This north London property was in a sorry state when we visited first. It had been extended over several phases, and what remained of the original outdoor space was small and oppressive. However, we decided to make the best of what we already had and only selectively remove some of these additions to enhance the whole.
A new courtyard, glazed on three sides with gridded steel windows forms a new outdoor space. An existing stair to a roof terrace was replaced with a new steel spiral staircase. This new outdoor space with the stair as its centre is the focus from all parts of the house, allowing horizontal and diagonal connections through the house from front to back.
Architect : A-Zero Architects
Giles Bruce, Shoichi Sado
Structural Design: Dan Fordham Consulting
Contractor : Ministry of Building
Photographs © Adam Scott
06
Strategy
Contraction rather than extension
This house had already been extended, just very badly. The decision to remove some of these previous parts, contracting the plan by removing whole rooms and floors between rooms, opened up the house to create light and visual connections throughout.
This approach allowed us to minimise the amount spent on demolition, and focus the budget on other design elements including the windows, doors and finishes.
Sustainable residential architecture, green homes design, eco-friendly house construction, passive house design, energy-efficient homes, low carbon footprint houses, net-zero homes construction, renewable energy homes, sustainable living spaces, green roofs for houses, sustainable materials for home building, solar design for houses, eco-friendly architecture, and green home design for both new build sustainable architecture and retrofitting for sustainability in existing homes; sustainable urbanism homes, carbon-neutral houses construction, sustainable construction practices for homes, energy-positive houses, green building materials for homes, eco-design for houses, Dulwich, Herne Hill, Brixton, Clapham, Stockwell, Kennington, Vauxhall, Peckham, East Dulwich, West Dulwich, Sydenham Hill, Crystal Palace, Forest Hill, Penge, Honor Oak, Brockley, Catford, Beckenham, Bromley, Chislehurst, Tooting, Balham, Battersea, Chelsea, Fulham, Wandsworth, Wimbledon, Southfields, Earlsfield, Merton Park, Raynes Park, Richmond, Barnes, Mortlake, Kew, Chiswick, Hammersmith, Shepherds Bush, Acton, Ealing , Southwark
Similar projects