CASE STUDY
OASIS BY UNKNOWN WORKS
Unknown Works has transformed practice Founding Director Theo Games Petrohilos’ s home, resulting in a bright minimalist sanctuary in Kentish town, North London. Using a bold approach towards layout and naturally finished materials, the studio has created a home flooded with light and embraced by a lushly planted hidden garden.
Purchased in 2017, the existing spaces suffered from limited daylight and ventilation and were decorated with faux marble tiling and a combination of dark hardwood and peeling lino flooring. With an L-shaped layout typical of Victorian terraced houses, the living spaces felt disconnected from the exterior courtyard, which featured a mature overgrown jungle of fig and bay trees.
The priority for the redesign was to create a flexible floor plan which increased cross ventilation and maximised access to natural light, resulting in a space to cook, work, relax and withdraw. For Theo, a keen host, the kitchen has always been the social heart of a good home and a space where friends and family gather to cook and eat together.
Unknown Works added a side infill and slight rear extension to the property, stepping just 1 metre into the rear courtyard garden. The reclaimed space has defined a whole new home, offering a versatile floorplan accommodating a custom stainless steel kitchen, modular furniture designed by Unknown
Works, and an internal courtyard. A concrete floor anchors both the in and outdoors, expanding the sense of space to give a feeling of al fresco dining experience all year round. The ceiling throughout has been rebuilt with resilient bars and acoustic insulation to reduce neighbourly noise.
Abundant natural light and airflow were central to the project brief to create an airy antithesis to the pervasive problems of London terraced homes. Working within the constraints of the tight existing plan, Unknown Works designed a new internal courtyard at the centre of the home, ensuring all the rooms breathe and benefit from cross ventilation. The dining, lounge area and large kitchen sink have dedicated openings overlooking the second courtyard garden which is lined with white pebbles, reminiscent of Japanese stone gardens.
Inspired by iconic modernist houses in the neighbouring Highgate area, the newly refurbished space uses a sleek material palette of glass, white oiled timber, concrete and stainless steel to bounce
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