IROKO HOUSE
Southwark, South London, 2017
Engineer: David Joseph Consulting
Contractor: JJC London
Concrete Floor: Steyson Granolithic
Joinery: Westgate Joinery
Corten steel walls: EverEdge
Landscaping: Streetscape Social Enterprise
Kitchen: Naked Kitchens
Photography: Adam Scott
A carefully crafted extension and remodelling of a terraced house that takes its cues from Japanese aesthetics and displays an honesty of materials to provide a calm living space.
Reconfiguring and extending the ground floor of this early 20th century mid-terrace property creates an open kitchen and dining space that responds to a Japanese influenced sunken garden, and enables the insertion of a ground floor WC and utility room. The layout follows a strong programmatic diagram that creates well-proportioned and inviting spaces while maintaining architectural integrity.
The owners’ brief was to create an architecturally exciting extension that provided a contemporary feel without compromising the warmth and practicalities of a traditional family home. The design is orchestrated around architectural details such as flush window frames and recessed eaves, as well as stronger lines provided by the layout of the remaining spaces in the original house. Together with an emphasis on natural materials, the new open kitchen, dining and living space is a calm and simple space that subtly references the owners’ personal connection to Japan.
An emphasis on exposed natural materials enhances the implied simplicity of the design. Complementary materials were chosen to help balance and unify the design. A light coloured, matt finished concrete floor complements the natural zinc roof, and bespoke Iroko joinery is married with corten steel garden walls to help create a seamless connection from the building through to the outside space. An integrated window seat protects an external log store that covers a relocated manhole, a necessity of the restrictions provided by a shallow lateral sewer.
The project was executed under permitted development and the neighbour consultation scheme for larger rear extensions.