The situation of this project is of architectural interest as a backland site which has previously seen industrial use. Sealed between suburban streets, surrounded by high walls and closed in by existing property it is introspective, representing dense urban living amongst the suburban monotony that typifies the area. We developed the building as a villa type, working with the conception of the villa as a place of urbanity within a rural or suburban setting.
In response to the limitations of the site, the client wanted to maximise space and natural light yet maintain privacy. We incorporated multi- level, top lit spaces and an external courtyard. We aimed to open up the living space as much as possible to the outside world, extending several rooms onto private terraces and making use of transparent surfaces.
The building is layered both vertically and horizontally( the kitchen and half of the house cuts into a basement area and the living room rises to library space that sits immediately under large rooflights) housing a dual transition, from the internal to the external and from earth to sky.
The completed project is highly receptive to the shifting motions of the external environment, its interior is aesthetically spare with walls uniformly painted a brilliant white to enhance the play between light and shadow. In style it alludes to Le Corbusier’s pre -1940s purist villas and subsequent modern European villa development.