The challenges for Wiseton Road were comparable to many London Victorian terrace houses; disparate internal floor levels; poor connectivity to the rear garden; low floor to ceiling heights within the former ‘closet wing’ back extension and poor natural light.  

 Our sensitive reworking of these incommodious spaces and introduction of natural materials and light formed a refreshing transformation to the property.

 The original back-extension at ground floor and existing closet wing was replaced with a lightweight timber construction of Douglas-fir beams and floor to ceiling glass, intended to be unapologetically modern yet sympathetic in form and rhythm to the neighbouring terraces. The ground floor kitchen-living-dining area is a series of connected yet contrasting spaces transitioning from period to modern from the front to back, punctuated with a new cloakroom and contrasting blue vestibule.

 The addition of a new plywood stair to the centre of the house serves the new floor levels and improves circulation, with open treads and rooflight overhead pouring natural light deep into the plan.

 Birch faced plywood joinery is efficiently merged throughout the design whereas the kitchen is treated as an installation within the space, with feature lighting accentuating the contrasting configuration/ structure.

 A significant design feature is the harmonious use of timber creating a natural warmth to the spaces, expressed as a theme throughout the balustrading, floor, stair, cladding and soffit finishes. This timber integrated structurally and as a finish in conjunction with exposed concrete and brickwork helped achieve the project’s modest budget.