studio-am just finished this interior alteration at a townhouse in Melody Lane in Highbury, London, with Ham Builders.
The wall you are looking at used to be a mezzanine with a plasterboard balustrade at the edge, open to the ground floor and the triple height void at the centre of the house. The client wished to extend the mezzanine and infill the balustrade wall, mainly for acoustic reasons.
Instead of closing off the room, we decided to keep a visual link with the ground floor by providing a frameless glass window and a framed sliding glass door. The sliding glass door allows for privacy if closed and for verbal communication with the ground floor if opened. The proportions of the timber frame match those of the existing slot window to the corridor and attempt to form a coherent design matching the new with the old. Quite extensive structural work – seen the small size of the job - had to be done with the help of Fluid Structure Engineers to extend the mezzanine.
Thanks Niamh & Richard for the nice commission, Rachel (Fluid) for the calcs and Clinton Ham (Ham Builders) for the fab detailing!
One of my designs ‘Marie’s House’ in Olen, Belgium is now nearly completed.
The brief was to design a compact house for a client who wishes to retire in this house in the long term. Hence the proposal for a single storey house with easy access to all rooms. Fluidity and clear circulation, views and light were the driving thermes for the design.
The house has on open plan living area linked to a generous bedroom suite, a second guest bedroom and a central study with library open to the dining area. The site has an unfortunate eastern aspect and an existing row of mature trees cast shadows over the site. This issue has been addressed through cuts in the main volume to provide light and bring sun into the hart of the house.
Local architect Peter Van Nuffel brought the project to life and oversaw the site works.
Hi there, I started an MA curating contemporary design this week.
It is exciting to have an academic break after ten years of architectural practice.
I will keep you posted of anything interesting that comes my way.
I will keep combining the course with small architectural commissions.
If you have any queries regarding architecture and/or curating, please contact me on an@studio-am.co.uk.
