Courtyard House New Build
London-based architects De Rosee
Sa Convert have converted a
previously redundant garage site
into a bespoke family home featuring
strong architectural lines and natural
materials referencing the site’s
heritage.
Housed on the site of a former wood
yard between rear terraced gardens and
a row of 16 West London garages, the
existing storage shed was originally
purchased to prevent it from becoming
overdeveloped.
Seeing a possible opportunity, the
client decided to develop the land
themselves in line with the planning
regulations, which set a vertical limit to
the height of the property, stipulating
that any new form must match the
outline of the existing single-storey
shed.
Twenty-one party wall awards with
neighbouring properties had to be
agreed before work could start.
Working closely with the client, De
Rosee Sa proposed a new basement
level to meet the brief for two
bedrooms while adhering to the strict
planning regulations. The ground floor
is divided between the living room,
kitchen and bedroom with an en-suite
bathroom. The second bedroom is
located in the basement level with its
own external courtyard and bathroom.
Inserting windows into the boundary
walls was not possible due to privacy
issues and instead, De Rosee Sa
Architects were faced with the
conundrum of lighting a narrow
37-metre-long site. Three external
courtyards were added to the plans to
draw in light, with a series of Crittal-
style steel and glass doors installed
to connect these courtyards to the
interior and provide views through
the entire length of the open property.
The house can be entirely opened up
during warmer weather, blurring the
distinction between the outside and
inside environment.
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