Reconfiguration and part-reconstruction of a mid-1960s modernist home in a semi-rural location near Hampstead Heath.

Private client
Highgate, London
239m2

  • Site is in the Fitzroy Park estate, within Highgate conservation area and close to Hampstead Heath
  • Sharply sloping site topography offers views across nearby open space
  • Original modernist house had rational layout, now reinstated
  • Rear of house reconstructed and a new entrance structure, clad in larch timber, added
  • New elements follow similar architectural language to that of original

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Green Foliage at every turn
Rear balcony drawing The proposal main and simple intention is to frame the views as naturally and directly as possible
Site Visit Admiring the view of the treetops over the Heath
Construction Windows have gone in
Construction Frame going up!
Construction Has started on site
Rear elevation drawing The proposal takes the form of a timber frame new rear element, delineating the original profile of the house and providing a threshold towards the landscape; withing the frame, pairs of timber sliding and fixed windows, with a clearly readable image of the functional elements
Master En-suite diagram The timber frames stand proud as elegant pieces on the landscape flooding every room with light
Structural Arrangement Options Retaining vs removing; perpendicular vs parallel
Site visit Before...the first floor extension to the garden was in a bad condition, especially where the exposed beam and timber joists support a metallic superstructure holding the overhanging roof
The Hexagon Contemporary Lifestyle Magazine Issue 01, Volume 01, November 2012
The Hexagon Contemporary Lifestyle Magazine Issue 01, Volume 01, November 2012
The Hexagon Contemporary Lifestyle Magazine Issue 01, Volume 01, November 2012
The Hexagon Contemporary Lifestyle Magazine Issue 01, Volume 01, November 2012
The Hexagon Contemporary Lifestyle Magazine Issue 01, Volume 01, November 2012
The Hexagon Contemporary Lifestyle Magazine Issue 01, Volume 01, November 2012
The Hexagon Contemporary Lifestyle Magazine Issue 01, Volume 01, November 2012
The Hexagon Contemporary Lifestyle Magazine Issue 01, Volume 01, November 2012
The Hexagon Contemporary Lifestyle Magazine Issue 01, Volume 01, November 2012
The Hexagon Contemporary Lifestyle Magazine Issue 01, Volume 01, November 2012
The Hexagon Contemporary Lifestyle Magazine Issue 01, Volume 01, November 2012
The Hexagon Contemporary Lifestyle Magazine Issue 01, Volume 01, November 2012
The Hexagon Contemporary Lifestyle Magazine Issue 01, Volume 01, November 2012
The Hexagon Contemporary Lifestyle Magazine Issue 01, Volume 01, November 2012
The Hexagon Contemporary Lifestyle Magazine Issue 01, Volume 01, November 2012
The Hexagon Contemporary Lifestyle Magazine Issue 01, Volume 01, November 2012
The Hexagon Contemporary Lifestyle Magazine Issue 01, Volume 01, November 2012
The Hexagon Contemporary Lifestyle Magazine Issue 01, Volume 01, November 2012
The Hexagon Contemporary Lifestyle Magazine Issue 01, Volume 01, November 2012
The Hexagon Contemporary Lifestyle Magazine Issue 01, Volume 01, November 2012
The Hexagon Contemporary Lifestyle Magazine Issue 01, Volume 01, November 2012
The Hexagon Contemporary Lifestyle Magazine Issue 01, Volume 01, November 2012
The Hexagon Contemporary Lifestyle Magazine Issue 01, Volume 01, November 2012
The Hexagon Contemporary Lifestyle Magazine Issue 01, Volume 01, November 2012
The Hexagon Contemporary Lifestyle Magazine Issue 01, Volume 01, November 2012
The Hexagon Contemporary Lifestyle Magazine Issue 01, Volume 01, November 2012
The Hexagon Contemporary Lifestyle Magazine Issue 01, Volume 01, November 2012
The Hexagon Contemporary Lifestyle Magazine Issue 01, Volume 01, November 2012
The rear elevation The whole rear element is thought as a delicately crafted, yet robust piece of joinery, with an acute attention to timber joints
The entrance view The proposed porch is very simple in volume and detail, yet becoming a spatial device for the overall vision of the new house using the transversality of the original scheme as a guideline
The Annex A lightweight framework for vegetation grow to act as a filter to rooms in the annex and compensate for the short field of view
Conservation area The site sits just to the East of Hampstead Heath
Site Panoramic View Before...the house was in urgent need of thorough maintenance, as a considerable portion of its fabric was in a precarious condition

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