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HOUSE STYLE
West London architects Michaelis Boyd are currently working on Battersea Power Station; previous projects include this house in Clarendon Road W11 Wo r d s A l e x M i c h a e l i s & T i m B oy d
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THE BRIEF
he owners are live-in developers, buying properties, and project managing the build themselves while the reconstruction process goes on. They bought a very rundown 1960s brick house, which had been wedged into a Second World War bombsite, and planned to knock it down to build a bold, modernist house from scratch. Once we had handed over our plans, they were off. The brief presented us with a problem because the planning department wanted a house in keeping with the rest of the street; Clarendon Road is made up of predominantly Victorian Stucco houses. After careful negotiation we persuaded the council that it would be impossible to replicate a Victorian house in such a narrow space but that a dramatic modern house would be a great improvement on the previous 60s build.
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2 One of the four bedrooms with views over leafy gardens to the back of the house. As we were replacing a 1960s house with a new-build, there was no need to add in any original features, and the effect is highly contemporary and calm. 3 The top floor landing is illuminated by rooflights over the stair void, and the glass back to the stairwell allows light to flood downwards. Oak flooring throughout the house warms the cooler white palette of the walls. 4 Many of our projects are defined by their staircases; it is an opportunity to combine a strong visual design impact with a thoughtful use of space. Space was tight for this project so the stairs run like a ribbon in a void from floor to floor, only turning once at ground level and eliminating the extra space a landing would take up.
1 The elevation is an exercise in Bauhaus like minimalism. The plain windows break up a simple white rendered facade. The long slot window above the front door reflects the stairwell behind.
ABSOLUTELY MAGAZINES
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