Front view of the stone house.

Location: 130 Hemingford Road, London, UK
Construction cost: £700K
Start on the site date: 11/03/2020
Completion date: 15/01/2021
Gross internal floor area: 260m2
Form of contract: JCT Minor Works
Architects: Architecture for London
Structural engineer: Architecture for London
Main contractor: IC&T Projects Ltd
Photographer: Building Narratives

About Studio

Our aim is to improve people’s lives by reimagining the places in which we live and work. The studio is a collaborative team of architects, and landscape and interior designers. We work at all scales, from furniture to bespoke private homes and commercial developments. We are an RIBA Chartered Practice based in London.

Environmental impact is a key consideration in our work. We take a research-based, fabric-first approach to sustainability that carefully considers the embodied energy of materials and the performance of our buildings in use. Director and architect Ben Ridley is a Passivhaus designer.

A house with lots of room for gatherings and family activities.
A house with lots of room for gatherings and family activities.
The house has a visible outer structure made of concrete, wood, and glass.
The house has a visible outer structure made of concrete, wood, and glass.
A glass door with a combination of wood may be seen up close.
A glass door with a combination of wood may be seen up close.
Because of the light that enters via the glass doors, it could be bright inside.
Because of the light that enters via the glass doors, it could be bright inside.
The rear addition is fashioned after a pavilion made of stone.
The rear addition is fashioned after a pavilion made of stone.
A quiet yoga studio offers a serene setting with a wide-open view of the sky.
A quiet yoga studio offers a serene setting with a wide-open view of the sky.
The living room has a cheerful atmosphere, and you can sense the natural aura of the surroundings thanks to the tiny plants and light that comes in through the window.
The living room has a cheerful atmosphere, and you can sense the natural aura of the surroundings thanks to the tiny plants and light that comes in through the window.
The white walls and ceiling, along with a chandelier, add brightness to the entire living area.
The white walls and ceiling, along with a chandelier, add brightness to the entire living area.
The living room becomes even more beautiful when you take a closer look at the pink bench and fuzzy carpet.
The living room becomes even more beautiful when you take a closer look at the pink bench and fuzzy carpet.
The dining room and kitchen are in the bottom level.
The dining room and kitchen are on the bottom level.
Opening up, the bottom level was replaced by a kitchen with a four-meter-long stone island.
Opening up, the bottom level was replaced by a kitchen with a four-meter-long stone island.
The kitchen contains concrete wall, stone sink, and a wooden cabinetry, over-all it suits.
The kitchen contains a concrete wall, a stone sink, and wooden cabinetry, overall it suits.
White sheets and a lovely wallpaper cover the bed in the bedroom, which has a color scheme of white and grey.
White sheets and lovely wallpaper cover the bed in the bedroom, which has a color scheme of white and grey.
Wooden floors and cabinetry provide a nice combination in the bedroom.
Wooden floors and cabinetry provide a nice combination in the bedroom.
The natural stone was chosen because of its low embodied energy and was sourced locally.
The natural stone was chosen because of its low embodied energy and was sourced locally.
The bathroom is fully equipped.
The bathroom is fully equipped.
Grey, black, and white are used in combination to create the bathroom's gloomy qualities.
Grey, black, and white are used in combination to create the bathroom’s gloomy qualities.
This one is excellent because of the windows' natural light.
This one is excellent because of the windows’ natural light.

This Grade II listed villa in Islington, London was extended and refurbished to create a home with generous spaces for gathering and family life. The rear extension is designed as a stone pavilion. The agglomerate stone forms a plinth upon which limestone piers rise, forming the structure of the extension.

The natural stone was locally sourced and selected for its low embodied energy. Heavy oak framed glazing follows the proportions of the historic facade with a large pivot hinge door opening onto the terrace. Externally an oversized concrete header was honed to reveal limestone quarried in Derbyshire, its visual weight suggesting permanence.

The existing rear lightwell has been extended to form a stepped sunken terrace of bush-hammered stone appearing to have been carved into a rock face. The terrace curves to follow the sun’s path throughout the afternoon in a series of benches bathed in light. Previously the lower ground floor was divided into smaller dark spaces, which have been opened up and replaced with a kitchen centered around a four-meter-long stone island.

A secluded room for yoga provides a contemplative space, with an expansive view of the sky inspired by James Turrell’s skyspace structures. The bathrooms continue the notion of carved-out spaces. The rich textures of limestone and Tadelakt walls create cave-like monastic rooms dedicated to the daily rituals of ablution.

Related Posts