Residence in London
When this client, a photographer, was able to secure a piece of property – which is difficult to come by in London’s East End – he had moved a major step closer to fulfilling his childhood dream of building his own home. The new building – the sunken box – inserted in this setting is completely sheathed in black. In its matter-of-factness, the building massing takes its cues from the workshops facing it, while its dimensions show deference to the Victorian, solid-masonry duplexes surrounding it. In this instance, these proportions come about by lowering the entire building site one level. The outdoor spaces that have been achieved are intimate and shielded from the neighbours; the kitchen and dining room extend out beyond the plane of the house into this space. In a departure from the typical English floor plan, the bedrooms are situated on the entrance level and the living room is on the top storey. The flat roof is accessible through a hatch: From this vantage point one has a view out to the East London roofscape.
