The Secret Garden Flat

Situated behind a shop in a Victorian terrace on Camberwell Road, they have remodelled a small awkward flat, shifting the emphasis of living away from a busy main road to the garden behind. Self building with a palette of simple and modest materials that could be crafted with their own hands, they have added a new bedroom and a secluded garden studio where both can work from home. These new additions now sit comfortably amongst the palimpsest of alterations and development to neighbouring buildings. Awkward accessibility dictated the creation of an easily manageable lightweight timber structure, cladding and lining elements, all sitting upon minimal concrete foundations. This was detailed simply and explored through drawings and models for a self build by an architect with limited construction experience. The garden studio was constructed first as a test for the later bedroom extension. This approach taught the architect construction lessons and the skills required to elevate modest materials. Low sedum roof buildups to both extension and garden studio compliment the biodiverse garden alongside highly efficient glazing detailed similarly to commercial shopfronts for cost efficiency. The live/work arrangements of these new spaces are reflective of neighbouring shops, workshops, commercial and residential buildings. Providing discreet and sustainable additions to the building adjacent to a conservation area. This solution has allowed the architect and his partner to create a long-term family home in an expensive property market, and start to break a trend in the short term transient local population.