There is something elemental about the warmth of expressed structural timber, such as that seen here at Waghorn Street. It’s a material that seems to reconnect us with nature in a calm and reassuring manner. Just the image of one of the clients and their cat sitting on the beautifully lit banquette helps slow the heartrate.
Designed with Emil Eve Architects, this pared-back house extension in Peckham provides a young couple with an airy and bright space to welcome and entertain their guests. Or just curl up together.
The scheme includes a rear extension, a small inset courtyard connecting the piano room to the dining area and leading out to the garden, and a zinc clad extension on the first floor to allow for an extra bedroom.
With sustainability at the heart of the design, the use of a natural, low-embodied carbon material like timber was the obvious choice. Sustainably sourced Douglas fir has been used for the primary extension structure, exterior cladding, interior joinery and fittings.
Hand-crafted detailing and custom-built joinery contribute to a subtle intervention, while carefully detailed timber connections are cleverly concealed in the structure providing a clean and seamless design.
The shape and orientation of the rear extension, combined with the choice of tall, glazed windows and deep-framed timber windows, allows plenty of light into the house.
Over time, the timber on the exterior will weather to complement the considered landscaping and terracotta tiles in the back garden.
Completed 2021.
