AOC's Forest House extension features natural materials that "invite the wild in"

Gillian Lambert and Geoff Shearcroft of architecture firm AOC used a palette of tactile materials and clashing colours to add personality to this extension that wraps around the side and rear of their Victorian house in north London.

Lambert and Shearcroft, who are directors of AOC, had lived in the Forest House in the borough of Waltham Forest for four years before finalising plans to renovate and extend the property to better suit the needs of their family.

Forest House is a north London Victorian home that was extended by AOC

The couple appreciated the intimacy of the semi-detached house's well-proportioned rooms but wanted to introduce a sense of joy and a connection to the time they spend in nearby Epping Forest.

A single-storey garage was removed to make room for the extension, which contains a series of connected living spaces that wrap around the side and rear of the house.

The extension houses living areas including a mezzanine studio

At the front of the house, the new addition features a palette of white bricks and red pre-cast concrete lintels that invert the appearance of the existing Victorian building.

The extension allows for a triple-height space at the heart of the home, which contains a mezzanine studio overlooking a garden room, with an attic room above.

The extension allowed for triple-height spaces

"The stacked floors of the wraparound extension support family life by providing different spatial characters for different uses within one shared space," the architects said.

The new living areas are designed to bring a sense of freedom to the home, with a rich palette of colours and materials contributing to the property's playful character.

[

Read:

The Green community centre by AOC features herringbone-patterned brickwork

](https://www.dezeen.com/2016/02/13/the-green-community-centre-aoc-architecture-london-herringbone/)

Existing bomb-damaged brick walls and exposed blockwork create an external feel inside the main space.

Natural colours, including blue-painted steel and green joinery, emphasise the connection with the garden, forest and sky, which are visible through large openings.

The influence of the forest informed the height of the room and the placement of windows around the space, which ensures light enters from different directions.

Large square windows frame views out to the garden

Wood is used throughout the project in the form of Douglas fir, spruce ply and cork bark. Lengths of hazel are woven to form an unusual natural cladding solution for the rear extension.

"The rear of the house, with long views over neighbouring gardens to the forest, is clad in woven hazel, its provisional nature seeming to invite the wild in," the architects added.

"A concrete plinth, cast against the cladding to extend its texture, provides a robust base and bench."

Different textural materials were used throughout the extension

The living space is dominated by a stacked, totem-like structure comprising the fridge, wine rack and a curved balustrade lining the mezzanine.

According to Lambert and Shearcroft, this expressive element creates "a distinct, benign figure around which the family's life evolves."

The project features on the shortlist for the Don't Move, Improve! 2022 awards, which was won by London studio Archmongers for its "playful refurbishment" of a home on Dulwich Estate.

The rear of the extension was wrapped in wood

AOC has its office in east London and is headed by Lambert, Shearcroft and fellow director, Tom Coward. The architects describe themselves as "agents of change", with a mission to create "designs that are useful valuable and joyful."

The studio has previously completed a community centre in south London clad in herringbone-patterned brickwork and an interactive gallery space at London's Wellcome Collection museum featuring a grand stairway lined with cushions.

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Little Brownings by Archmongers Architects named London's best house extension

London studio Archmongers' "practical and playful" refurbishment of a home on Dulwich Estate was named the winner of the 2022 Don't Move, Improve! competition.

Little Brownings was named the overall winner of this year's Don't Move, Improve! – an annual award organised by New London Architecture (NLA) that highlights and celebrates innovative home improvement and extensions across London.

Little Brownings by Archmongers was named the winner of 2022's Don't Move, Improve!

The project saw Archmongers overhaul a dated 1960s terraced home in Forest Hill's Dulwich Estate to create a contemporary space that retained its mid-century characteristics.

It completed a full refurbishment and added a front extension to the three-storey structure.

Archmongers renovated and extended a 1960s terraced home

The studio converted a dated lean-to, with a roof lined with corrugated plastic, at the front of the home into a bright and open plan kitchen.

Glass panelling was incorporated throughout the home in order to maximise the look of the home without hindering light.

The front extension contains a kitchen

"The durability of our concept and materials demonstrates our approach to sustainability and placemaking," said Archmongers Architects partner Johan Hybschmann.

"These values have underpinned our work on Little Brownings, which sits within the renowned Dulwich Estate," he continued.

"Our design instills a freshness to the estate, but is driven by a sensitivity to its original vision, the context of each space, and the people that occupy it."

The home's material usage and now practical, playful and contemporary design is what led it to be selected as this year's winner by the jury.

"This overall winner strikes the balance between practical and playful with contemporary touches such as clay worktops in the kitchen and a secret study on the landing," said jury member and journalist Anna White.

[

Read:

15 London home renovations shortlisted for Don't Move, Improve! 2022

](https://www.dezeen.com/2022/03/02/dont-move-improve-2022-shortlist/)

"This felt like the house we can all imagine ourselves in and the improvements we could all do if only we had the right designers! – the embodiment of Don't Move Improve," said Whitby Wood's founder and director Sebastian Wood.

Alongside White and Wood, the panel included property expert Kunle Barker and Coffey Architects director, Phil Coffey.

Don't Move, Improve! is an annual competition, open to home improvement projects that were completed in the last two years across any of London's boroughs.

The home is a three-storey structure

Little Brownings was shortlisted among 15 other projects, which were revealed on 2 March.

An additional five other projects shortlisted were also recognised in the awards spanning prize categories such as Unique Character Prize, Urban Oasis Prize and Compact Design Prize.

The studio used glass panelling throughout

Concrete Plinth House by DGN Studio was awarded the Materiality and Craftsmanship Prize. The Victorian terrace was renovated and extended by DGN who introduced a sunken concrete floor across its rear ground level.

In 2021, Studio Ben Allen's The House Recast took the competition's title of house of the year which was branded "rich and interesting" by the judging panel. Proctor & Shaw won the 2020 competition for its Soffit House extension.

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Architecture for London uses stone to give house extension "a sense of permanence"

Architecture for London has used a palette of stone, concrete and wood to create this monolithic rear extension to a house in Islington, which features a small arched entrance for the owner's cat.

Aptly named Stone House, the extension was designed by Clerkenwell-based studio Architecture for London for a family who wanted to expand the living spaces of their Grade II listed home while retaining its existing character.

Architecture for London has extended a house in Islington

"The clients considered themselves custodians of the building, with the responsibility of restoring the dilapidated interior and structure," architect Alastair Selven told Dezeen.

"The lower-ground-floor interior was dark and cellular with a poor outlook onto the garden so the clients wanted to open up this space to provide a new core for family life."

The London house extension uses a palette of stone, concrete and wood

Architecture for London designed the rear extension as a stone pavilion that houses an informal dining room connected to a terrace, along with a flexible space used primarily as a yoga room.

The building's heritage listing meant that original openings on the lower ground floor had to be retained in order to receive planning permission for the new addition.

Large oak-framed windows are set into the elevation

A sash window on the original rear elevation now divides the kitchen and extension. This prompted the architects to develop the new addition as a space between indoors and outdoors, built predominantly from stone.

The main structure of the Stone House extension is constructed using locally sourced limestone, chosen for its low embodied energy.

There is an arched entrance for the owner's cat

"We wanted the extension to have a sense of permanence while appearing clearly distinct from the historic fabric of the original building," Selven said.

"The rhythm of the facade follows the fenestration pattern of the original building, providing long views from the interior."

The large windows create a strong connection to the terrace outside

An oversized concrete header creates a monolithic structural element above the opening to the extension. Its honed surface reveals pieces of limestone aggregate quarried in Derbyshire.

Oak-framed windows set into the elevation create a strong connection with the outdoor spaces. A 1.8-metre-wide pivot door can be opened to allow activity in the dining area to spill out onto the terrace.

A four-metre-long island features in the kitchen

Stone House's rear terrace, which was previously a lightwell, was extended to create a generous sunken space for socialising. Curved benches wrap the perimeter and are positioned to follow the sun's path throughout the day.

Both the tiered terrace and low plinth of the extension are built from an agglomerate stone made from recycled waste from a quarry in Lombardy, Italy.

[

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Alexander Owen Architecture wraps London house extension in two types of marble

](https://www.dezeen.com/2021/02/22/alexander-owen-architecture-hansler-road-marble-extension/)

As the plinth transitions from outside to inside, its surface changes from bush-hammered to a smooth finish. Arched openings on either side of the elevation create a passageway for a cat.

Internally, a limestone wall separates the dining room from the smaller wood-panelled yoga space. This space is topped with a skylight inspired by artist James Turrell's skyscape installations.

Architecture for London updated the home's interior as part of the project

Existing spaces on the lower ground floor were opened up to create a large kitchen centred around a four-metre-long island.

As part of the project, Architecture for London also updated the rest of the Stone House with a palette of mostly natural materials including timber joinery and stone surfaces.

The bathrooms combine limestone, concrete and dark natural plaster that complement the extension.

The bathrooms combine limestone, concrete and dark natural plaster

Architecture for London was founded in 2009 by architect Ben Ridley.

The studio's previous work in the British capital includes the renovation of Ridley's own energy-saving home as well as a light-filled London extension featuring reflective stainless steel and polished concrete surfaces.

The photography is byBuilding Narratives.

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VATRAA transforms "introverted" artist's studio into light-filled London home

Architecture studio VATRAA has converted a former artist's studio in west London into a house featuring a six-metre-high lightwell that allows daylight to reach a new basement level.

London and Bucharest-based VATRAA was tasked with converting and expanding the 67-square-metre studio in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea into a bright four-bedroom home.

VATRAA has converted a former artist's studio into a house

The existing building, which is hemmed in on all sides, comprised an open ground floor and a mezzanine positioned beneath a partially glazed roof.

Its dense urban context required an innovative solution to increase the floor area while introducing natural light throughout the spaces.

Capturing natural light was key to the transformation

"The main challenge was to add four bedrooms to a space that had no windows, being surrounded by neighbours on all four sides," explained VATRAA.

"Capturing natural light within an introverted development became the main theme of the project."

Glass walls help light to filter through

The studio's interior was reconfigured and the building was extended four metres below ground to create 77 square metres of additional floor space.

A lightwell brings natural light to the lowered ground floor and a new basement level, while daylight entering through the glazed roof reaches the rooms below via a stairwell and openings in the floor slabs.

There is a study lit by a skylight

Bedrooms are accommodated in the secluded basement, while the ground level houses an entrance lobby, meditation room and study. The main living areas are located on the bright and airy first floor.

The various functional zones are distributed across the home's three floors, with different uses of light and materials helping to lend each space a unique character.

A steel staircase links the three floors of the house

"By turning constraints into opportunities, we transformed an open-space studio into a journey of atmospheres, developed on contrasts such as dark-light, warm-cold, or intimate-open," the studio explained.

"Inspired by the clients' interest in spirituality and meditation, we explored the spiritual quality of space through views, light and materials orchestrated in a simple, calm composition."

The slender stairwell also helps filter light to the basement

The basement, which is the most intimate area of the house, contains two bedrooms and a bathroom arranged around the lightwell.

Full-height openings with minimal wooden frames connect the rooms with an outdoor space, where there is a pebble-covered garden and carefully positioned planting.

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VATRAA adds pink plaster walls in south London council house renovation

](https://www.dezeen.com/2021/05/26/vatraa-council-house-renovation-london-uk-architecture/)

The semi-private ground floor spaces receive natural light from the lightwell and from the floor above. The study, meditation space and shower room are also configured to look onto the lightwell.

A new stair with a rooflight above connects the three levels. The stair is made of slender eight-millimetre-thick steel to help minimise disruption to the flow of light.

There is also a six-metre-high lightwell

In the study, a glass wall provides a connection to the stairwell, while another skylight illuminates the room from above.

The open-plan first-floor living area contains a kitchen, dining area and lounge set beneath the pitched roof. Planning constraints required half of the glazed roof to be covered for privacy reasons.

The bedrooms are contained in the secluded basement

Internal finishes are designed to optimise the flow of daylight, while the furniture and fittings were specified to create a sense of cohesion throughout the home.

The architects also worked with the clients to develop 20 freestanding furniture items. Custom made from solid oak and stainless steel, these are intended to complement the house's raw surfaces including the concrete floor, plaster walls and timber ceilings.

There is a small outdoor area lined with pebbles

VATRAA was founded in 2018 by architects Anamaria Pircu and Bogdan Rusu. Its work on the studio conversion has seen it shortlisted for this year's Don't Move, Improve! competition.

The studio recently picked up an award for an extension to a council house in London featuring pink plaster walls, and also designed a brick-clad extension to a Victorian house featuring a circular blue window.

The photography is by VATRAA.

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Simon Gill Architects "juxtaposes a house for the living beside a home for the dead"

London studio Simon Gill Architects has extended and renovated a Victorian lodge in Fulham cemetery to create a house with a subterranean pool, courtyard gardens and lightwells.

Aptly named The Lodge, the luxury residence was created for an army veteran who had once lived opposite the cemetery and wanted to use the existing building to create an atypical home.

Simon Gill Architects has extended a cemetery lodge in London

The lodge, known officially as the Fulham Cemetery Lodge, was built in 1865 alongside a chapel, gatehouse and public toilets and had fallen into disrepair.

When the opportunity to refurbish the structure presented itself, the owner "leapt at the chance to purchase it and turn it into an unusual home", Simon Gill Architects explained.

It has been extended with a stone-clad addition

"The original urban composition has been repaired and enhanced, developing an architectural language that allows old and new to give meaning to each other," reflected the studio.

"The retained lodge, now dramatically refurbished and extended, juxtaposes a house for the living beside a home for the dead."

The home is surrounded by courtyards

A key driver behind Simon Gill Architects' design was to ensure the new elements of The Lodge were subordinate to the building's original Victorian architecture.

The extension is largely positioned underground, reading as a single-storey structure from the outside, and features stone cladding that ties in with the original materiality.

One of the gardens features a moat

However, positioning the extension underground came with its challenges.

"We had to contend with the sensitivity of the site on the edge of a cemetery, and excavations of course had to be undertaken extremely carefully to avoid disturbing any remains or any damage to the lodge," the studio's founder Simon Gill told Dezeen.

The extension is designed to complement the original building

Another key goal of Simon Gill Architects' design was to maximise natural light without compromising the owner's privacy on the site, which is overlooked by a busy road and the cemetery.

To achieve this, its floor plan is positioned in between courtyards and primarily illuminated by lightwells, meaning its back is turned to onlookers.

A roof light projects a "ghost window" in the stairwell

Externally, The Lodge house extension is clad in Bath stone, a type of limestone chosen to visually match the rough Purbeck stone facades of the original building.

"The starting point was the robust stone materiality of the Victorian Lodge building," Gill explained.

The courtyards are designed to give privacy to the home

"The smooth dressed Bath stone of the extension echoes the dressed Bath stone detailing of the original building, and also contrasts with its rough Purbeck stone facades," Gill added.

Other elements of the original building are also referenced throughout the new structure, including pointed arches that are referenced in the form of the skylights.

The interiors are intended to be visually simple

Inside, the home's bedrooms and bathrooms are contained within the original lodge building while the shared living areas are positioned within the extension.

The dwelling also features a large basement that houses guest accommodation, a media room and utility spaces.

[

Read:

Craftworks inserts home with faceted modern gothic roof into abandoned chapel

](https://www.dezeen.com/2019/01/24/craftworks-chapel-house-conversion-architecture/)

There is also a subterranean swimming pool finished with dark materials and dramatic lighting from a large lightwell overhead.

Other unexpected elements of the design include a secret door and a "ghost window" that appears in the stairwell when that sunlight seeps through one of the roof lights.

Brickwork is exposed internally

Old and new elements of the home are visually linked by "a series of carefully arranged enfilades", such as one from the dining room that looks out to the lodge's original hallway and front door.

The interior finishes, which are intended to be visually simple yet complementary to the exterior, also help unify the spaces.

There is a subterranean swimming pool

To avoid the use of "swathes of white plasterboard" inside, the studio made use of exposed brick walls, smooth new stonework and timber panelling.

"We wanted to achieve a coherent interior that would work with the architecture of both the original lodge and its extension," Gill explained.

"The interior design is relatively simple, in order to allow the internal spaces to flow easily into each other."

Stone also features throughout the interior

The dwelling is complete with an extensive landscape design that varies throughout the scheme.

This includes a formal courtyard garden with a moat, as well as an informal side garden and wildflower roof.

The bathrooms feature alongside the bedrooms in the original lodge

"I'm pleased that we left what was originally a brownfield site with more greenery than it had before, and new habitats alongside those within the cemetery," Gill concluded.

Another house overlooking a cemetery in London is House on Swain's Lane. Designed by Eldridge Smerin, the home features a glazed facade that looks out to Highgate Cemetery. It uses the footprint of a building by architect John Winter that previously occupied the site.

The photography is byJames Brittain.

Project credits:

Architect: Simon Gill Architects
Client: Justin Maxwell-Stuart
Engineer: Green Structural engineering
QS: Stephen Ferne Associates
Services engineer: Will Potter Partnership
Basement contractor: Five Star basements
Superstructure: New Wave London
Pool: Penguin Swimming Pools
Approved building control inspector: Stroma Building Control
Planning consultant: Jonathan Planning Solutions
A/V: Atlantis AV Solutions
Lighting consultant: Light House Designs

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Simon Gill Architects "juxtaposes a house for the living beside a home for the dead"

London studio Simon Gill Architects has extended and renovated a Victorian lodge in Fulham cemetery to create a house with a subterranean pool, courtyard gardens and lightwells.

Aptly named The Lodge, the luxury residence was created for an army veteran who had once lived opposite the cemetery and wanted to use the existing building to create an atypical home.

Simon Gill Architects has extended a cemetery lodge in London

The lodge, known officially as the Fulham Cemetery Lodge, was built in 1865 alongside a chapel, gatehouse and public toilets and had fallen into disrepair.

When the opportunity to refurbish the structure presented itself, the owner "leapt at the chance to purchase it and turn it into an unusual home", Simon Gill Architects explained.

It has been extended with a stone-clad addition

"The original urban composition has been repaired and enhanced, developing an architectural language that allows old and new to give meaning to each other," reflected the studio.

"The retained lodge, now dramatically refurbished and extended, juxtaposes a house for the living beside a home for the dead."

The home is surrounded by courtyards

A key driver behind Simon Gill Architects' design was to ensure the new elements of The Lodge were subordinate to the building's original Victorian architecture.

The extension is largely positioned underground, reading as a single-storey structure from the outside, and features stone cladding that ties in with the original materiality.

One of the gardens features a moat

However, positioning the extension underground came with its challenges.

"We had to contend with the sensitivity of the site on the edge of a cemetery, and excavations of course had to be undertaken extremely carefully to avoid disturbing any remains or any damage to the lodge," the studio's founder Simon Gill told Dezeen.

The extension is designed to complement the original building

Another key goal of Simon Gill Architects' design was to maximise natural light without compromising the owner's privacy on the site, which is overlooked by a busy road and the cemetery.

To achieve this, its floor plan is positioned in between courtyards and primarily illuminated by lightwells, meaning its back is turned to onlookers.

A roof light projects a "ghost window" in the stairwell

Externally, The Lodge house extension is clad in Bath stone, a type of limestone chosen to visually match the rough Purbeck stone facades of the original building.

"The starting point was the robust stone materiality of the Victorian Lodge building," Gill explained.

The courtyards are designed to give privacy to the home

"The smooth dressed Bath stone of the extension echoes the dressed Bath stone detailing of the original building, and also contrasts with its rough Purbeck stone facades," Gill added.

Other elements of the original building are also referenced throughout the new structure, including pointed arches that are referenced in the form of the skylights.

The interiors are intended to be visually simple

Inside, the home's bedrooms and bathrooms are contained within the original lodge building while the shared living areas are positioned within the extension.

The dwelling also features a large basement that houses guest accommodation, a media room and utility spaces.

[

Read:

Craftworks inserts home with faceted modern gothic roof into abandoned chapel

](https://www.dezeen.com/2019/01/24/craftworks-chapel-house-conversion-architecture/)

There is also a subterranean swimming pool finished with dark materials and dramatic lighting from a large lightwell overhead.

Other unexpected elements of the design include a secret door and a "ghost window" that appears in the stairwell when that sunlight seeps through one of the roof lights.

Brickwork is exposed internally

Old and new elements of the home are visually linked by "a series of carefully arranged enfilades", such as one from the dining room that looks out to the lodge's original hallway and front door.

The interior finishes, which are intended to be visually simple yet complementary to the exterior, also help unify the spaces.

There is a subterranean swimming pool

To avoid the use of "swathes of white plasterboard" inside, the studio made use of exposed brick walls, smooth new stonework and timber panelling.

"We wanted to achieve a coherent interior that would work with the architecture of both the original lodge and its extension," Gill explained.

"The interior design is relatively simple, in order to allow the internal spaces to flow easily into each other."

Stone also features throughout the interior

The dwelling is complete with an extensive landscape design that varies throughout the scheme.

This includes a formal courtyard garden with a moat, as well as an informal side garden and wildflower roof.

The bathrooms feature alongside the bedrooms in the original lodge

"I'm pleased that we left what was originally a brownfield site with more greenery than it had before, and new habitats alongside those within the cemetery," Gill concluded.

Another house overlooking a cemetery in London is House on Swain's Lane. Designed by Eldridge Smerin, the home features a glazed facade that looks out to Highgate Cemetery. It uses the footprint of a building by architect John Winter that previously occupied the site.

The photography is byJames Brittain.

Project credits:

Architect: Simon Gill Architects
Client: Justin Maxwell-Stuart
Engineer: Green Structural engineering
QS: Stephen Ferne Associates
Services engineer: Will Potter Partnership
Basement contractor: Five Star basements
Superstructure: New Wave London
Pool: Penguin Swimming Pools
Approved building control inspector: Stroma Building Control
Planning consultant: Jonathan Planning Solutions
A/V: Atlantis AV Solutions
Lighting consultant: Light House Designs

The post Simon Gill Architects "juxtaposes a house for the living beside a home for the dead" appeared first on Dezeen.

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Nimtim Architects updates London house with plywood partitions and arch motifs

London studio Nimtim Architects has redefined the interior of a 1920s house in Southwark using multifunctional partitions that are built from plywood joinery and feature a repeating arch motif.

The renovation, named Curve Appeal, was carried out by Nimtim Architects to modernise the semi-detached house near Peckham Rye park and create practical, playful living spaces for the family who owns it.

Nimtim Architects has updated a 1920s house in London

Working within the restrictions of an existing bolt-on extension, the architects developed a series of interventions based on a brief calling for improved connectivity, daylight and legibility of spaces.

"The footprint of the property has not changed – it's all about the use of the space," said Nimtim Architects, which is shortlisted for this year's Don't Move, Improve awards for the project.

Plywood partitions have been used to redefine its interior

Existing spaces on the ground floor were stripped back and opened up to improve their usability. Refurbishing the existing generic extension also helped to limit waste and save on energy and costs.

A more compact but coherent entrance hall was created by inserting new walls that enclose a utility room and bathroom. This connects the lounge at the front of the house to the reconfigured living, kitchen and dining area to the rear.

The joinery features arch motifs

Unifying all of these spaces are the new joinery elements, which function as partitions and incorporate various services and functions to free up floor space elsewhere.

The joinery also conceals structural elements and sliding doors, while glazed openings provide a visual connection between spaces on either side.

Sliding doors and windows are built into the partitions

A curved motif, which informed the project's name, is repeated across the windows, doors and alcoves built into the joinery.

"Overall there is a sense of expanding space, supported by large sliding doors that provide a line of sight between different areas," the studio said. "This theme is continued with the use of glass panels within the carpentry walls."

[

Read:

Cork walls and pink window frames characterise London house extension by Nimtim Architects

](https://www.dezeen.com/2019/04/02/cork-house-nimtim-architects-london-house-extension/)

The wooden surfaces also feature built-in storage for books and crockery, along with space for displaying valued family objects. A craft area with a fold-out semi-circular table is positioned within the living area.

A limited material palette comprising handmade terracotta floor tiles, laminated countertops and sustainably sourced plywood helped to keep the project's cost down and reduce its environmental impact.

The living area has a fold-out semi-circular table

Nimtim Architects was founded in London by architects Nimi Attanayake and Tim O'Callaghan in 2014.

The studio's playful approach has been applied to several other residential projects in London, including a cork-clad extension with contrasting pink windows and another extension featuring red-brick walls and an exposed timber structure.

The photography is byMegan Taylor.

Project credits:

Architects: Nimtim Architects
Structural engineers: QED Structures
Main contractor: TW Space Conversions

The post Nimtim Architects updates London house with plywood partitions and arch motifs appeared first on Dezeen.

#all #architecture #residential #instagram #london #plywood #uk #england #houses #renovations #britishhouses #londonhouses #nimtimarchitects

Dezeen Debate newsletter features London's best home renovations

The latest edition of Dezeen Debate features the 15 home shortlisted for the 2022 edition of Don't Move, Improve!

A converted artist's studio and a pastel-hued extension with Romanesque arches are among the projects vying to be named London's best home renovation in this year's Don't Move, Improve! competition.

Organised by New London Architecture (NLA), the contest celebrates the "most innovative home improvement projects" in the capital.

Commenters are impressed. One said, "Great works. I am inspired".

Women make up just one in five top positions at biggest architecture firms despite "huge jump"

Other stories in this week's newsletter include research conducted by Dezeen to mark International Women's Day, a story about a vulva-shaped spaceship concept, and BIG's design for its first building in the metaverse.

Dezeen Debate

_Dezeen Debate is a curated newsletter sent every Thursday containing highlights from Dezeen. _Read the latest edition of Dezeen Debate .

_You can alsosubscribe to Dezeen Agenda, which is sent every Tuesday and contains a selection of the most important news highlights from the week, as well as _Dezeen Daily , our daily bulletin that contains every story published in the preceding 24 hours and Dezeen.

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Macdonald Wright Architects creates low-energy home in London as "scalable prototype"

London studio Macdonald Wright Architects has created the low-energy and heavily insulated Library House on an infill plot in Hackney.

Designed as a rental property for studio founder James Macdonald Wright, the two-storey home was built on a four-metre-wide plot, which was previously used as a junkyard, adjacent to the listed Clapton Library.

Macdonald Wright Architects has created a house on an infill plot in Hackney

The aim of the project was to demonstrate how an affordable, low-energy house could be created using simple yet robust materials.

Macdonald Wright Architects wanted to use the opportunity to study the energy performance of the home, which has the same footprint as "the average UK dwelling", to inform its future projects.

The dwelling is heavily insulated and low energy

Working with certified Passivhaus designer Conker Conservation, the studio created Library House to meet the Association for Environment Conscious Building (AECB) standard.

The standard focuses on using simple techniques and technologies to reduce the operational carbon dioxide emissions of a building by 70 per cent when compared to the average UK structure of the same size and typology.

The material palette was chosen to be simple yet robust

"We selected the AECB route over Passivhaus because it offered a more practical and affordable route to achieving excellent performance," the studio's founder told Dezeen.

"The AECB Building Standard is aimed at those wishing to create high-performance buildings using widely available technology," Macdonald Wright explained.

Douglas fir and spruce detailing features throughout

This standard was met by creating a heavily insulated external envelope for the dwelling, teamed with a Passivhaus-rated front door and triple glazed windows and roof lights.

To retain heat, the house also makes use of mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR). It achieves an airtightness of 1.3 ACH@50Pa, which is significantly less than UK building regulations that require airtightness of 10 ACH@50Pa or less. This refers to the number of air changes per hour at a pressure difference of 50 pascals.

All the windows are triple glazed

The dwelling is complete with an electric boiler for top-up heating and a photovoltaic array, from which surplus electricity is supplied to the national grid.

Since completion, the house has been occupied by private tenants. However, the electricity bill has been monitored and paid for by Macdonald Wright Architects.

The studio has calculated that the "operational energy for heating the house is a tenth of the requirement of a new build house under current building standards".

Blue Lias stone is used as flooring

Visually, the Library House is designed to mirror the proportions, styles and details of the neighbouring red brick library and a row of white cottages.

Lime-pointed white brickwork is teamed with a russet-hued Corten steel panel outside, which incorporates the front door and perforated solar shading for the first floor.

The russet-hued front door is Passivhaus-rated

Materials used throughout Library House were selected to minimise the need for maintenance and reduce the embodied-carbon footprint of the dwelling.

This includes the use of Porotherm clay block party walls and timber structure, along with internal finishes such as Blue Lias stone flooring sourced and sustainably sourced douglas fir and spruce detailing.

[

Read:

Architecture for London uses natural materials to renovate studio founder's home

](https://www.dezeen.com/2022/01/31/low-energy-house-interiors-minimal-london/)

Internally, walls are predominantly finished in a parge coat, trowelled over the Porotherm clay blockwork for a textured finish that also contributes to the home's high airtightness.

Macdonald Wright Architects hopes that the Library House will become a "scalable prototype" and inform its future projects at various scales.

Porotherm clay blocks are used on party walls

"Each project we complete informs the next," Macdonald Wright explained. "The use of Porotherm block and Larsen Truss has helped us develop techniques of external envelope construction we are now developing in larger scale designs."

"By focusing on the build quality, airtightness and thermal performance of the external envelope construction we can reduce the overall cost of building to higher levels of sustainability," he continued.

Corten steel functions as solar shading

Another recently completed low-energy house on Dezeen is the Devon Passivhaus, which McLean Quinlan nestled into a sloped walled garden of an old English country house.

The building's envelope performs to the highly energy-efficient Passivhaus standard, achieved using substantial amounts of insulation and triple glazing throughout.

Rooflights feature throughout the house

Macdonald Wright founded his eponymous studio in east London in 2005. Another notable project by the studio is the Caring Wood country house in Kent, which won the 2017 RIBA House of the Year.

Designed in collaboration with architect Niall Maxwell, the dwelling is topped with chimney-like roofs and provides a residence for three generations of the same family.

The photography is byHeiko Prigge.

Project credits:

Architect: Macdonald Wright Architects
Structural engineer: Osbourne Edwards
Sustainability consultant: Conker Conservation
Quantity surveyor: GQS Services.
Contractor: Daneco Build
Groundworks: Hauge Construction

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#all #architecture #residential #london #houses #lowenergydesign #londonhouses #sustainablearchitecture

15 London home renovations shortlisted for Don't Move, Improve! 2022

A pastel-hued extension with Romanesque arches and a converted artist's studio are among the projects vying to be named London's best home renovation in this year's Don't Move, Improve! competition.

A total of 15 dwellings are shortlisted for the 2022 edition of Don't Move, Improve!, an annual contest held by independent organisation New London Architecture (NLA) to celebrate the "most innovative home improvement projects" in the capital.

Other projects in the running include the Concrete Plinth House by DGN Studio and a 1920s semi-detached residence that Nimtim Architects has remodelled with playful joinery.

An apartment with a translucent sleeping pod and a Victorian loft extension by the award's previous winner Proctor & Shaw have also been shortlisted.

Don't Move, Improve! is open to home renovations or extensions in London's 33 boroughs that have reached completion in the last two years.

This year's shortlist was selected from over 200 entries by a jury chaired by NLA's director Amy Chadwick Till and including Phil Coffey, the director of Coffey Architects, Sebastian Wood, director of Whitby Wood, journalist Anna White and property expert Kunle Barker.

[

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The House Recast by Studio Ben Allen wins Don't Move, Improve! 2021

](https://www.dezeen.com/2021/05/27/the-house-recast-studio-ben-allen-dont-move-improve-2021/)

According to the panel, this year saw a number of entries with indoor-outdoor living spaces, as well as ones that make use of wood and natural materials. The presence of statement ceilings, colourful structures and bold shapes was another key trend.

"This year's submissions delighted our jury with innovative approaches to structure, layout, materials and colour," reflected Chadwick Till.

"Don't Move, Improve! aims to encourage great domestic-scale design across the city, so we are really pleased to have another shortlist that showcases a wide range of budgets, building styles, locations and home-owner needs."

The winner of this year's competition will be announced in May 2022. Alongside the overall prize for the best new home improvement, there will be five special awards for the best compact design, urban oasis, materiality and craftsmanship, unique character and transformation.

Previous overall winners of Don't Move, Improve! include The House Recast by Studio Ben Allen, a "beautifully understated" rear extension by Proctor & Shaw and a dwelling in the shell of a derelict chapel.

Here's the full Don't Move, Improve! 2022 shortlist:

Photo is by Adam Scott

A Tuscan Veranda by Turner Architects

Little Brownings by Archmongers Architects

Non Boxy Lofty by Fraher & Findlay

Photo is by Billy Bolton

Pergola House by Benjamin Wilkes

Photo is by Adelina Iliev

Transitions by Red Squirrel Architects

Photo is by Nick Deardon

Coffered House by Proctor & Shaw

Photo is by Megan Taylor

Curve Appeal by Nimtim Architects

Photo is by VATRAA

Artist Studio Conversion by VATRAA

Photo is by Ståle Eriksen

Pink House by Oliver Leech Architects

Photo is by Jim Stephenson

Bay Window House by Gundry + Ducker

Photo is by Building Narratives

Concrete Plinth House by DGN Studio

Photo is by Tim Soar

Church Road by Ruffarchitects

Photo is by Ståle Eriksen

Shoji Apartment by Proctor & Shaw

Photo is by Andy Stagg

Slide and Slot House by Ashton Porter Architects

Photo is by David Grandorge

Forest House by AOC

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#all #architecture #residential #news #london #extensions #renovations #residentialextensions #britishhouses #londonhouses #londonhouseextensions

Erbar Mattes strips back and extends flats in former London pub

London studio Erbar Mattes has transformed a pair of apartments in a former pub in Hoxton into a duplex flat by adding a "monastic" grey-brown brick extension.

The old pub, called the Blockmakers Arms, is located in the Regent's Canal conservation area and dates back to the mid-19th century. It was converted into three flats in the 1970s.

Erbar Mattes has extended a pair of apartments in a former London pub

The owners of the ground floor flat sought extra space for their growing family and acquired the vacant first-floor dwelling with a view to creating a five-bedroom duplex.

Erbar Mattes' approach involved stripping away previous extensions that detracted from the pub's original structure and replacing an external staircase with an elevated walkway and brick loggia informed by monastery cloisters.

The extension incorporates a loggia

"One of the main challenges consisted of creating a larger dwelling while retaining separate access to the independent apartment on the top floor," explained the studio.

"To overcome this, the external circulation is relocated to the side elevation and a new raised walkway added to the rear."

The extension has transformed two flats into a duplex

"The loggia, with its solid brick piers, draws inspiration from monastic architecture, where cloisters form a sheltered transition space between inside and outside," Erbar Mattes continued.

Replacing redundant vehicular access, this new arrangement strengthens the building's relationship with a walled courtyard at the rear, which is now overlooked by the loggia and a new brick volume.

External circulation has been added to the side of the building

"The new rectilinear building volumes wrap around the side and rear elevations without detracting from the ornate front facade," said the studio.

Internally, the existing structure was reconfigured to better suit its expanded size, with plasterboard ceilings and finishes stripped back to restore the original ceiling heights and wooden panelling.

[

Read:

Sam Jacob to convert former London pub into house and nursery

](https://www.dezeen.com/2016/04/19/sam-jacob-former-pub-conversion-house-nursery-hoxton-street-london-postmodern/)

A former function room on the first floor has been repurposed to create a large main bedroom, which has access to a roof terrace on the first floor above the original entrance to the pub.

The new volumes contain a staircase which overlooks the nearby trees through a large window, as well as two further bedrooms and a bathroom.

Original details of the pub have been restored internally. Photo is by Ståle Eriksen

During the project, Erbar Mattes was also commissioned to convert the interiors of the independent second-floor apartment, which involved a similar approach of stripping back recent additions to reveal the original interior features.

The internal staircase looks out over nearby trees. Photo is by Ståle Eriksen

Erbar Mattes was founded in 2015 by Holger Mattes and Demian Erbar, who previously worked for David Chipperfield Architects.

The studio also recently extended an Edwardian house in London's Crouch End, where a bright living area built in pale brick overlooks a garden.

The photography is by Simon Menges unless stated. Ståle Eriksen

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Neil Dusheiko transforms London fashion showroom into light-filled home

Architect Neil Dusheiko has converted a showroom in west London into a bright, contemporary residence designed to meet the changing needs of its elderly owners.

Nicknamed Danish Mews House for its minimalist Scandinavian furnishings, the home is tucked away in a quiet mews lane in the Lancaster Gate area.

The mews house was once a showroom for the owner's fashion company

Although in recent years the current owners repurposed the building as a showroom and warehouse for their clothing company, it was originally built as a Georgian coach house for storing horse-drawn carriages.

Dusheiko's primary concerns when converting the property into a home were bringing in more light, as well as making sure that the interior could support its inhabitants as they grow older.

The main kitchen and sitting room are on the first floor

For this purpose, the house was fitted with a guest bedroom, kitchenette and toilet on the ground floor, which could ultimately be used by the inhabitants themselves in case their mobility becomes restricted.

A lift was installed to provide easy access to the upper floors of the house, which can also be reached via a central staircase.

Glazing in the stairwell brings light into the living spaces

In the stairwell, a newly installed skylight and a wall of gridded glazing on the first-floor landing allow sunlight to seep into the interior.

Behind the glass partition lies a sitting room and a kitchen with oatmeal-coloured cabinetry as well as a small dining area.

Light leaks in from a skylight at the top of the stairwell. Photo by Rachael Smith

Both here and throughout the rest of the home, several of the furnishings were sourced from well-known Danish design brands including Carl Hansen, Louis Poulsen and Montana.

The second floor is illuminated by six new dormer windows and accommodates another two bedrooms plus their respective en-suite bathrooms.

[

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Neil Dusheiko creates home for his father-in-law featuring a wall of ceramics and glassware

](https://www.dezeen.com/2016/11/27/gallery-house-stoke-newington-neil-dusheiko-architects-london-extension/)

The principal bedroom is largely clad in wood, save for a section on the rear wall that is finished in chintzy floral wallpaper.

Glazed doors with black metal frames run along one side of the room and can be slid open to access a sun terrace lined in Douglas fir battens.

Floral wallpaper features in the principal bedroom. Photo by Rachael Smith

The space is decorated with a couple of folding director's chairs and a built-in white-brick planter.

Danish Mews House is one of several residential projects that Neil Dusheiko has completed in London.

The room also has its own sun terrace. Photo by Rachael Smith

Previously, the architect created a home for his father-in-law in Stoke Newington, in which a striking wall of shelving is used to display ceramics and glassware.

Dusheiko also overhauled a home in Hammersmith, introducing a curved brick extension and a cinema room.

The photography is byStåle Eriksen unless stated otherwise.

Project credits:

Architect: Neil Dusheiko Architects
Structural engineer: Price and Myers
Contractor: ABC Limited
Quantity surveyor: White and Lloyd

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#all #interiors #residential #london #uk #england #houses #neildusheiko #designfortheelderly #britishhouses #residentialconversions #londonhouses #adaptivereuse

Architecture for London uses natural materials to renovate studio founder's home

Wood, stone and lime plaster pervade the minimal interior of this energy-saving home in Muswell Hill that Architecture for London has created for its founder, Ben Ridley.

Architecture for London renovated and extended the three-floor Edwardian home that had gone untouched for close to 40 years and was in a less than favourable condition when purchased by Ridley.

The interiors of the home are finished with natural materials

"It was very tired, with bright floral carpets and textured wallpaper," he told Dezeen.

"There were some severe issues with damp where non breathable renders and plasters had been used in the past," he continued. "It was also quite dark as the orientation of the property isn't ideal – the rear reception room in particular had very little natural light."

Oak cabinetry and grey limestone fixtures feature in the kitchen

Although Ridley and his team at Architecture for London carried out extensive renovation work they aimed to using natural materials and only make sustainably minded interventions.

For example, in the ground floor kitchen, the studio preserved a couple of structural masonry walls to evade having to replace them with supportive frames made from energy-intensive resources such as steel.

The house's original timber roof has been preserved

Walls here, and throughout the rest of the home, have been coated with lime plaster to form an airtight layer, mitigating any heat loss.

The cabinetry is lined with oak wood, while the floor, worktops, prep counter and chunky window seat are crafted from pale grey limestone, which the studio preferred to use instead of cement-based products.

In celebration of the house's "modest beauty", the studio has also left the original timber roof exposed.

A rear extension offers views of the garden

A short flight of stairs leads up to the living room, where wood fibre insulation has been added behind the walls; fitting the insulation internally meant the studio was able to leave the house's Edwardian facade completely undisturbed.

The space otherwise features a couple of muted-pastel chairs, oak storage cupboards and a handful of potted plants.

[

Read:

Architecture for London builds one house extension in slate and another in brick

](https://www.dezeen.com/2017/01/12/architecture-for-london-tower-hamlets-tandem-slate-brick-house-extensions-east-london-england/)

At the back of the house, the studio has constructed an extension from structural insulated panels (SIPS).

The rectilinear volume accommodates a dining area and is fronted by a full height, triple-glazed window, to give views through to the lush foliage of the garden.

More wood fibre insulation has been incorporated here, and in the house's peripheral walls.

A Douglas fir bed frame has been included in the master bedroom

Natural materials go on to appear upstairs in the master bedroom, where the flooring and furnishings – including the bed frame – are made from Douglas fir wood.

Oak has then been used to fashion the bathroom's vanity unit, which backs onto a fluted limestone wall.

Fluted walls add textural interest in the bathroom

Ben Ridley set up Architecture for London in 2009.

The studio has since gone on to complete a number of projects around the British capital – this includes Tower Hamlets Tandem, a pair of extensions made for adjoining residences, and House for a Stationer, which is designed to reflect the occupation of its owner.

Photography is byLorenzo Zandri and Christian Brailey.

Project credits:

Architects: Architecture for London
Structural engineer: Architecture for London
Services engineer: Green Building Store
Main contractor: Construction Hub

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#residential #all #architecture #interiors #uk #london #england #residentialextensions #londonhouses #londonhouseextensions #architectureforlondon

Fletcher Crane Architects creates compact brick house on former garage site

Fletcher Crane Architects has completed a two-bedroom house on a brownfield plot in west London featuring grey-brick walls that are left exposed throughout the living areas and sunken bedrooms.

Named Tree House, the dwelling was designed by London studio Fletcher Crane Architects for a former garage site in a conservation area in Chiswick that is bounded by rear gardens.

Fletcher Crane Architects has completed a grey-brick house in London

The studio was challenged to design a house that makes the most of the compact plot while also meeting strict local planning criteria including a limit to the building's parapet level.

To provide the necessary spaces, this required embedding the house in the ground using excavations extending to a depth of 3.2 metres below street level.

It occupies the site of an old garage

"Building on a brownfield site with a series of constraints ultimately created a special home," project architect Harry Reid told Dezeen.

"The resulting massing straddles the boundary over a split-level arrangement of four floors," Reid added. "This configuration means no floor is really disconnected from each other and makes the 85-square-metre home feel bigger than it really is."

The brickwork is exposed inside

Tree House is designed to fit unobtrusively in the terraced street, although its geometric form and grey-brick walls mark it out as a contemporary addition. Its name nods to a tree situated on the pavement outside.

"The street scene is mature and repetitive, with a significant row of historic villas which are all set back from the road," Reid pointed out. "Our site sits on the street front and we used brick boundary walls to ensure this stitched into the prevailing materiality."

Exposed brick is teamed with ash joinery and terrazzo flooring

The cubic volumes are built using load-bearing brick with flush-jointed lime mortar. The brickwork is left exposed both inside and out to highlight the construction method.

A secluded passage along the western boundary leads to the house's entrance, which opens onto a kitchen-diner and a circulation spine connecting several split levels.

The house enters into a kitchen-diner

The main living areas are located on the upper floors to make the most of the available natural light. Two bedrooms with adjoining bathrooms are situated within the semi-sunken levels below.

A courtyard adjoining one of the bedrooms is lined with stepped brick planters and is accessed from the driveway via a paddle stair made from black cobble setts.

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](https://www.dezeen.com/2021/04/04/jupp-house-phillips-tracey-architects-london/)

Externally, the grey brick contrasts with black timber and tubular metalwork, forming a simple and raw material palette that extends inside the house.

The internal brick walls are complemented by ash joinery, terrazzo tiles and metal balustrades. Windows and skylights wash the rooms with natural light while curved elements, including a railing that wraps around the staircase, soften the overall aesthetic.

A sunken bedroom leads out onto a courtyard

Fletcher Crane Architects was established in 2010 in Kingston upon Thames by Toby Fletcher and Ian Crane. The studio's previous work includes a house built on an infill site beneath a high-rise building near London's Hyde Park.

Elsewhere in London, local studio Phillips Tracey Architects also created a compact brick house on the site of a former garage.

_The photography is byLorenzo Zandri and the video is by Ben Tynegate. _

Project credits:

Architect: Fletcher Crane Architects **
Contractor:** Project 1 Design + Build **
Structural engineer:** MDA Structures **
Approved inspector:** MLM SAP Consultant Surrey Energy Management **
Joinery:** Bee9, Holte, Creative Edge Furniture **
Metalwork:** AF Metalwork Fabrication **
**

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#residential #all #architecture #london #uk #england #bricks #houses #britishhouses #londonhouses #fletchercranearchitects

ROAR converts London end-of-terrace into a duo of colourful duplexes

London studio ROAR Architects has converted and extended an end-of-terrace home in Kentish Town into two self-contained apartments for a brother and sister, with contrasting interiors designed to capture each of their personalities.

ROAR, based in North London, was approached by the clients after they had purchased a former women's refuge on Leverton Street in the Kentish Town Conservation Area.

ROAR Architects has converted and extended an end-of-terrace home in London

The building had stood empty for five years, and the project began by stripping out previous alterations before adding rear and mansard roof extensions for the two split-level duplexes.

"The concept for the project was to allow for independence whilst encouraging family life," explained the studio. "Each [duplex] has its own entrance to the street, stairwells and makes full use of the compact building footprint."

It has been split into two colourful apartments

Inside, different colour palettes and fittings have been used to give each dwelling a contrasting identity and character.

"The client and I were keen to use colour throughout the project to add playfulness and vibrance as you move through the spaces, starting at their front doors," said ROAR director Shaun O'Brien.

One kitchen has wooden cabinets, while the second (top image) is green

The lower apartment, accessed via a black door in the building's side elevation, features a bright kitchen and dining space within the rear extension, with a fully-glazed wall and doors opening onto the shared garden.

White walls in this space are contrasted by deep green kitchen cabinets and black light fittings that match the black frames of the windows.

[

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A staircase leads up to the first apartment's main bedroom, with an en-suite bathroom finished in sparkling orange and black terrazzo.

The apartment occupying the upper levels is accessed through a small yard between the street and the rear garden, with an orange front door leading to a dark blue stairwell.

A dark blue stairwell with wooden stairs leads up to the second apartment

This darker stairway opens onto a bright kitchen, living and dining space finished in white with pale wood fittings. Another staircase leads up to two bedrooms and a bathroom, tucked in the mansard extension and finished with pale green accents.

The use of colour extends to the building's exterior, where pistachio green has been used to paint the home's rusticated base, window sills and frieze, referencing the area's tradition of colourfully painted houses.

The apartment occupying the upper levels features pale green accents

For the extensions, London stock brick arranged vertically at the rear and white concrete copings complement the existing building, "tying together" the facades as they turn the street corner.

Recent projects in the city involving a similarly bold colour palette include Office S&M's pink and green extension to the home of a colour consultant in Haringey.

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#residential #all #architecture #uk #london #extensions #residentialextensions #londonhouses #londonhouseextensions

Remi Connolly-Taylor creates her own glass brick-walled London home

Designer Remi Connolly-Taylor has designed Maryland House in London, which features a glass brick enclosed staircase, as her own home and studio.

Set at the end of a row of terraced houses in east London, the brick house was designed as a home that has a dedicated workspace for Connolly-Taylor, who is the founder of London studio Remi CT.

Maryland House was designed by Remi Connolly-Taylor

"When I returned from New York, I noticed the current housing market didn't reflect my needs," Connolly-Taylor told Dezeen. "I started Remi CT in 2017 and like most young professionals, needed a space to work and create from home."

"Maryland House's core concept was the desire to shine a light on other lifestyles in London as the traditional layout does not reflect the diversity of the city and functional homes are lacking for young professionals," she added.

The kitchen is located in the basement

The home's functions are stacked vertically with two bedrooms located on the ground floor and an open-plan kitchen, dining and living space placed in the basement.

The entire top floor of the house is given over to a dedicated studio space that opens onto a small balcony with a glass brick balustrade.

A studio space is at the top of the house

"The traditional hierarchy of the home was challenged during the development of the design," said Connolly-Taylor.

"Usually, traditional home layouts place emphasis on larger kitchens or family sitting rooms. We wanted to speak to the younger generation and young professionals through this design," she continued.

"We focused on creating a workspace that wasn't an afterthought. We wanted the space to be a destination within the home that one would want to work from."

The floors are connected by a glass brick-enclosed staircase

Connolly-Taylor designed the home around a red, statement staircase that is wrapped in a glass-brick wall.

This allows natural light into the home and, along with a lightwell, helps to make the basement feel like a bright space.

[

Read:

ROOM+ Design & Build replaces walls of house in Ho Chi Minh City with glass bricks

](https://www.dezeen.com/2020/11/18/glass-brick-house-ho-chi-minh-city-room-design-build/)

"The glass blocks were a strategic design choice," said Connolly-Taylor. "The dwelling's mass was curated around how the natural light would enter the home."

"I wanted to create a naturally-lit staircase that acts as a spine to the house," she continued. "We needed to maintain natural light standards to the adjoining neighbours and within the home so the glass blocks were able to allow light to filter through while creating privacy."

The red metal staircase adds colour to the interiors

Overall Connolly-Taylor aimed to create a calm, pared-back series of spaces that are punctuated with "grand moments", like the staircase.

"Beauty in minimalism and creating grand moments on an 8.5 by nine-metre plot were also very important to this build," said Connolly-Taylor.

The golden kitchen also adds a moment of grandeur

"For instance, when standing in the living room you do not feel like you are standing in a traditional basement," she continued.

"Natural light floods down from the skylight, garden, and staircase creating an illusion you are above ground. Elements of grandeur are felt by the 3.1-metre ceiling heights in the basement, and the open staircase views to the first floor."

Other recent London houses featured on Dezeen include a row of "ghostly" terraces designed by Fraher & Findlay, a home by Satish Jassal Architects that peaks above a brick wall and a compact house on the site of a former garage.

Photography is by James Retief.

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#residential #all #architecture #london #uk #bricks #houses #londonhouses #architectsanddesignershouses #glassbricks

Remi Connolly-Taylor creates her own glass brick-walled London home

Architect Remi Connolly-Taylor has designed Maryland House in London, which features a glass brick enclosed staircase, as her own home and studio.

Set at the end of a row of terraced houses in east London, the brick house was designed as a home that has a dedicated workspace for Connolly-Taylor, who is the founder of London studio Remi CT.

Maryland House was designed by Remi Connolly-Taylor

"When I returned from New York, I noticed the current housing market didn't reflect my needs," Connolly-Taylor told Dezeen. "I started Remi CT in 2017 and like most young professionals, needed a space to work and create from home."

"Maryland House's core concept was the desire to shine a light on other lifestyles in London as the traditional layout does not reflect the diversity of the city and functional homes are lacking for young professionals," she added.

The kitchen is located in the basement

The home's functions are stacked vertically with two bedrooms located on the ground floor and an open-plan kitchen, dining and living space placed in the basement.

The entire top floor of the house is given over to a dedicated studio space that opens onto a small balcony with a glass brick balustrade.

A studio space is at the top of the house

"The traditional hierarchy of the home was challenged during the development of the design," said Connolly-Taylor.

"Usually, traditional home layouts place emphasis on larger kitchens or family sitting rooms. We wanted to speak to the younger generation and young professionals through this design," she continued.

"We focused on creating a workspace that wasn't an afterthought. We wanted the space to be a destination within the home that one would want to work from."

The floors are connected by a glass brick-enclosed staircase

Connolly-Taylor designed the home around a red, statement staircase that is wrapped in a glass-brick wall.

This allows natural light into the home and, along with a lightwell, helps to make the basement feel like a bright space.

[

Read:

ROOM+ Design & Build replaces walls of house in Ho Chi Minh City with glass bricks

](https://www.dezeen.com/2020/11/18/glass-brick-house-ho-chi-minh-city-room-design-build/)

"The glass blocks were a strategic design choice," said Connolly-Taylor. "The dwelling's mass was curated around how the natural light would enter the home."

"I wanted to create a naturally-lit staircase that acts as a spine to the house," she continued. "We needed to maintain natural light standards to the adjoining neighbours and within the home so the glass blocks were able to allow light to filter through while creating privacy."

The red metal staircase adds colour to the interiors

Overall Connolly-Taylor aimed to create a calm, pared-back series of spaces that are punctuated with "grand moments", like the staircase.

"Beauty in minimalism and creating grand moments on an 8.5 by nine-metre plot were also very important to this build," said Connolly-Taylor.

The golden kitchen also adds a moment of grandeur

"For instance, when standing in the living room you do not feel like you are standing in a traditional basement," she continued.

"Natural light floods down from the skylight, garden, and staircase creating an illusion you are above ground. Elements of grandeur are felt by the 3.1-metre ceiling heights in the basement, and the open staircase views to the first floor."

Other recent London houses featured on Dezeen include a row of "ghostly" terraces designed by Fraher & Findlay, a home by Satish Jassal Architects that peaks above a brick wall and a compact house on the site of a former garage.

Photography is by James Retief.

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#residential #all #architecture #london #uk #bricks #houses #londonhouses #architectsanddesignershouses #glassbricks

VATRAA adds brick-clad gabled extension to Victorian house in Camden

Architecture office VATRAA has reused bricks salvaged from the demolition of an existing sidewall to construct this extension to a Victorian house in north London.

The owners of the house in the borough of Camden had lived in the property for 15 years before asking VATRAA to design a rear extension housing a new kitchen and dining area.

VATRAA has added a brick extension to a Victorian house in north London

The project's main objective was to introduce a functional and contemporary addition that respects the original features of the Victorian house.

An existing sidewall extension was demolished to create space for the 16-square-metre wraparound structure, which uses the salvaged bricks to create a vertical pattern on the new facade.

The bricks were salvaged from the demolition of an existing sidewall extension

"We required the contractor to undertake the demolition with care in order to reclaim all bricks from the side and rear walls, which were then used to build the extension," architect Bogdan Rusu told Dezeen.

The matching bricks help the new addition to complement the existing facade, while the extension's pitched roof references a section of the original building's roofline.

It has a large opening containing simple sliding doors

The new volume is angled to face the most attractive portion of the garden and to allow for a side door providing everyday access to outside.

A large opening containing simple sliding doors maximises natural light and views of the north-facing garden.

The clients asked for an "all-white" interior

The project brief called for an "all-white" interior with accents of colour, so VATRAA incorporated a circular blue window at the centre of the gabled facade.

"The round window with its blue stained glass is the only colour insertion," Rusu pointed out. "By matching the colour of the other stained glass windows found in the original building, it brings energy into the space while reconnecting the new and the old."

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VATRAA adds pink plaster walls in south London council house renovation

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The interior features a pared-back palette, combining whitewashed brick with other light materials that contribute to the bright and spacious feel.

"While respecting the white palette, we played with different textures and patterns," Rusu added, "including hexagonal tiles, rectangular bricks and cellular beams that bring character and react in the presence of natural light."

One wall is lined with whitewashed brick

The steel cellular beams are used to help separate the new extension from the original building, both structurally and visually.

The circular holes in the beams also allow light to penetrate and lend the space a distinct identity.

Steel cellular beams are exposed inside

VATRAA was founded in 2018 by Anamaria Pircu and Bogdan Rusu. The studio focuses on using a project's constraints as a catalyst for creative problem-solving, resulting in characterful buildings that are tailored to their users' requirements.

Longlisted for emerging architecture studio of the year at the Dezeen Awards 2021, VATRAA's previous projects include an award-winning London council house renovation featuring pink-toned plaster walls and an oversized window.

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Studio Hagen Hall completes 1970s-style makeover of London townhouse

Architecture office Studio Hagen Hall has transformed a townhouse in north London into a home inspired by 1970s Californian modernism to remind its owners of time spent living in Los Angeles.

Studio Hagen Hall was approached by recording artists Ben Garrett and Rae Morris to refurbish a townhouse near Primrose Hill, which appealed to the new owners because of its size, location and well-established garden.

The London townhouse is located near Primrose Hill

Garrett and Morris wanted the interiors to evoke the style of homes found in Los Angeles, and in particular the Laurel Canyon neighbourhood where they spent time together living and writing music.

"One of the main reasons the clients approached Studio Hagen Hall was because they recognised hints of 1960s and 1970s design in our previous work, specifically our use of materials, joinery design, and spatial planning," architect Louis Hagen Hall told Dezeen.

1970s interiors influenced the design

"Ultimately, our inspirations and references were very much aligned from the outset, so the evocation of this era of design was a very collaborative process," Hagen Hall added.

Hagen Hall's design approach for the Canyon House project is informed by the work of midcentury architects and designers including John Lautner, Richard Neutra and Charles and Ray Eames, who are all known for their work in California.

The house was stripped back to its shell for the renovation

The house, which was originally constructed in 1969, had previously been separated by awkward partitions and two staircases into three self-contained bedsits.

The first stage of the renovation involved stripping the building back to its shell, which revealed its suitability for a radical overhaul as it featured only a few internal load-bearing walls.

A bespoke velvet sofa features in the lounge

Studio Hagen Hall set about creating a series of intimate, flexible spaces within the house's compact footprint. The aim was to ensure these spaces feel connected to each other and to the gardens at its front and rear.

The removal of one of the staircases allowed for the creation of an open living area on the ground floor, featuring a raised conversation platform and snug adjoining the dining space and kitchen.

The recording studio is separate from the rest of the house

The lounge area features a bespoke velvet sofa with hidden storage that can be separated from the dining space using heavy linen curtains set into a custom-made elm recess.

The lower-ground floor now contains a professional-grade recording studio and writing room that is structurally separate from the rest of the house to achieve acoustic isolation.

Design features such as the conversation platform, open stair and the hatch connecting the kitchen and dining areas clearly nod to the style of midcentury homes.

The use of materials from this period, such as elm, velvet and fluted glass, is updated through the inclusion of more contemporary elements, including the micro-cement flooring.

Vintage and contemporary furniture pieces feature in each room

"From an aesthetic point of the view, the biggest challenge was trying to evoke the feeling of Californian-style 1970s living without creating a pastiche of that era," Hagen Hall added.

"This attitude also stretched to the choice of furniture and artwork, which includes a mix of vintage and contemporary pieces."

The kitchen includes a wooden window seat

The kitchen feels like a self-contained unit crafted entirely from elm, with a window seat providing a view onto the garden and back into the living area.

Cabinetry in the kitchen and bathrooms was designed with fluted glass, smoked glass and brass hardware that will develop a patina over time to complement the vintage midcentury furniture and lighting.

Cork tiles in the bathroom enhance the 1970s aesthetic

Velvet upholstery and a textured carpet lends the lounge space a warm and luxurious feel, while cork tiles used for the bathroom flooring and bath panels expand on the 1970s aesthetic.

The staircase linking the three floors features a steel and glass balustrade that maintains a visual connection between the spaces.

Pastel tones in the bedroom

Canyon House is longlisted in the house interior category of the Dezeen Awards 2021, along with projects including a converted 19th-century home in Paris that was modernised by Clément Lesnoff-Rocard to included a double-height dining area facing a private courtyard.

The photography is byMariell Lind Hansen.

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Yellow Cloud Studio completes kitchen refurbishment for hosting at-home supper clubs

Yellow Cloud Studio has refurbished and extended the lower ground floor of a terraced house in north London to create a bright kitchen and dining space for a professional chef.

The studio, headed by architects Eleni Soussoni and Romanos Tsomos, was approached by the chef to create a large kitchen for hosting pop-up dinners at the house in Lower Clapton.

Above: Yellow Cloud Studio has added a bright kitchen to a London home. Top image: it sits within a lower ground floor extension

The Rushmore House project involved reorganising the terraced property's lower ground floor to provide spaces for socialising alongside the kitchen.

A new skylight above the food preparation area illuminates the chef at work, while carefully positioned openings throughout the floor plan ensure guests can see the meal being prepared.

Different light and materials were used throughout the newly formed series of interconnected spaces to give each area a distinctive character.

The space is designed to host pop-up dinners

"The architecture places emphasis on the experience of the space by the user," said Yellow Cloud Studio.

"Natural light, high ceilings and lighter tones of materiality in the kitchen enhance the ritual of preparation and express hygiene, while the lower ceiling and darker tonality of the dining area create a more atmospheric space for eating."

Concrete flooring connects the kitchen to the dining space

The kitchen is reached by descending a wooden staircase from the ground floor. Instead of a typical balustrade, the architects used metal mesh to provide a view of the space as guests approach.

At the bottom of the stairs is the dining area, which is lined on one side by Japanese-style shoji screens. The screens are fitted with translucent fabric that allows light to filter through from the adjoining front room.

A skylight brightens the food preparation area

The front room provides an additional space for socialising and is lined with plywood cabinets containing the client's extensive record collection.

At the rear of the space, floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors open onto the back garden and a fixed window provides views out from the kitchen area.

A timber canopy that wraps around the glazing protects the interior from the elements when the doors are open. The roof also shelters a small seating area that connects visually with a bench inside.

Concrete flooring that flows through from the kitchen to the patio connects the internal and external spaces, while the weatherproofed plywood canopy creates visual consistency with the units and joinery inside.

Japanese-style shoji screens feature in the dining room

White marble surfaces add a practical and luxurious detail that complements the natural grain of the plywood units.

Soussoni and Tsomos founded Yellow Cloud Studio in 2013 and have since completed a variety of residential, retail and commercial projects. The studio's previous residential work includes a home extension featuring an arched internal window and a triangular extension slotted into an awkward space beside a boundary wall.

The photography is by Yellow Cloud Studio.

Project credits:

Architecture: Yellow Cloud Studio
Joinery: Joseph Carpentry

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