Escape to the Roof

This is a residential loft conversion of an Edwardian house in South London for private clients. The project brief was to design a refuge for the parents of a growing family, where they could escape to the roof into a haven of peace and tranquillity after a long day’s work.

The original house is a four-bedroom family home in Dulwich with an ornate period front, and a rear elevation with an apex-shaped closet extension. The aim was to re-create the apex geometry by making three careful incisions into the roof and inserting simple, modern dormers that would accentuate the Victorian geometry but in entirely different materials and using modern technology.

The dormers are just 250mm apart, so the construction was challenging. The dormers have full height glazing finished in an apex shape and are framed in a black powder-coated aluminium trim. The dormer sides and roof are clad in vertical-pleated zinc.

Internally, these windows frame the view over south-east London. And provide a busy backdrop to an otherwise minimal interior. The three spaces (bedroom, bathroom, wardrobe) were kept open-plan throughout the loft and have been divided using a bespoke joinery system.

Space and light were critical in the design, and to maximise natural daylight throughout the house, a central void was cut through the entire house. The void has an apex ceiling construction and houses a new free-standing solid oak staircase that ‘lands’ in the first floor landing of the period house gently, and with respect to the original period features.