houses

Zarkon Group Real Estate Builders & Developers > Blog > houses

Tag: houses

Monumental brick arches outline London houses by The DHaus Company
CategoriesArchitecture

Monumental brick arches outline London houses by The DHaus Company

By Zarkon Group,

Architecture studio The DHaus Company has completed The Arches, a row of six brick-clad townhouses in a north London conservation area.

Replacing a derelict petrol station, the terrace is named after the monumental arches that form the facades of each partially sunken, three-level home.

Facade with sunken patio at The Arches townhouses by The DHaus Company
The Arches are townhouses partially sunken underground. Photo is by AVR London

The DHaus Company designed the row to echo its surroundings, which include Georgian-era housing named Grove Terrace and a row of Victorian railway arches.

The arch is a recurring motif, so the studio decided to create a contemporary interpretation.

Arched window with pivoting glass
The facade is formed of a series of arches. Photo is by Richard Chivers

“We undertook a study of local buildings in and around the local area,” explained architects David Ben-Grunberg and Daniel Woolfson, the founders of The DHaus Company.

“These buildings highlighted a strong mixture of rectangles and arches set within a brick canvas,” they said.

The site is a highly prominent location within the Dartmouth Park Conservation Area, so the design process involved lengthy consultation.

Night view of The Arches townhouses by The DHaus Company
The height matches a petrol station previously on the site. Photo is by AVR London

As Ben-Grunberg grew up in the area, and Woolfson had lived nearby, the pair were able to use their instincts to come up with a design that felt appropriate for the setting.

A key aspect was the decision to partially sink the buildings below ground, so the roof is no higher than the petrol station that occupied the site previously.

Rear elevation of townhouses in London
Scallop-patterned window screens reference the arch motif. Photo is by AVR London

Another idea was to reinstate green spaces along the street both in front and behind the terrace.

“Our initial design idea was inspired by the historic green lung of open green spaces along the Highgate Road,” said the duo.

“This meant reinstating the green lung as close to how it was back in 1873 – a futuristic Victorian throwback.”

Pivoting window leading into bedroom of The Arches townhouses by The DHaus Company
Pivoting glass doors are set within one row of arches. Photo is by Richard Chivers

The view seen by most passersby is of the west-facing facade. Here, two rows of arches provide balconies for the two upper levels, while a glass-fronted basement opens out to a sunken patio.

“Because of the stepped nature of the site, this lower level does not feel like a basement,” said Ben-Grunberg and Woolfson.

“The living spaces enjoy a secluded feel with plenty of access to natural light despite sitting close to the main road.”

Entrances are located on the east-facing side, which has more of a quiet, residential feel.

Here, a single row of arches incorporates screens with a matching scallop pattern, while a second sunken patio helps to bring more natural light down to the floor below.

Bedroom of London townhouse by The DHaus Company
Each home contains three bedrooms. Photo is by AVR London

Inside, each 130-square-metre home has a layout that places a lounge, dining area and kitchen on the lowest level, and three bedrooms and a study across the upstairs floors.

Concrete retaining walls are an essential part of the build, but other parts of the structure are constructed from prefabricated timber components.

Living space at The Arches townhouses by The DHaus Company
A study could serve as a fourth bedroom. Photo is by Richard Chivers

The arches are also concrete, clad with red-brick slips that match the tone of the adjacent brickwork.

“We explored brick bonding patterns to differentiate the different areas of the building and give order to each facade,” said Ben-Grunberg and Woolfson.

The homes are topped by green roofs and photovoltaic solar panels.

Kitchen and living space sunken below street level
Kitchen and living spaces open out to a sunken patio. Photo is by Richard Chivers

The DHaus Company is best known for its experimental approach to residential design, on projects like its shape-shifting house concept and the playful Columbia Road extension.

More recently, the studio completed an overhaul of The Bull and Last, a pub located very close to The Arches, with the addition of two Japanese-inspired duplex flats.

Arched windows in brick facade of The Arches townhouses by The DHaus Company
The arches are pre-cast concrete and clad with brick slips. Photo is by Richard Chivers

The completion of this project marks the end of a five-year project, delayed by both the planning process and Covid-19 pandemic. Visualisations were first published on Dezeen in 2019.

“Over the last five years, this project has been such a big part of our lives,” concluded the studio.

Project credits

Architect: DHaus
Client: Design Ventures/EFKERIA
Structural engineer: AMA
Planning department: Camden
Planning consultant: The Heritage Practise
Glazing contractor: Vitrocsa by Brava Windows
Brickwork: Ibstock

Reference

A hi-tech factory for sustainable, modular houses
CategoriesSustainable News

A hi-tech factory for sustainable, modular houses

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: Modular housebuilder TopHat, which claims to be the UK’s first zero-embodied-carbon home builder, recently announced that it will be opening a hi-tech home building facility in Corby, Northampton next year. The new factory will be 650,000 square feet in size and will incorporate the latest in robotic technology.

TopHat was founded in 2016 and began production in early 2018 at its manufacturing facility in South Derbyshire. The company builds modular, zero-carbon homes with a sustainable core. The company claims their homes have less than one-twenty-seventh the embodied carbon of a traditionally built home. To achieve this, the company uses low-carbon materials, such as timber, while reducing waste and travel at every stage.

One way that TopHat achieves its low-carbon usage is through the streamlined logistics and lean manufacturing techniques that are made possible by building modular homes in a factory using robotics. The company is also able to tailor solutions to clients, acting as either a supplier, contractor, or developer. The first residential site to use TopHat’s product was the historic Kitchener Barracks in Chatham, Kent, which opened in 2019. The company has also seen a £75 million (around €89 million) capital investment from Goldman Sachs, which has helped to finance the new factory.

There is no end of creative proposals for developing housing that is both more affordable and more sustainable. Springwise has often covered innovations in this space. Some of the most recent have included carbon-neutral tiny homes, all-timber buildings and the use of tech to maximise efficiency and sustainability. 

Written By: Lisa Magloff

11th July 2022

Website: tophat.io

Contact: tophat.io/contact-us

Reference

Coach Houses Are Full of Creative Potential
CategoriesArchitecture

Coach Houses Are Full of Creative Potential

By Zarkon Group,

Architizer is thrilled to announce the winners of the 10th Annual A+Awards! Want to earn global recognition for your projects? Sign up to be notified when the 11th Annual A+Awards program launches.  

Coach houses first appeared in England around the 18th century and eventually took off in the United States a century later. Such structures were originally intended to store horse-drawn carriages and eventually used to house automobiles. Unlike a modern-day garage, coach houses were a symbol of status; only a select few could afford personal transportation and as a result, these structures were reserved for the wealthy. The traditional coach followed a distinct layout, they were typically two-storied volumes built separately from the main dwelling. There was space designated for the carriage and a private room built for the driver. These structures were functional in nature and reflected the architectural aesthetic of the main house.

Today, those fortunate enough to come across a property with an existing coach house have the chance to restore and rebuild the edifice into whatever they please. Whether it be an elevated garage or a cozy apartment, the potentialities of a coach house are limitless.

Photo by Harold Clark

Photo by Harold Clark

Cabbagetown Coach House by CORE Architects Inc., Toronto, Canada

This Toronto coach house was remodeled into a functional and minimalist apartment. The coach is roughly 2,500 square feet, which meant that all desired functions and amenities could be easily equipped in the home. The two-storied coach house features a spacious living room, a comfortable kitchen and a separate formal dining area. The dining room was positioned in the atrium to maximize space and comfort as the homeowners enjoy cooking. The kitchen is finished with stainless steel counters, a built-in cutting board and an “appliance garage” perfect for the cooking enthusiast. Bi-fold doors in the living room lead onto a relaxed outdoor courtyard space. The outdoors can equally be enjoyed by the upstairs master bedroom, which leads onto an upper floor exterior space.

Coach House Restaurant by SHH, London, United Kingdom

Located on the historic grounds of Hatfield House is a renovated 19th-century coach now turned elevated eatery. The premise of this construction was to create a space that would maximize revenue, increase year-round access and contribute to the cost of maintaining the historic property. In order to do so, the architects designed a dining space that could be enjoyed by the site’s visitors, tenants and nearby residents.

The coach house was redone using materials that reflected the original 19th-century structure and surrounding buildings. The architects blended older-appearing materials with a contemporary design to create a functional dining environment. The original tea house was expanded to two floors, with a glass extension leading to the exterior grounds. Moreover, a rooftop terrace can be accessed via a central spiral staircase. The renovation has increased the floor space by 70 percent and offers a deli, bakery and chef’s table option.

Flynn Mews House by Lorcan O’Herlihy Architects (LOHA), Dublin, Ireland
Finalist, 2014 A+Awards, Single Family Home M 1,000-3000 sq ft

This residential dwelling is located in the heart of Dublin and celebrates the site’s historic fabric. The home was built on the site of a previous 19th-century coach house and retains its history through a respectful contemporary design. The traditional mews entrance features large floor-to-ceiling windows, which ensure that the new edifice remains connected to the original preserved wall. The home is comprised of two volumes attached by a central sunken courtyard; it is a special indoor/outdoor living environment not typically found in Dublin.

An enclosed glass bridge connects the two volumes and creates a rather striking juxtaposition. The home took part in the Dublin Green Building Pilot Program and features a solar panel water heating system and an underground gray water pump. The project is an exemplar of preserving the old and blending it with the new.

Photo by Christel Derksen & Rolf Bruggink

Photo by Christel Derksen & Rolf Bruggink

House of Rolf by ROLF.FR, Utrecht, Netherlands  

Located in Utrecht, Netherlands, this 19th-century coach was turned into a truly unique space that underwent a distinctive design and building process. The home was constructed using materials that came from a demolished building nearby and proves that waste can, in fact, create something beautiful.

The original edifice was built in 1895 behind an aristocrat’s home, and then in 1955, an additional outbuilding was constructed adjacent to the coach. The current homeowners acquired both structures and the surrounding garden to build a singular dwelling. The interior space was divided into three zones, each of which offer a distinctive living environment. The first zone was left relatively void so that the original coach atmosphere can be experienced.  A freestanding structure, standing separate from the coach, forms a second zone housing the kitchen, bedroom, bath and office space. The third zone, meanwhile, is a sculptural structure attached to the shell of the original volume. The entire house was furnished using local Dutch designers.

Wicker Park Residence by Wheeler Kearns Architects, Chicago, IL, United States

This single-family residence consists of two separate volumes — a primary dwelling and a historic coach — which are attached by an enclosed glass walkway. Located in one of Chicago’s Landmark Districts, the design carefully respects the neighborhood’s historic architecture. The original coach was viewed as a special asset to the property and informed the material choices and decorative elements found in the main dwelling. The interior of both the house and the coach embrace a contemporary aesthetic, while the exterior design is more reflective of the historic neighborhood. For example, metal doors and dark window frames were purposefully incorporated to complement the design of the original coach. Equally, the new edifice is clad in brick which speaks to the coach’s brick façade. Floor-to-ceiling windows adorn the home’s façade and look onto the original structure, thus furthering the connection between the two volumes.

Whether it be for commercial or private use, there are countless ways to design, reinvent and interpret the traditional coach house structure. The possibilities are limitless and the outcome is a special bespoke space.

Architizer is thrilled to announce the winners of the 10th Annual A+Awards! Want to earn global recognition for your projects? Sign up to be notified when the 11th Annual A+Awards program launches. 

Reference