RESIDENTIAL PORTFOLIO
A SELECTION OF RECENT WORKS
CONTENTS
1. About our Studio
2. About our Studio - Material Cultures
3. About our Studio - Material Selection
4. About our Studio - CSK Interiors
5. CSK Reclaim - Specialist interior design service
6. CSK Landscape - Specialist landscape design service
7. Green Belt expertise
8. Listed Building expertise
9. CSK Whole-life sustainability - 'Form Follows Lifecycle'
CASE STUDIES
1. Country House Wargrave
2. Trinity Place
3. Phoenix House
4. Cork House
7. 9 Park Street
8. 66 Brick Lane
9. Youlbury House
10. Applestore
11. Hemp Cottages ABOUT OUR STUDIO
5. Old San Juan
6. Farmworker's Cottage
ABOUT OUR STUDIO
Designing a house for someone involves close collaboration, a shared vision. We seek to tell a story through our designs. Each individual is unique, each place is unique and the particular moment our clients choose to embark on a project marks a specific moment in their lives. We weave all these threads together to create homes with a real sense of belonging; a belonging to place, person and time. We create homes which feel embedded in their landscape or particular piece of streetscape.
Our homes respond to sunrise and sunset, they mark the hours through the day and the changing seasons and changing needs of their inhabitants.
We enjoy creating spaces which celebrate the family rituals of eating together, cooking together, washing, talking . . . . .
A great home should nurture relationships, embrace the weather and celebrate the materials from which it is made. We seek to forge close relationships with our clients to help them realise the potential of their brief and site and create homes full of delight.
CSK ARCHITECTS
ABOUT OUR STUDIO MATERIAL CULTURES
External materials are what help tie a building to place. They help to embed the house in the immediate rural or urban setting and create a feeling of belonging. Materials are specified for;
Longevity / Robustness
Beauty - their ability to age gracefully
Carbon - We try and specify low embodied carbon materials, designed for disassembly.
We work with main contractors who employ specialist craftsmen with expert knowledge in the specific characteristics of natural stone, brick, cork, hemp & timber.
We aim to keep materials 'pure' avoiding glues and mortars and preferring dry assemblies to allow materials to be recovered at the 'end of their life' to enable them to enter another building life cycle.
We are interested in natural plant based materials that are breathable, materials which help to create and maintain good indoor air quality. Also materials such as natural stone with lime based mortars which have low embodied carbon.
We are interested in materials which belong to 'place' and illustrate the passage of time through maybe a patina or the way the material has weathered.
CSK ARCHITECTS
ABOUT OUR STUDIO CSK INTERIORS
The interior palette of materials is borne out of how the house itself has been assembled. It is not an afterthought.
Our interiors have the power and potential to be catalysts for well-being. They appeal to all the senses.
"Imagine being inside a space protected by walls that are warm and gentle to the touch. Walls that are solid from inside to outside and even smell good. Walls built by you from a single natural material. A material that grows on trees and is harvested by hand. Harvested every nine years leaving the tree standing and the forest undisturbed. A forest that supports a wide range of plants and animals, including the endangered Iberian lynx."
You are in Cork House.
We are interested in materials that are tactile and offer a soft acoustic.
We are interested in solid materials which grow a patina over time
By embracing the elements, blurring the boundaries between inside and outside our interiors mark the hours of the day and the ebb and flow of the seasons and become a frame for life.
CSK ARCHITECTS
ABOUT OUR STUDIO
CSK INTERIORS
We enjoy designing interiors that can effortlessly accommodate the 'stuff' in our lives.
If the base structure of the room is legible enough the added layer of "belongings" tends to enhance the space rather than detract from it.
We like to make the 'normal' feel special. Using traditional materials and craft techniques in unexpected ways is a hallmark of our practice.
CSK ARCHITECTS
CSK RECLAIM BESPOKE
INTERIOR DESIGN SERVICE
CSK RECLAIM has evolved from the practice’s ongoing interest in the building life cycle, and the way in which buildings are part of a broader flow of material resources that are made and unmade over time. Re-use is the crucial link that connects one building life cycle to another to create a circular economy. Understanding existing buildings as material resource systems is key from the inception of projects – what can be retained and restored, what can be reused within the site and what can be reclaimed for use on other projects.
CSK RECLAIM supports clients with an ambition to create individual bespoke spaces through the imaginative re-use of existing resources. We believe the conversation around ‘sustainability’ must be inseparable from architectural character, and that it is vital to find joy in the reclaim aesthetic. By curating and building with materials, fittings and artifacts which have a past life, we aim to create rich environments for the present and long into the future.
CSK ARCHITECTS
Homes which are embedded in site and the importance of landscape design as an integral part of the architecture.
As a practice we have a specialist landscape division and we are interested in conceiving of the home from the outset as part of its wider landscape setting.
In 2024 we collaborated with Sophie Parmenter Studio in the design of a large show garden on main avenue for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. The garden was sponsored by Project Giving Back and was for the National Autistic Society. It was awarded a silver gilt medal.
CSK ARCHITECTS CSK LANDSCAPE
CSK LANDSCAPE
Homes which are embedded in site and the importance of landscape design as an integral part of the architecture.
As a practice we have a specialist landscape division and we are interested in conceiving of the home from the outset as part of its wider landscape setting.
In 2024 we collaborated with Sophie Parmenter Studio in the design of a large show garden on main avenue for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. The garden was sponsored by Project Giving Back and was for the National Autistic Society. It was awarded a silver gilt medal.
CSK ARCHITECTS
CSK GREEN BELT EXPERTISE
Expertise in gaining planning consent in Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (ANOB) and in the Green Belt.
We have recent experience of gaining unanimous support at committee for one off homes in the Green Belt under 'very special circumstances.' These schemes have gained consent through the twin approach of exceptional design and being environmental exemplars.
We also have expertise in the management of rural estates.
CSK ARCHITECTS
Phoenix House
Sillwood Park Farm Barton Lodge
St. Leonard's Dale
CSK LISTED BUILDING EXPERTISE
Expertise in the retrofitting of historic fabric
Expertise in working with Georgian, Victorian, Edwardian and Queen Anne Houses.
Expertise in facade retention
Expertise in Grade l, Grade ll* and Grade ll listed buildings
Expertise in gaining consent for contemporary additions to historic fabric
Expertise in restoration of historic fabric using traditional craft techniques.
CSK
SUSTAINABILITY
Lifecycle analysis - in the research and development of cork house we developed a whole life approach to environmental sustainability which we have called 'Form Follows Lifecycle.'
This approach examines every phase the lifecycle looking at where materials come from, how they are harvested or mined, how they are machined and then assembled to their in use phase and finally at end of life - what happens to these materials? All the former stages directly impacts on this.
This new approach to whole-life environmental sustainability looks at the creation of an architectural artefact as a time based process.
CSK ARCHITECTS
COUNTRY HOUSE WARGRAVE
RETROFIT OF HISTORIC FABRIC
LARGE NEW BUILD EXTENSION
HISTORIC RETROFIT & EXTENSION
Green retrofit and extension of grade ll listed riverside property near Henley set within 8 acres of mature gardens.
This country house in Wargrave has its origins in the early 16th century (potentially earlier) whereby it functioned as the original medieval manor for Wargrave. At this time it was a much smaller building with what is now the reception hall being the main front, jettied to the north, east and south with a two storey cross wing to the rear. The surviving timber framing for this earliest part of the building can be seen internally. The manor was comprehensively redeveloped in the C18th and late C19th early C20th in the Tudor half-timbered style. Architecturally, the building is a palimpsest of phases of development and later alteration. Externally, these different layers are clearly legible and provide an understanding of how the building was altered through the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. This multiphase nature of the building makes a strong positive contribution to its architectural and archaeological values and our proposal is one further layer in the manor’s development to be read and understood as part of the overall architectural composition.
The refurbishment included a large contemporary rear extension housing a new kitchen and master bedroom suite at first floor. The extension uses the existing palette of materials to make the material connections with the main house but the detailing is explicitly contemporary.
CSK ARCHITECTS
Before photo
HISTORIC RETROFIT & EXTENSION
The existing roof needed a total overhaul, rotten timbers had to be replaced and the chimney required stabilising. The entire roof was insulated to reduce operational carbon. Clay tiles were carefully salvaged for re-use.
Traditional techniques were used in the general retrofit of the historic fabric.
HISTORIC RETROFIT & EXTENSION
The existing roof covering was found to be in a very poor state and with an un-insulated structure leading to a degradation of the building fabric as a whole. Listed building consent was obtained to fully re-tile the roof and allowed for the opportunity to upgrade and insulate.
The use of natural plant-based materials such as wood fibre insulation and the traditional technique of chestnut lathes with a lime plaster finish, allows the building to breathe and move and ensures its longevity. Aside from the practical advantages of this approach, the quality of the space and experience of the occupant is also enhanced, providing a softer acoustic and aesthetic atmosphere.
HISTORIC RETROFIT & EXTENSION
The refurbishment includes a large contemporary rear extension housing a new kitchen and master bedroom suite at first floor. The siting of the extension was chosen to avoid detrimental impact to the significant, historic fabric. The overall form of the rear extension is intended to continue the gable-shaped dialogue of the house. It offers a clearly contemporary addition that is respectful to the host structure and responsive to the surrounding context. This is achieved by ensuring that the scale of the addition is set back from and below the existing gable as a subservient addition. This also ensures that the extension does not interfere with the architectural feature of the tile creaser details at the eaves and ridge.
The extension uses the existing palette of materials to make real connections with the main house, painted brickwork and terracotta tiles, but the way these materials are detailed is explicitly contemporary so that this reads as a new addition. The glazed link provides a clear demarcation and successful juxtaposition between old and new.
An example of this detailing is the way the roof tile folds down to become tiled wall hanging with a concealed gutter. Contemporary slot windows also fold down from the roof to the wall.
CSK ARCHITECTS
INTERNAL REMODELLING
The brief from the client was for a wholesale refurbishment and extension to prolong the life of the house and make it a sustainable place to live in terms of ongoing operational energy costs.
The challenge was how to retrofit the historic fabric to meet contemporary requirements for well insulated, air tight buildings and there was also a desire to forge a greater visual connection to the river and grounds from the accommodation in the new wing.
CSK ARCHITECTS
INTERNAL REMODELLING
The new principle bedroom is housed in the rear extension. Exposed finishes on the ceiling twinned with natural clay plasters provides a calm palette of materials. Views to the external parkland are framed through the varied window openings and skylights.
CSK ARCHITECTS
INTERNAL REMODELLING
Entrance corridor to principal bedroom.
The brick wall of the original house is exposed in the principal bedroom along with the two original windows in this wall which offer daylight to the bathroom behind.
RE-MODELLING
MAIN ENTRANCE HALL
This country house has a main entrance hall at the heart of the plan, this dates from the early 16th century.
In the reconfigured house plan, this hall is the first room guests enter, and it is from here that they access the main living accommodation and kitchen.
This is clearly a space that requires impact, the tapestries were restored, the timber rafters sanded back and the original flooring which was beyond repair was replaced with a new contemporary oak parquet.
A large stone fireplace and hearth in keeping with the period of the house was sourced from a reclamation yard.
All services were replaced including new LED lighting throughout.
RE-MODELLING
MAIN ENTRANCE HALL
This country house has a main entrance hall at the heart of the plan, this dates from the early 16th century.
In the reconfigured house plan, this hall is the first room guests enter, and it is from here that they access the main living accommodation and kitchen.
This is clearly a space that requires impact, the tapestries were restored, the timber rafters sanded back and the original flooring which was beyond repair was replaced with a new contemporary oak parquet.
A large stone fireplace and hearth in keeping with the period of the house was sourced from a reclamation yard.
All services were replaced including new LED lighting throughout.
RE-MODELLING
MAIN ENTRANCE HALL
This country house has a main entrance hall at the heart of the plan, this dates from the early 16th century.
In the reconfigured house plan, this hall is the first room guests enter, and it is from here that they access the main living accommodation and kitchen.
This is clearly a space that requires impact, the tapestries were restored, the timber rafters sanded back and the original flooring which was beyond repair was replaced with a new contemporary oak parquet.
A large stone fireplace and hearth in keeping with the period of the house was sourced from a reclamation yard.
All services were replaced including new LED lighting throughout.
STAIRCASES
Both the main staircase and secondary staircase were re-designed. Simple, contemporary timber detailing was applied to the design of both staircases to compliment the aged timber frame on show in the walls and ceilings.
The same species of timber-oak- was specified to make the material connection with existing. The existing oak beams which had been treated with an unattractive dark stain were sanded back to reveal the beauty of the natural wood.
CSK ARCHITECTS
before photo
before photo
MAIN STAIRCASE
With the main staircase we kept the bones of the existing stair and over-clad this with new oak treads and risers to match the new oak parquet floors. The balustrading was completely replaced to allow it to read as a new insertion.
before photo
NEW KITCHEN WING
The kitchen is located in the early twentieth century addition to the house and links the old house into the new extension. This provides an open plan kitchen, dining and living space. The configuration of the existing layout was such that there was no direct view of the river from the main reception rooms. The new extension was designed specifically to address this and provides a new family room, which has been elevated to maximise the vista.
CSK ARCHITECTS
NEW KITCHEN WING
The kitchen is located in the early twentieth century addition to the house and links the old house into the new extension. This provides an open plan kitchen, dining and living space. The configuration of the existing layout was such that there was no direct view of the river from the main reception rooms. The new extension was designed specifically to address this and provides a new family room, which has been elevated to maximise the vista.
CSK ARCHITECTS
FRAMING VIEWS
All of the windows and rooflights in the new rear extension have been carefully placed to frame the views
CSK ARCHITECTS
NEW LIVING ROOM
The kitchen is located in the early twentieth century addition to the house and links the old house into the new extension. This provides an open plan kitchen, dining and living space. The configuration of the existing layout was such that there was no direct view of the river from the main reception rooms. The new extension was designed specifically to address this and provides a new family room, which has been elevated to maximise the vista.
CSK ARCHITECTS
BOOTROOM
CSK ARCHITECTS
New contemporary oak joinery compliments existing oak beams in the new boot room. Finishes are simple and robust.
INTERIOR FEEL
Light wood was chosen for the interiors to lift the mood of the rooms. Contemporary art and detailing is set against the traditional details of the original fabric which has been restored.
CSK ARCHITECTS
REAR EXTENSION
The rear extension picks up on the palette of materials from the original house, but the detailing is crisp and contemporary.
The original timbers of the existing house were painted light grey to tie the whole elevation together.
CSK ARCHITECTS
before photo
FRONT ELEVATION
The rear extension picks up on the palette of materials from the original house, but the detailing is crisp and contemporary.
The original timbers of the existing house were painted light grey to tie the whole elevation together.
CSK ARCHITECTS
TRINITY PLACE
COMPLETE RESTORATION OF
LISTED VICTORIAN TOWN HOUSE
TRINITY PLACE
WINDSOR
Refurbished living / kitchen / dining room. Period features such as the cornice, parquet flooring and sash windows were restored and twinned with traditional style, new cast iron radiators and contemporary joinery and light fittings.
CSK ARCHITECTS
TRINITY PLACE
WINDSOR
Sash windows, cornices, fireplaces and architraves were restored. Floor boards were re-conditioned and a new contemporary kitchen inserted into the space.
CSK ARCHITECTS
Refurbished kitchen
TRINITY PLACE
WINDSOR
Reclaimed lighting and a vintage bistro mirror is paired with new, bespoke, contemporary joinery.
CSK ARCHITECTS
FRAMING VIEWS
Through the considered use of colour, views are currently framed and reframed as you move through the house, giving depth to long views across the width of the house. This is a view from the landing at first floor looking into the first floor sitting room.
TRINITY PLACE WINDSOR
First
the
CSK ARCHITECTS
floor sitting room overlooking
street. Full restoration of the original plaster skirtings, panelling, cornices, ceiling rose and fire place. New bespoke shutters, radiators and fitted book shelves.
TRINITY PLACE WINDSOR
First floor sitting room overlooking the street. Full restoration of original plaster skirtings, panelling, cornices, and fire place. Decades of paint layers were carefully stripped away to reveal the intricate detail beneath.
CSK ARCHITECTS
Before photos
TRINITY PLACE WINDSOR
A separate basement flat was re-integrated with the main house and what had been a bedroom was converted into a study. Layers of paint were removed from the original stone fire surround and the brick work opening was repainted. New bespoke timber shutters and joinery complete the traditional feel of the room.
CSK ARCHITECTS
TRINITY PLACE WINDSOR
A local joiner was employed to restore the original floor boards and parquet which were in a poor state of repair. New doors were purpose made to exactly match the moulding details left on the few remaining original doors. In turn these original doors were stripped back to reveal the intricate detailing.
CSK ARCHITECTS
TRINITY PLACE WINDSOR
A key element of restoration on this project was the uncovering of the original fire places and associated surrounds and the restoration of these features. These were meticulously worked on by a local craftsmen specialising in this work and these neglected features take pride of place in the composition of most of the finished rooms. A contemporary sensibility is employed in the choice of colour for the surrounds.
CSK ARCHITECTS
All detail obscured by 200 years worth of paint
Cast iron in the process of paint removal
Full detail revealed
Before photo
TRINITY PLACE WINDSOR
Image on the left showing restored fire place and door in master bedroom. A bold colour palette including a dark ceiling above the picture rail creates a more contemporary feel to the room.
Image on the right, framed view through to new second floor studio.
CSK ARCHITECTS
TRINITY PLACE BATHROOMS
Newly formed bathroom in place of a box bedroom on the 2nd floor. New purpose made shutters and panelling were twinned with reclaimed tiles and light fittings.
CSK ARCHITECTS
Box bedroom prior to refurbishment
TRINITY PLACE BATHROOMS
The principal bathroom is an eclectic mix of decorative tiles, bespoke joinery, antique furniture and contemporary light fittings. The hues are warm and soft.
CSK ARCHITECTS
TRINITY PLACE SHOWER ROOMS
Refurbished shower rooms are an eclectic mix of decorative tiles & fluted glazed shower screens in black plated metal frames twinned with bronze plated brassware. Period doors and panelling were restored and re-painted to unify the aesthetic.
CSK ARCHITECTS
TRINITY PLACE SHOWER ROOMS
The ground floor WC was refurbished and a new shower room inserted at basement level. Reclaimed floor tiles, mirror and light fittings combine with a dark colour palette to create rich sensory environments.
CSK ARCHITECTS
TRINITY PLACE SHOWER ROOMS
The second floor bathroom was totally overhauled. Some original timber hooks were discovered in one of the existing pieces of built in joinery. These were then used as a template for a local joiner to turn new pegs to match. An original tongue and groove panel wall was also uncovered during the build, restored and celebrated in the new shower room.
Photo of bathroom as existing. All existing sanitaryware was stripped out and a new palette of materials was employed to create a bright, contemporary room.
CSK ARCHITECTS
TRINITY PLACE
CSK RECLAIM
We carried out a demolition audit at the start of this project to identify listed and non listed features worthy of retention / restoration. To this existing palette we added a selection of reclaimed materials to curate our interior aesthetic.
We employed local craftsmen to restore the fire places and local joiners to repurpose the floor boards.
The love and care involved in breathing new life into this neglected fabric is evident in every room as you walk around this house. We offer a full sourcing and interior design service using reclaimed fittings and salvaged materials.
CSK ARCHITECTS
PHOENIX HOUSE
NEW BUILD HOUSE BUILT FROM RECLAIMED MATERIALS ON SITE
PHOENIX HOUSE
A contemporary revival of St. Leonard's hill. This project is a circular economy exemplar and a LETI pioneer project, targeting embodied carbon.
CSK Architects have been granted planning permission for an innovative net zero carbon dwelling that the regional Design Review Panel have judged to be of exceptional design quality. ‘Very special circumstances in the Green Belt' was approved with unanimous support from The Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead. Located on the historic site of an C18th mansion that was home to two former British prime ministers, the proposal has also been commended for its approach to both sustainability and heritage. The project will exploit the unusual historical circumstances of the site to become a circular economy re-use exemplar, aiming to build the load-bearing masonry structure using only stone and brick salvaged from the rubble of the original house that is now strewn around the gardens. The typology of the courtyard house has been used to incorporate a historic stone colonnade, the only part of the original mansion still intact.
The proposal represents the latest stage in the historical lifecycle of the property, re-inhabiting the site for at least several generations to come, and of course it is hoped that the design quality of the house will result in its continued use over hundreds of years. If or when for any reason the building reaches the end of its life, it has been designed in such a way that it will be able to contribute to another iteration of the English country house - or indeed any other type of building that might be required in this location in the future.
CSK ARCHITECTS
ENGRAVING OF ST. LEONARD'S HILL (GLOUCESTER LODGE) 1780
MID 19TH C PHOTO OF THE SOUTH-EAST FRONT OF THE GEORGIAN HOUSE ENLARGED VICTORIAN MANSION 1870-1920
DERELICT STRUCTURE 1935 FOLLOWING PARTIAL DEMOLITION
PHOENIX HOUSE - 2020
FRAGMENTARY RUINS IN THE LANDSCAPE 1950-2020
PHOENIX HOUSE
We made maximum use of the foundations and the existing ruin was incorporated into the design of the courtyard house, becoming the fourth wing of the courtyard.
A rigorous and thoughtful design process has enabled the sympathetic utilisation of the existing ruins in the new scheme. Initially a full three dimensional mapping of the ruins was carried out. The information from this informed a spatial strategy for the new house plan, with the colonnade and vaults themselves becoming the fourth wing of the proposed courtyard house.
"Great are the ideas that ruins awaken in me. Everything is annihilated, everything perishes, and everything passes away. There is only the world that remains. There is only time that endures. How old this world is! I walk between two eternities."
CSK ARCHITECTS
This project is about the re-use of on site resources to create architectural character and minimise embodied carbon. It is a circular economy exemplar benchmarking new standards for the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead.
Existing brick and stone, which is scattered throughout the site, is being salvaged for re-use. The design of the new house has evolved from this reclaimed material with a language of brick arches at lower ground level and a trabeated stone frame at upper ground level.
The brickwork will use lime mortar and the stone will be retained in larger pieces where possible to allow for future re-use, allowing circular construction into the future.
All of the stone from the site was gathered, numbered and scanned to create a digital quarry.
CSK ARCHITECTS
PHOENIX HOUSE
Stone re-use project: both for structure and cladding. We assembled a test portal with the help of expert stone masons. The goal was to express re-use through minimal machining. In this way the elevations developed a unique architectural character.
As part of the feasibility study of re-using stone on the site for the structural portal we did a full size test mock-up. This exercise was carried out in collaboration with UCL.
We were keen to find architectural character through re-use. Where possible the stone is left un-cut as a memory to the former building.
Digital scanning technology was employed for maximum stone use.
Alongside the stone re-use, all the bricks were collected and sorted and stacked on pallets. Tests were undertaken as to the brick strength. Sample panels were prepared with lime mortar exploring a variety of brick bonds. In some of the sample panels we used the broken bricks to both minimise waste and create architectural character. This creates rustic coursing towards the base of the building.
CSK ARCHITECTS
PHOENIX HOUSE
As part of the feasibility study of re-using stone on the site for the structural portal we did a full size test mock-up. This exercise was carried out in collaboration with UCL.
We were keen to find architectural character through re-use. Where possible the stone is left un-cut as a memory to the former building.
Digital scanning technology was employed for maximum stone utilisation.
RESOURCE
EXTRACTION & COLLECTION
Alongside the stone re-use, all the bricks were collected and sorted and stacked on pallets. Tests were undertaken as to the brick strength. Sample panels were prepared with lime mortar exploring a variety of brick bonds. In some of the sample panels we used the broken bricks to both minimise waste and create architectural character. This creates rustic coursing towards the base of the building.
CSK ARCHITECTS
PHOENIX HOUSE
into
Visualisation looking
the new courtyard standing on the existing ruins which forms one wing of the courtyard house.
PHOENIX HOUSE
Visualisation of south elevation. The existing ruin forms one wing of the new courtyard house.
PHOENIX HOUSE
Visualisation of existing kitchen courtyard.
The new two storey wing forms a backstop to this courtyard and creates an external room.
The archive at lower ground floor opens into this space.
The original wall and floor tiling from what was the servant's quarters is left as a final finish. Bullets holes in the brickwork from when the army requisitioned the house during the war are also visible in this courtyard.
CSK ARCHITECTS
PHOENIX HOUSE
Phase 1 - aerial view showing foundation pattern of original house. Existing footings reused where possible - design of house aligned to maximise re-use. New foundations stitched in where needed.
PHOENIX HOUSE
Progress photos of the new house emerging from the ruins.
Below ground services, ground floor slab and retaining walls have been completed as part of Phase 1. Cast in the shadow of the original ruins they signal the beginning of a new chapter in the history of St. Leonard's hill.
CSK ARCHITECTS
CORK HOUSE
CORK HOUSE . ETON
NEW BUILD -SOLID PLANT BASED CONSTRUCTION
NEW BUILD - PRIVATE RESIDENTIAL
SOLID PLANT BASED CONSTRUCTION
CORK HOUSE . ETON
A WHOLE LIFE APPROACH
Cork House is the result of a whole life approach to environmental sustainability from first principles - and as such is the origin of the phrase 'Form Follows Life Cycle.'
It is a brand new and radically simple form of plant-based construction. Monolithic walls and corbelled roofs are made almost entirely from solid load-bearing cork – a biorenewable material that is sourced from a biodiverse landscape. Conceived as a kit-ofparts, cork blocks and engineered timber components are prefabricated off-site and assembled by hand on-site without mortar or glue. This highly innovative 'Cork Construction Kit' is designed for disassembly, is carbon-negative at completion and has exceptionally low whole life carbon.
CSK ARCHITECTS
CORK HOUSE . ETON
FORM FOLLOWS LIFECYCLE - INHABITATION
Like the external form, the character of the interior spaces is also the direct result of life cycle decisions regarding material, construction and structure - the monolithic raw material is exposed, all construction joints are visible, and there is a strong sense of weight being carried through the roof and walls.
The cork also creates a very rich sensory environment - the walls have a visual texture and are gentle to the touch, the space has a calm acoustic, with a rather lovely smoky aroma which comes from the cooking process.
CSK ARCHITECTS
CORK HOUSE . ETON
FORM FOLLOWS LIFECYCLE- INHABITATION
Imagine being inside a space protected by walls that are warm and gentle to the touch. Walls that are solid from inside to outside and even smell good. Walls built by you from a single natural material. A material that grows on trees and is harvested by hand. Harvested every nine years leaving the tree standing and the forest undisturbed. A forest that supports a wide range of plants and animals, including the endangered Iberian lynx.
You are in the Cork House
CSK ARCHITECTS
CORK HOUSE . ETON
CORK HOUSE . ETON
FORM FOLLOWS LIFECYCLEEND OF LIFE DESIGN FOR DISASSEMBLY
Every detail in the house has been designed for disassembly, using friction fit for the cork blocks, and accessible screws and bolts for timber structure, doors and windows, floorboards, and all furniture, fixtures and fittings.
CORK HOUSE . ETON
CORK FORESTRY IS PART OF A BIODIVERSE ECOSYSTEM. CORK IS HARVESTED BY HAND EVERY 9 YEARS WITHOUT HARMING THE TREE
EXPANDED CORK IS MADE WITH WASTE AND BY-PRODUCT FROM CORK FORESTRY AND CORK INDUSTRY
EXPANDED CORK IS MADE WITHOUT ANY ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS, USING 93% OF ENERGY FROM WASTE BIOMASS
BLOCKS ARE CNC MACHINED PRECISELY TO ALLOW FOR FRICTION-FIT DRY CONSTRUCTION WITHOUT MORTAR OR GLUE
FORM FOLLOWS LIFECYCLE - SUMMARY
In summary: the raw material is harvested from a biodiverse landscape without disturbing the forest – expanded cork uses waste and by-product from cork forestry, which is cooked with no additional ingredients using energy from waste biomass – the blocks are CNC machined to allow assembly on site by hand without mortar or glue – as a building it has a specific form driven by its life cycle – and at end of life, blocks can be disassembled for re-use, recycling into the manufacturing chain, or returning to the soil to biodegrade and generate new growth.
BUILDING FORM IS A DIRECT RESULT OF THE SIMPLE FORM OF ASSEMBLY
DESIGNED FOR DISASSEMBLY SO BLOCKS CAN BE RECOVERED FOR RE-USE
OR PROCESSING AND RECYCLING FOR MANUFACTURING
OR RETURN TO THE BIOSPHERE TO REGENERATE NEW GROWTH
CORK HOUSE . ETON
THE EARTH SYSTEM
CULTURE AND NATURAL SYSTEMS
Cork House is an attempt to demonstrate the potential for a balanced relationship between construction systems and regenerative earth systems, and to create distinctive forms and spaces in the process.
OLD SAN JUAN
OLD SAN JUAN
RETROFIT OF HISTORIC FABRIC & EXTENSION
RETROFIT OF HISTORIC FABRIC & EXTENSION
OLD SAN JUAN
Retrofit of original art deco house - circa 1933. Designed for the Head of Cunard - in the style of an ocean liner, and is discernibly 'streamline moderne' in style.
Winner of RIBA Downlands prize for retrofit of historic fabric.
When the new owners purchased the property the house was in poor condition, badly extended with the loss of plan and form. Prior to our involvement many of the original features, such as the Crittall windows and internal details, had been stripped out. Unsympathetic UPVC conservatory extensions had been added to both front and rear without reference to the original character. The fabric itself was suffering with water ingress. Our advice was to restore the building, create additional accommodation and rationalise the plan. This was achieved by sensitive remodelling and extension, bringing light into the heart of the building. The character of the house was restored, acknowledging the geometry, clarity and style of the host building.
In considering every aspect of the design it was considered important to reinforce the Art Deco Style, whilst introducing a minimalist and modern addition, stitching together old and new fabrics and ensuring that integrity of the design of the original building is always clear. The design of the extension continues the Art Deco tradition, emphasising the curving forms within, whilst expressing long horizontal lines externally with bands of glazing and corner windows topped with a flat roof and crisp coping detail.
CSK ARCHITECTS
OLD SAN JUAN
Re-modelled rear elevation showing large new rear extension housing a new kitchen and pool at ground floor and a new master bedroom suite above.
The house sits in a large parkland setting.
OLD SAN JUAN
The scheme included a full re-modelling of the plan and grounds.
OLD SAN JUAN
The project included a large rear extension and a new indoor pool and fitness centre.
All windows were replaced and the house was rendered with an external insulated render to improve operational performance.
FARMWORKER'S COTTAGE
PRIVATE RESIDENTIAL
RETROFIT OF HISTORIC FABRIC
FARMWORKER'S COTTAGE.
RODE
Restoration and retrofit of historic fabric using traditional techniques. These included the use of lime render and horse hair plaster. These materials were used to be sympathetic to the original fabric and allow the construction to breathe. The cottage was opened up internally and walls and ceilings were stripped back and laid bare to express the beauty of the original construction.
CSK Reclaim were involved in sourcing light fittings, tiles, radiators, mirrors and floor boards to complement the aesthetic and minimise embodied carbon. Original finishes were uncovered on site and left exposed.
The original fabric was fully insulated to get an EPC A rating.
The kitchen was also designed using re-purposed materials from the original cottage.
CSK ARCHITECTS
FARMWORKER'S COTTAGE.
RODE
Restoration and retrofit of historic fabric using traditional techniques. These included the use of lime render and horse hair plaster. These materials were used to be sympathetic to the original fabric and allow the construction to breathe. The cottage was opened up internally and walls and ceilings were stripped back and laid bare to express the beauty of the original construction.
CSK Reclaim were involved in sourcing light fittings, tiles, radiators, mirrors and floor boards to complement the aesthetic and minimise embodied carbon. Original finishes were uncovered on site and left exposed.
The original fabric was fully insulated to get an EPC A rating.
The kitchen was also designed using re-purposed materials from the original cottage.
CSK ARCHITECTS
9 PARK STREET
COMPLETE RESTORATION OF
LISTED GEORGIAN TOWN HOUSE
WINDSOR
Restoration involving the complete re-building of a grade ll* listed Georgian townhouse following a catastrophic fire.
The full re-construction which was required included obtaining planning and listed building consent for a contemporary lower ground floor extension to the rear of the house.
The use of reclaimed materials and a strong emphasis on using specialised craftspersons ensured that the end result stood well alongside the adjoining listed terrace and fully respected the building’s heritage. The introduction of a contemporary aesthetic to the rear lower ground allowed the open plan living accommodation at this level to fully interact with the external space and single storey garden studio beyond.
Image on the far right shows the rear of the house following the fire. The first floor bay window was faithfully reconstructed and a new contemporary extension added at lower ground floor to forge a strong relationship with the garden from within the new kitchen.
The use of reclaimed materials and a strong emphasis on using specialised craftspersons ensured that the end result stood well alongside the adjoining listed terrace and fully respected the building’s heritage. The introduction of a contemporary aesthetic to the rear lower ground allowed the open plan living accommodation at this level to fully interact with the external space and single storey garden studio beyond.
WINDSOR
The interior combines authentic period detailing with modern fittings and construction technologies.
66 BRICK LANE SPITALFIELDS
New build end of terrace house in Fournier Street Conservation Area.
Winner of the RIBA Downlands prize for urban regeneration.
Situated within the Fournier Street Conservation Area to the west of Spitalfields market, this project reinstated the end of an C18th terrace on Brick Lane which had been demolished for an unrealised roadwidening scheme in the 1970s. The building as an individual construction defers to the unity of the terrace and the city. Although this determined a strong relationship to existing context, upon closer inspection the building quietly distinguishes itself as a contemporary intervention.
In order to retain the primacy of the main high street in relation to the narrow side street, the flank wall is used to articulate the building as ‘an end’ rather than ‘a corner’. Internally, two interlocking principal spaces reveal the particular character of this narrow three-sided site - a continuous living space at first floor that wraps around the shaft of the four-storey staircase.
66 BRICK LANE SPITALFIELDS
New build end of terrace house in Fournier Street Conservation Area.
Winner of the RIBA Downlands prize for urban regeneration.
The stair is designed to provide a different relationship to the site at each level, using geometry, materials, natural light and view to create a vertical progression from the intensity of the local street life to the airy calm at the top of the building.
Published:
RIBA Architecture Review South East (RIBA south-east region)
Conservation Planning (Planning Aid for London Authorities)
66 BRICK LANE SPITALFIELDS
The relatively coarse treatment of re-used and unpointed London Stock brick forms a robust and sympathetic backdrop for the considerable wear and tear of life in this area.
"On an end-of-terrace corner plot, the building as an individual house defers to the unity of the terrace and the city. Although this determined a strong relationship to existing context, upon closer inspection the building quietly distinguishes itself as a contemporary intervention."
66 BRICK LANE SPITALFIELDS
The relatively coarse treatment of re-used and unpointed London Stock brick forms a robust and sympathetic backdrop for the considerable wear and tear of life in this area.
The interiors have a richness which speak of the life and history of the owners. The modernist pared back canvas offers the perfect backdrop for this layering of 'things'.
YOULBURY HOUSE
66 BRICK LANE
COUNTRY ESTATE
LISTED CONTEMPORARY HOUSE
YOULBURY HOUSE BOARS HILL
Youlbury House is a 1960s grade ll listed country house sitting in landscaped parkland of approximately 10 hectares. The site is in the Green Belt on the edge of Corallion Ridge.
The house was originally developed by the eminent archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans in the late C19th in the form of a large, rambling 22 bedroom Victorian mansion. At this time he also established the 'Pleasure Gardens' with a man-made lake. The current house is a replacement dwelling constructed in 1969, by Hall Moggridge. The house has been precisely positioned to exploit the steeply sloping topography of the site - a bold geometric volume extends from a single storey at its northern end and rises via a dramatic longitudinal mono-pitch to the three and a half storey south elevation, overlooking the small pond and landscaped ‘naturalistic’ gardens, with views to the larger Youlbury Pool beyond.
YOULBURY HOUSE BOARS HILL
The house has been precisely positioned to exploit the steeply sloping topography of the site - a bold geometric volume extends from a single storey at its northern end and rises via a dramatic longitudinal mono-pitch to the three and a half storey south elevation, overlooking the small pond and landscaped ‘naturalistic’ gardens, with views to the larger Youlbury Pool beyond. The most important views of the house in its setting are from the surrounding landscaped gardens to the west and south-west.
CSK ARCHITECTS
YOULBURY BOARS HILL
Our proposed extension is set to the east of the dwelling into the escarpment down to the small pond to the south and Youlbury Pool, further to the south west
The new outbuildings are clustered around a courtyard to the north west of the house, surrounded by mature trees. They are single storey, of simple modern design and constructed from locally sourced timber post and beams with timber cladding, in keeping with the existing dwelling clad in Western Red Cedar.
YOULBURY BOARS HILL
The new outbuildings are clustered around a courtyard to the north west of the house, surrounded by mature trees. They are single storey, of simple modern design and constructed from locally sourced timber post and beams with timber cladding, in keeping with the existing dwelling clad in Western Red Cedar.
APPLESTORE
PRIVATE RESIDENTIAL
NEW BUILD - GREEN BELT
APPLESTORE
New build contemporary house with ancillary home office housed in a garden pavilion and a separate pool pavilion, with home gym. The site is located in the Green Belt in Runnymede. The brief from the client was to maximise the area under the Green Belt rules and to design a house which took full advantage of the parkland setting. The scheme included extensive landscaping works and stabling.
The principal house, clad in Portland stone is designed around a natural stone spine wall which splits the sleeping accommodation from the living and entertaining spaces. This spine wall reaches out into the landscape to draw the visitor towards the house. Formal gardens to the north are anchored by the existing monkey puzzle tree and provide external rooms for each of the bedrooms.
CSK ARCHITECTS
APPLESTORE
New build country house with ancillary pool building, home office, stables and riding arena.
Planning area was maximised in the Green Belt through using permitted development to its full potential.
During the restoration and extension to a Grade II* listed Georgian town house in Windsor, the building was badly damaged in a devastating fire in 2013. A full re-construction was required which included obtaining planning and listed building consent for a contemporary lower ground floor extension to the rear of the house.
The use of reclaimed materials and a strong emphasis on using specialised craftspersons ensured that the end result stood well alongside the adjoining listed terrace and fully respected the building’s heritage. The introduction of a contemporary aesthetic to the rear lower ground allowed the open plan living accommodation at this level to fully interact with the external space and single storey garden studio beyond.
CSK ARCHITECTS
APPLESTORE
The home office in the grounds of the main house was constructed under permitted development. This meant that the roof height of the pavilion was restricted to 3 meters and so we partially sunk the building into the ground. This both achieves a generous head height internally and gives the feeling of being ‘embedded.’ The pavilion is accessed via a small, sunken courtyard to the east. A battered Portland stone wall guides visitors towards the front door of the main house and helps to define the parking forecourt. Inside the building, a polished, concrete desk runs into the cill of the window which follows the sweep of the park outside and reflects the foliage. When you are seated at this desk it reads as a continuation of the ground plane.
Images on the right show the bespoke stair well in the main house.
APPLESTORE
Portland stone spine wall with cantilevered Portland stone treads. We worked with specialist stone masons to achieve the meticulous co-ordination required in exposing stone throughout the interiors.
A three storey lightwell at the heart of the house drops daylight into the newly formed basement.
Images on the right show two of the ensuite bathrooms.
CSK ARCHITECTS
APPLESTORE
An internal pool and home gym in the grounds of the main house was constructed under 'Permitted Development.' A full width basement was included as this was not counted as area by the local authority. Large lightwells were designed to make this space useable.
On this site we maximised the planning potential in the Green Belt and designed valuable outbuildings which enhanced the overall composition as a collection of buildings sitting as one family in the wider landscape.
A river of grasses creates an informal axis from the Monkey Puzzle tree to the obelisk of the farside of the parkland.
CSK ARCHITECTS
HEMP COTTAGES
NEW BUILD HEMPCRETE FARM WORKER'S
COTTAGES AT WALTHAM PLACE FARM
NEW BUILD TIMBER & HEMPCRETE COTTAGES
A project is under progress to build five farm worker's cottages at Waltham Place Farm using a timber frame with hempcrete infill. The farm have grown the hemp on site. Planning permission has been obtained in the Green Belt for this development based on 'exceptional design' and it being an environmental exemplar.
This scheme was described by the SouthEast Design Review Panel as 'both outstanding and innovative and promoting high levels of sustainabilty'. It was also noted as an 'exemplary holistic design which was thoroughly endorsed and supported by the panel'
NEW BUILD TIMBER & HEMPCRETE COTTAGES
We are proposing the hemp on the interior. We did a test project on the farm where we cast hemp vaults on the ceiling and exposed the timber rafters.
CSK ARCHITECTS
WALTHAM PLACE FARM
The farm worker's cottages open out into a central growing space. This also acts as a community space to run workshops centred on sustainable farming such as seed collecting workshops, or compost workshops. It also doubles as a social space for the farm worker's. Solar gains are used in the heat pumps of the cottages.
NEW BUILD TIMBER & HEMPCRETE COTTAGES
Cross section through a typical farm worker's cottage arranged over two floors. The kitchens open out onto the central growing space and the living rooms open out onto the orchard.
Recycled scaffold boards are used for the external cladding along with hempcrete boards - made with a bio resin.
Bottom left, is a view from the first floor bedroom window into the main central greenhouse space.
