1A Earl's Court Square
Our goal was to create an urban house
that was comfortable but sustainable;
and that looked and felt, in every sense,
healthy. The challenge was to do so on a
site of just 75m², in central London, in a
conservation area, where we were limited
by planning constraints to two storeys: one
above ground, one below. The design aims
to maximise not only the actual space,
internally, but also the perception of space.
Basement floor plan
We have thus built right up to the
boundaries - something that entailed both
delicate party wall negotiations and a
36 - www.refurbandrestore.co.uk
careful choice of construction methods
- and given the house generous ceilings.
On the ground floor, the ceiling is 3m high
but 3.6m beneath the glazed up-and-over
extensions which serve to decompose the
perceived edges of the living area.
In addition, the house is visually open to
the natural world outside, with abundant
natural light and air and carefully framed
views of the surrounding canopy of trees.
Construction methods were chosen, too,
with a view to limiting costs, as was non-
standard procurement on the European
model. Construction in London, especially
underground, is expensive.