Plywood Partitions Divvy Up Space in a Free-Flowing London Townhouse

In 2015, a young couple expecting their first child reached out to Nimtim Architects to extend their townhouse in Forest Hill, London, to make room for their growing family. Fruit Box, as the addition is called, was finally completed in 2020 after delays in planning and approvals—and none too soon, as the family had welcomed their second child during construction.

"Research revealed the site had been a working commercial orchard right up to the moment the house was built in the mid-1970s," says Nimi Attanayake, director and co-founder of Nimtim. As such, mature fruit trees dotted the landscape; the clients wanted to connect with the canopy on the first floor and transfer the main living spaces down to the ground floor, creating an indoor/outdoor flow between the home and the garden. They also requested that the addition be as flexible as possible, with an upstairs main suite and office.