Previous pages and these pages: Basements are
often dark, neglected and out of touch with the
rest of the home. However, the opposite is the
result in this case where the entire six-level home
has been gutted and reinvented by Andy Martin
Architecture. On the basement level, home to
the kitchen, living and dining spaces, the quest
for light and connectivity with the floor above
led the architects to the dramatic design move of
introducing a ceiling in pavement lights. The glass
ceiling throws light patterns across the interior
and optimises light play on the kitchen surfaces.
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This basement-level kitchen forms part
of a dramatic whole-house transformation
by Andy Martin Architecture. Martin says
the comprehensive renovation was driven
by the owner’s brief to create a sense of
lightness and openness through the home.
“First, we stripped out all the existing
elements of the five-storey home – leaving a
six-level internal volume,” he says. “From
here, we re-imagined the spaces to create a
new interior that maximises transparency,
connection, texture and light and shadow.
“To resolve the problem of a dark and
unwelcoming basement level so common
in terrace houses, we embedded glass
pavement lights into the ground floor –
the ceiling of the basement. This allowed
light and glimpses of activity to connect
the first two levels of the home.”
To achieve a relaxed but crisp interior,
a restrained palette of industrial materials
– raw concrete and steel – is combined
with refined glass, wood and plasterwork.
“The owner wanted a clean and simple
kitchen that would sit within the greater
space much like furniture,” says Martin.