with a full-height window, while retaining the principal entrance. The main building continues to read as part of the established commercial parade.
The roof design and raised side wall bring the rear addition into the existing building form. The drawings also address the internal staircase opening and its relationship with the first-floor workspace, so circulation is considered alongside the additional floor area.
Recording the agreed material finish
The later amendment concerns the rear first-floor material finish; it does not enlarge the approved extension. The current drawing sheet shows render in place of the previously approved rear brickwork, with the approved scale and massing retained.
This distinction matters when reviewing a project’s planning record. The original permission establishes the extension and associated alterations, while the later decision records the specific material change. Our planning consultancy service brings design development and the application process together.
If you are considering an office extension or alterations to commercial premises in Brent, arrange a call with Detailed Planning to discuss the building, its surroundings and how the space needs to work.
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