Highbury Terrace Mews is a classic London mews where, over time, architects and owners have been given license to build an eclectic mix of houses of all types and styles in materials, including brick, timber, floor-to-ceiling glazing, render and aluminum.
The three-story house was built by a developer as part of a group of six terraced houses in 1988 to replace a laundry. The houses are uncharacteristic of the rest of the mews: a confusion of Post Modern, Victorian and Georgian styles in a mixture of brick and render with some ill-considered detailing. 17A, which is the end of the terrace, is distinct in that it was set back with a pedimented gable section stepping forward over the entrance.
The design brief quickly evolved from a modest exercise — to add a shower room to the top floor and upgrade substandard roof insulation and low grade single-glazed windows — into a challenging project to completely redesign, simplify and rationalize the whole front elevation and fit out a number of key internal spaces.
The brief was to move away from the clumsy design vocabulary of the 1980’s terrace while retaining the existing structure and openings, design within the spirit of the best of the mews architecture and create a bold and well-detailed building using a limited palette of materials.
After studying a range of cladding options including render and metal, it was decided that a timber rain screen would be the most suitable, accommodating a satisfactory articulation of the front façade and incorporating the modest roof extension.
The planning process was challenging and time consuming because of the Conservation Area status, but through debate and consultation, planning officers were persuaded and the scheme was accepted without compromise.
The elevation was modified by altering the pedimented section, replacing the windows and cladding the front above the ground floor: the larch timber cladding is of variable width and is stained charcoal black. The exposed brickwork at the ground floor level has been paint-washed grey to create a gentler transition from the black. Existing window openings have been reused. Of the two new openings formed, one lights the new shower room and one creates a spacious and well-lit arrival on the third floor. Fixed windows are set flush with the cladding; opening windows are set back with deep-set oiled cedar clad reveals internally. This gives the facade a dynamic quality and a satisfying rhythm.
The stepped section and pediment have been replaced by a simple shift in plan and a consistent horizontal roof line. The roof drainage gutters and down pipes are hidden behind the new cladding which helps retain a clean, uncluttered facade. The front door was retained and painted orange; the steps were reformed and widened with planting beds on either side. The key internal spaces, the study and bedrooms, are fitted out in cedar.
Of critical importance to the client has been the future proofing of the house: more balanced accommodations with a new shower facility, enhanced roof insulation, efficient gutters and rainwater attenuation at ground level.
The end of the terrace has been visually detached from the immediate neighbors, creating a distinctively bold and simple, yet elegant new house without the need for major construction work: a house which relates in a more exciting and relevant way to the other individual buildings in the mews.
Architect: Studio 54 Architecture
Contractor: Fullers Builders
Photographs: Sarah Blee