mews Archives

Using a combination of copper, larch and structural insulated panels, architecture firm Whittaker Parsons has added an additional storey to a contemporary mews house in Stoke Newington to house a bedroom suite.

Originally built in 2005, the property belongs to a couple with two older children, who have lived here for the last decade.

The family asked Whittaker Parsons to provide more space with the addition of a loft, as well as to revamp the lower floors including the studio on the second floor, which was reconfigured to create a well-proportioned workspace complete with its own library.

Daylight floods the new third storey, bouncing off lime-plastered walls while carefully positioned windows provide views of tree canopies and across rear gardens from window seats and the bespoke bed.

“We set out to design a beautiful, healthy, serene retreat, in which the homeowners could immerse themselves in the beauty of natural materials, a bolthole in the middle of north London,” Whittaker Parsons told Dezeen.

Larch staircase leading up to Larch Loft extension in London — The extension is accessed via a larch-clad staircase

With efficiency and quality in mind, the studio used prefabricated structural insulated panels (SIPs) to construct the additional storey, with the aim of minimising waste and saving time.

“Compared to standard timber construction, it is simpler to control the quality of onsite workmanship and achieve a more robust, air-tight building envelope,” the team explained.

Larch Loft extension in London by Whittaker Parsons — Generous windows provide views of the surrounding area

Externally, the extension is set back from the street elevation and finished in materials that mirror the surrounding architecture, including black-stained timber cladding, brick slips and patinated copper to tie in with the copper facade on the second floor below.

Internally, the triangular arrangement of the larch beams was developed to work with the load path of the existing building and the irregular form of the loft.

“The intention was to make visible and celebrate the structural effort that went into creating this new space,” Whittaker Parsons explained.

Man sitting on window seat of London extension by Whittaker Parsons — Integrated window seats provide a place to rest

The practice created a tranquil master bedroom with a larch-clad and lime-rendered interior, bespoke larch bed frame and walk-in wardrobe made from low-formaldehyde furniture board.

As the unsealed lime plaster wall finish cures, the lime will absorb almost as much carbon as was emitted in its production, the studio claims.

“Lime render is a calming tactile material, characterful and soft,” said Whittaker Parsons. “It is a low-carbon alternative to gypsum plaster. It’s also a hygroscopic material, so it naturally moderates the moisture level in the bedroom.”

Used alongside the render, white oiled larch panelling spans the spaces between the exposed larch beams, improving acoustic absorption.

“Often in bedrooms, the ceiling is the most important yet neglected surface,” the studio said. “The larch adds a sense of warmth, calm, and character to the space, creating an articulated ceiling at the top of the house – almost a reward for climbing all those stairs.”

Custom larch bed by Whittaker Parsons — Whittaker Parsons also created a custom larch-wood bed for the interior

In the adjoining skylit shower room, fluted travertine tiles line the walls, enveloping the shower area and complementing the travertine floor tiles.

“The roof light to the shower oversails the fluted travertine tiles, creating the impression that one is showering outside under the sky,” said Whittaker Parsons.

The basin, splashback and vanity unit are formed from unsealed Calacatta Rosato marble, which according to the studio provides a lower-carbon alternative to fired tiles.

Marble bathroom in Larch Loft extension — The vanity in the adjoining bathroom is formed from Calacatta Rosato marble

Overall, Whittaker Parsons says the project is “exceptionally low-carbon”, with the bulk of its embodied emissions coming from the triple glazing, thermal insulation and a single steel beam used to create the opening for the staircase.

Founded by Matthew Whittaker and Camilla Parsons in 2015, Whittaker Parsons has completed a number of projects in the British capital including The Naked House, which was longlisted for sustainable interior of the year at the 2021 Dezeen Awards.

View from bathroom to bedroom in Larch Loft extension — The marble is paired with fluted travertine tiles

Other sustainably-minded extensions in London include Low Energy House in Muswell Hill, designed by local studio Architecture for London founder for its founder Ben Ridley.

The photography is by Jim Stephenson.

Reference

Front elevation of Hempcrete Mewshouse by Cathie Curran

Hempcrete walls and a patchwork facade characterise Hempcrete Mewshouse, a three-storey home that local studio Cathie Curran has added to a derelict site in east London.

Located in Forest Gate, the home was built around a gridded structure made from steel and timber and features a variety of natural materials, including oak, accoya, hempcrete and terracotta. It replaces a derelict single-storey garage on a small mews site.

“The single storey lock-up had been unused for some time, the structure was unsound and there was a huge pit in the makeshift floor slab for working on car engines,” studio founder Cathie Curran told Dezeen.

Expressing the home’s structural grid, the street-facing facade is clad in a patchwork-like pattern of materials, including panels of dark accoya wood planks, which can be opened in places for ventilation.

In other places, hempcrete blocks are waterproofed with a lime render and covered in terracotta tiles, which have been placed in alternating directions.

“The facade is an expression of the steel and timber tartan grid hybrid structure,” explained Curran. “The brief required maximum adaptability and an unobstructed plan at ground level, so a steel frame was employed to delineate circulation and service areas and define the main spaces.”

Kitchen with hempcrete walls — The home features a variety of natural materials

To enclose the home from the rest of the mews, the studio built a series of screens around the site, creating a semi-private front courtyard bordered by dark grey gates and fences.

Accessed through an accoya door built into the grid of the facade, the home’s entrance hall features a ceiling and walls clad entirely in oiled oak, while a textural concrete floor draws on the industrial past of the site.

Stairwell with wooden walls — A full-height stairwell sits on one side of the entrance hall

A full-height stairwell to one side of the entrance hall stretches between all three floors of the home and is lit by a skylight. While the staircase is mainly made from oak, the base and two lowest steps are made from concrete, softening the transition between the stairs and the light concrete floor below.

“The oak offers a soothing, organic contrast to the hard mineral atmosphere of the lane,” said Curran. “The top-lit entrance space is mysterious, a decompression chamber to emphasise the transition from chaos to calm.”

Stairwell of Hempcrete Mewshouse by Cathie Curran — The stairwell is lit by a skylight

Beyond the lobby, open living spaces featuring oak joinery and furnishings have been arranged across the ground floor, punctuated by oak-clad columns.

With a wall of glazing set in oak frames and doors that open onto the back garden, the double-height space at the end of the kitchen showcases the hempcrete panels that enclose the upper levels of the home.

The top floors of Hempcrete Mewshouse comprise bedrooms and bathrooms along with a first-floor study which overlooks the kitchen and can be separated from the space below by shutters.

Finished with warm-toned joinery, the bathrooms feature walls and floors covered in terracotta tiles, as well as openable oak wall panels and full-height windows.

“Ancient materials such as lime plaster, oak, terracotta, marble, and pale ground concrete contrast with the industrial tone of the street, evoking a gentler time and place,” said Curran.

Interior of London home with exposed wood ceiling — The top floors of Hempcrete Mewshouse comprise bedrooms and bathrooms

When designing the home, London-based studio Cathie Curran arranged the rooms to allow for future separation of the home into two apartments, each with separate access from the street.

“The timber beams and joists can be redeployed to subdivide the house into a pair of apartments, likewise non-load-bearing timber stud hempcrete partitions can be easily removed,” said the studio.

“The structure will permit easy conversion into two separate units, each with independent street access, if desired. Multigenerational occupancy, co-living or social care provision, even commercial activity, could all be accommodated.”

Terracotta-tiled bathroom of Hempcrete Mewshouse by Cathie Curran — The bathrooms feature walls and floors covered in terracotta tiles

Elsewhere in London, Office S&M transformed an Edwardian home with bright colours and graphic shapes while Unknown Works used pink concrete walls to add a terraced landscape to a Victorian townhouse.

The photography is by Chris Daly.

Reference

mews

Whittaker Parsons crowns London mews house with “bolthole” extension

Timber and hempcrete form patchwork facade of London mews house

Get in touch

about us

Company info

Useful Links

Newsletter