Tin Hat

The house is end-of-terrace and overlooks Wanstead Flats: a vast semi-wild space that stretches all the way into Essex via the Epping Forest. The presence of this space became the key driver in the reconfiguration of the home. The Flats serve as a break-out space for the young family who will often return with muddy boots and buggies. Our proposal was to move the kitchen and dining space to the front of the house making the most of the long views and expansive skies and to move the main entrance to the side. This move creates a new dynamic for the house: permitting a generous decompression and storage space upon entry and allowing both main living spaces to make use of the full width of the house as a corridor was no longer required. Once these key moves had been made, the objective was to use materials and finishes that celebrated this new context and the new qualities of light that entered the house. Externally, the materials chosen were simple and functional: a deep red brick for the ground floor additions topped with a corrugated steel trim mirrored again with the new dormer at loft level. Internally, walls and ceilings were lined with a wood wool board that created a surprisingly intimate and comforting acoustic environment. A dark grey quarry tile runs inside and outside to tie together the internal spaces with the patio-garden at the rear. Amidst this restrained and texture palette, the new staircase running from ground to loft is painted in a bright, rich blue: providing a distinctive focal point on every level.