Urban House at end of Terrace ? Murray Street Camden NW1

The site was the raised back garden of a large end of terrace house in Camden Square that faced onto a side street and also formed the corner of the mews behind. The covered entrance was cut into the site from the side street to give access to a garage/studio and to an orangery like entrance to the house at the garden level some 600mm above.

The original garden wall was rebuilt to full height, the garden paved and the floor tiled. Behind this wall an independent two storey, Iroko frame was built without metal fastenings but simply with wooden pegs. This frame sits on ceramic feet made by the tile manufacturer and laid as part of the tiling. The plan of the house consists of nine squares with the staircase core in the centre covered by a glass pyramid. Off this core the various rooms are arranged. Three sides, the external walls, are fully glazed with sliding Iroko window/doors , the partitions and upper floors are also of exposed timber faced with plywood and all clear finished. Thus the Iroko structure is dark and the Birch plywood is light.

The built in furniture follows the same discipline naturally.