Theme, context:
Iungo Studio has been appointed to design the transformation of a 1930s built semi-detached house near London's Hampstead Heath. The brief comprised a complete overhaul, entailing a full strip down of the house to its external walls and a thorough modernization. This approach enabled us to enlarge and optimise the internal space while achieving a high degree of energy efficiency and minimising the carbon footprint of the house.
When it came to the interiors, special attention was given to the main living spaces, bedrooms, and bathrooms as well as to the vertical core of the house, including the staircase and hallways. Our client's design brief comprised a rather eclectic array of references - with desired features borrowing from mid-century design, through to art deco and Victorian, all the way through to contemporary elements.
Concept:
Given the challenge of maximising the living space within a restrictive urban planning context, we proposed a contemporary extension at the rear ground floor of the house. Its angled roofs and back wall are designed to minimise the impact on the neighbouring properties thus enabling a large footprint. Further extensions at first and loft floor levels have been meticulously designed in keeping with the character of the original house - as required by the local planning policies - while not compromising on the desired contemporary qualities of the living space.
At the apex of the new ground floor roof, we placed a mindfully detailed skylight spanning over the full length of the new open space, above the kitchen and dining areas. The soft and textural surfaces throughout the ground floor - primarily composed of wood, handmade unglazed zellige tiles and clay plaster - allow the natural light to add displays of soft colour, light and shadow on the curved ceilings, walls and toned concrete floor. This enables daylight to refresh the home's atmosphere throughout the seasons, different types of weather and times of day. A similar approach has been developed for the master bedroom, which is organised around a central skylight. The stairwell is placed at the heart of the house. With the staircasel as its axis, the light travels from the large roof-level skylight, through to the sizeable piece of walk-on-glass on the first floor and all the way down to centre of the ground floor.
Measures to improve the sustainability of the house as well as the comfort of its residents have been developed from the earliest design stages. An integrated MVHR system helps ventilate all spaces with minimal heat loss while ensuring optimum air humidity. The new loft rooms have been insulated with a range of wood fibre materials which on top of their sustainable production help prevent overheating during the hottest months. Similarly, the natural, locally produced clay-based plaster has been utilised as both a finish and a feature throughout the house, while rainwater collected from the new green roofs above the ground floor open space is directed into the garden planters and flowerbeds.