This little house was made of (smart) bricks
One of the most challenging – but rewarding – projects an architect can take on is to transform an unloved, unsound building into a warm, soulful home. That was the task for Novak Hiles Architects who were asked to modernise a dilapidated 1960s house near Wandsworth Common.
Located on an estate that had fallen into disrepair, surrounded by Victorian and Arts & Crafts-era houses, the property suffered from damp and mould caused by poor ventilation, a lack of insulation and minimal natural light. Rather than knocking it down and starting again, the firm chose to give new life to the decrepit structure and recognise its potential.
‘Although other people tend to write off ex-local authority housing, we considered the modernist twentieth century context and older historic context to be of equal importance,’ explains director Carla Novak. ‘It was our intention to design something that complemented both whilst also having a special quality of its own.’
Tackling the issues of mould, damp and lack of insulation were critical. The need to improve airflow led to Carla and her team developing innovative decorative perforated brickwork screens which are layered in front of inward opening glazed panels.
These allow veiled natural light into the space when closed, and ventilation when open, so the building and its inhabitants can breathe properly. Further upgrades to the building’s fabric include high-performance glazing and thermal insulation – both resulting in a reduction in energy consumption of 72%.
Inside, the house had not been touched in decades and the rooms felt disconnected from each other, with a central hallway taking up valuable space. Given the limited footprint, Carla was determined to create flexible spaces that felt special, even on a small scale, while maximising storage and creating lots of natural light and ventilation.
‘Every space had to work hard and contribute to the bigger picture,’ she explains. A fluted glass screen within the entrance area maintains separation from the main living space and creates a nook for storing coats and shoes, while oak wall panelling defines the kitchen/dining space without the need for partitions, which also helped save space.
The living room and main bedroom have access to the garden through large glass doors, and the compact but functional kitchen sits at the centre, with a shower room and second flexible room to the rear.
Carla wanted the home to feel joyful and uplifting, as well as connected to its history, so she scoured magazines from the middle of the 20th century for inspiration, ‘which to us embodied a sense of the time that the estate would have been built’. These formed the basis for the material and colour palette, which serves as an ode to the mid-century era without being in any way a pastiche.
Brass fixtures and the kitchen, bathroom and worktops’ warm tones complement the oak panelling and floors, while crisp details such as shadow gaps and timber panels over internal doors give a sense of quality and refinement.
Simple but spacious with plenty of storage, the bathroom is Carla’s favourite space; ‘the orange tiles work well with the brass fittings, oak surrounds to the windows and green/pink worktop. We also like the fluted glass details as well as the external timber screening.’
The brief also called for adding a private garden where previously there was none. Another important ambition was to completely reorientate the home to face the street, with a front door of its own.
‘We would be happy to live there ourselves!’ laughs Carla. Her clients are equally delighted with the transformation, saying ‘When we bought the house it was poorly insulated, dark, damp and had no garden. Now it is well-insulated, light filled and has a great little courtyard garden. A spectacular transformation from an eyesore to a home with serious kerb appeal.’ @novakhilesarchitects novakhilesarchitects.com
