MODERN MEWS
Renovating a dilapidated, four-storey mews house with crafted joinery and a light-soaked core
A trusting client and curious design vision led us to gut the home, keeping only the envelope at Modern Mews. We inserted beautiful sculptural timber and glazing elements to connect the spaces clearly. We also designed a stair to the centre of the house and made it reach all floors.
Light penetrates the new glazed roof above and through the staircase’s open treads and glazed landings, allowing daylight into the previously dark lower reaches of the house. The transparency also allows a visual connection between floors.
A PIECE OF JOINERY TO LIVE IN
The project is like a large piece of joinery that is inserted into the existing house envelope.
VISUAL CONNECTIONS & LIGHT
Glazed floors to the front and centre of the plan allow natural light to the floor below (a floor that used to have no natural light at all) as well as creating visual connections between the floors.
OPENNESS & TRANSPARENCY
The Ground Floor Kitchen and Dining Area have full height and width oak framed bi-folding door offering direct connection to the mews. Integrated blinds allow different degrees of privacy when required. Glazed floors between the floors create connections and openness between the floors.
"I have just put my son to sleep in his bedroom and walked downstairs to the kitchen, and am sitting at our table. As I moved through the house on this brief journey, I thought of you and your team of wonderful people because it was a beautiful journey. Our home is a space beautifully conceived and realised."
- Client, Modern Mews
LAYERING, DEPTH & ADAPTABILITY
The sliding doors give the users a possibility of more privacy if required. Even when the sliding doors are shut light is still allowed to enter due to translucent, rice paper glass and oak louvres. The central stair in combination with the translucent sliding doors enable light to penetrate the whole house as well as creating visible links between the levels.
CARVING
The detailing of the joinery has been done so it looks like a carved piece of wood.
SEAMLESSNESS
The bathrooms have seamless corian finish on walls and floors to achieve clean finish as well as low maintenance. The floor steps up and becomes the bathtub. At the Lower Ground the polished concrete floor merges with the fireplace creating a special moment at the bottom of the stairs. The heaviness of the concrete creates a contrast to the lightness of the oak stair above.
LOCATION
London, UK
SIZE
1,096 sqft
STATUS
Completed in 2016
CLIENT
Private
AWARDS
/ RIBA London Award - won
/ New London Award - won
/ RIBA House of the Year Award - shortlisted