Architecture for London uses natural materials to renovate founder’s home

Wood, stone and lime plaster pervade the minimum interior of this strength-saving property in Muswell Hill that Architecture for London has designed for its founder, Ben Ridley.

Architecture for London renovated and extended the three-floor Edwardian house that had long gone untouched for close to 40 years and was in a fewer than favourable affliction when ordered by Ridley.

“It was incredibly weary, with bright floral carpets and textured wallpaper,” he explained to Dezeen.

“There were being some critical problems with damp the place non breathable renders and plasters experienced been made use of in the earlier,” he continued. “It was also quite dim as the orientation of the assets is just not ideal – the rear reception home in individual experienced quite very little pure light-weight.”

Although Ridley and his crew at Architecture for London carried out comprehensive renovation work they aimed to making use of all-natural supplies and only make sustainably minded interventions.

For instance, in the floor flooring kitchen area, the studio preserved a few of structural masonry walls to evade getting to swap them with supportive frames manufactured from power-intense sources such as metal.

Walls in this article, and during the relaxation of the residence, have been coated with lime plaster to sort an airtight layer, mitigating any warmth reduction.

The cabinetry is lined with oak wooden, though the ground, worktops, prep counter and chunky window seat are crafted from pale grey limestone, which the studio desired to use alternatively of cement-centered products and solutions.

In celebration of the house’s “modest beauty”, the studio has also still left the unique timber roof uncovered.

A limited flight of stairs potential customers up to the residing home, the place wooden fibre insulation has been added driving the partitions fitting the insulation internally meant the studio was equipped to go away the house’s Edwardian facade totally undisturbed.

The space if not features a couple of muted-pastel chairs, oak storage cabinets and a handful of potted vegetation.

At the back again of the dwelling, the studio has produced an extension from structural insulated panels (SIPS).

The rectilinear quantity accommodates a dining area and is fronted by a whole height, triple-glazed window, to give views by means of to the lush foliage of the backyard garden.

More wooden fibre insulation has been incorporated below, and in the house’s peripheral walls.

Pure supplies go on to seem upstairs in the master bed room, in which the flooring and furnishings – which includes the bed body – are built from Douglas fir wood.

Oak has then been made use of to manner the bathroom’s vanity unit, which backs on to a fluted limestone wall.

Ben Ridley established up Architecture for London in 2009.

The studio has since long gone on to comprehensive a variety of jobs all-around the British cash – this contains Tower Hamlets Tandem, a pair of extensions built for adjoining residences, and Property for a Stationer, which is created to replicate the profession of its proprietor.

Photography is by Lorenzo Zandri and Christian Brailey.

Task credits:

Architects: Architecture for London
Structural engineer: Architecture for London
Services engineer: Inexperienced Making Retail outlet
Most important contractor: Design Hub