It was possibly time to bounce ship or to reinvent their north London townhouse. Following virtually 40 decades of living under the same leaky roof, Russell Vandyk and Alan Martin Working day, equally retired, daringly chose the latter. The few hired Studio Ben Allen to include a two-tale extension on to the again of their terraced Victorian. The ask came with a bonus every style group longs for: they ended up encouraged, suggests Allen, to “use the challenge as a testbed for ideas.”
In reaction, the architects, led by Allen and Omar Ghazal, took the chance to “push the boundaries of off-web-site fabrication, a little something we felt was missing in small-scale residential projects.” Specifically, they used prefabricated pigmented concrete on both equally the exterior and inside, as structural factors that are also attractive thanks to Studio Allen’s daring use of shade and curves. The addition now houses a double-peak new skylit kitchen area with a mezzanine that connects to the present key stair and leads to a quite unforgettable new bathtub. And there is a lot more: Vandyk and Day effectively acquired an completely new residence that however retains highlights of the original—and has gained a good deal of appreciation from the British isles design and style neighborhood. Dubbed The Dwelling Recast, the rework was named “best new house advancement project” of 2021 in the NLA’s yearly “Don’t Transfer, Make improvements to!” contest. Be a part of us for a tour.
Photography by French + Tye, courtesy of Studio Ben Allen.
“There made use of to be a little galley kitchen area with only a single window and a dining table squidged up versus it, and the garden was just a scrappy bit of land,” Vandyk informed The Present day Home. “It’s not as if we had been indifferent or sloppy,” additional Day. “The house just wasn’t seriously at the middle of our universe. When we had been younger, we experienced various priorities. A good deal of our lifestyle was outdoor. Now, it’s about home comforts.”
Of late, there’s been a ton of problem in the design and style globe about the higher-carbon expense of manufacturing concrete. Eco-friendlier versions—aka “green concrete”—are now surfacing, but Allen claims that this job sadly predated the recent discussion.
Over: An additional archway connects the eating space to the entrance hall. The door in the history leads to the dwelling area. Really do not Go, Enhance! judge Tom Foxall commented on the task: “It isn’t just an extension it is a route as a result of the creating and spatially pretty appealing. It works very well architecturally,”
The layout was influenced by architect Omar Ghazal’s Jordanian heritage, and by Middle Japanese references in Victorian architecture, this kind of as at Leighton Household, the Holland Park home of painter Sir Frederic Leighton.
“Alan’s argument was, if we restrict them, we’re not going to close up with anything incredibly fascinating,” Vandyk commented to The Fashionable Dwelling. Included Working day: “There was a quite near collaboration in the consultations, but we in no way challenged anything…We’re so content that we did not get started tutting and expressing no…We have the feeling of rootedness for the reason that we have been below due to the fact 1980, and nevertheless anything so imaginative has been carried out.” For far more, watch the NLA’s Don’t Move, Enhance! video clip on the challenge.
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