Eden Road, Walthamstow

Piecemeal extensions and adjustments throughout the building’s history had resulted in a series of contorted, dark and awkward spaces. Ordinary everyday operations such as cooking, dining, entertaining and even bathing were problematic and not conducive to the way the clients wanted to live.

The principle of reuse rather than replace was incorporated from the outset, retaining and amplifying any element of the building’s original fabric wherever possible, only replacing where absolutely necessary. Original walls, floorboards, roof tiles and doors were all renovated and left exposed.

The character for the completed dwelling results from a desire to amplify and blend the original dwelling fabric and spaces with those of the new. This results in an almost pixilated transition from old to new; each space retains qualities of both eras with more heritage density towards the front and more contemporary towards the rear.

The home is only 75.5m2 and 3.7m wide, yet feels much larger due to the clear circulation flow, large openings and ample natural light. The building fabric has been simply designed to create a great thermal protective envelope whilst still achieving a naturally lit dwelling.