This London Architect's Home Is Designed To Never Be Finished

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Project Details: 

Location: London, England

Architect: 31/44 Architects / @31_44

Footprint: 1,765 square feet

Builder: Atlant Construction

Structural Engineer: Jack van Zwieten

Landscape Design: Aarde

Photographer: Nick Dearden / @buildingnarratives

From the Architect: "31/44 Architects’ highly bespoke home for its architect owner and family sits on what was a large side garden in Crystal Palace, south east London. From a distance, the brick structure sits comfortably alongside its neighbors, but as you approach and enter, a personality rich in architectural character is revealed—the synthesis of eclectic fragments of architecture: borrowed details of the house next door, abstract references to places visited, shared family trips, buildings appreciated and memories of houses inhabited over the years. The house twists and steps to make the most of its sloping trapezoidal site. Internally, the result is a series of intimate spaces over three floors, with multiple views between, across and through, that create a sense of spaciousness despite the modest size of the rooms.

"Conceived as part-farmhouse and part-California Case Study House, Six Columns captures the optimistic spirit of post-war American experiments in housing and, in its construction detail, the directness of 1950s British architecture. Though discreet and considerate of its setting, the house is not meek in character or detail. Sited within a previously undeveloped side-garden featuring a large, protected sycamore tree, the plan addressed the constraints of the site: following the existing pattern of the street, the house steps forwards and twists to resolve a change in the character of the boundaries, while accommodating the tree to the rear. Two gardens have been created, divided by a light-filled kitchen and living space. A stepping brickwork wall, ‘rustication’ and ‘pilasters’, and a green marble panel create a formal but inviting street elevation which captures memories of buildings visited from Denmark to Barcelona via Milan. 

"The house continues to evolve since practical completion in 2021; the ethos behind the design is that it will always remain unfinished, its interiors a loose fit that can adjust to future requirements and tastes. Simply finished bespoke joinery allows for easy adaptation over time. Paint finishes and high embodied carbon plastering have been eschewed, while oiled, unpainted pine has been used for many of the fittings and joinery, with details inspired by Enzo Mari’s self-design furniture project, Autoprogettazione, and early modern joinery by Le Corbusier. A Brutalist approach of exposed, self-finished materials on the ground floor includes painted brick, spruce panelling and a concrete frame—with joinery subdividing the spaces."