Islington, London

The proposals for Lonsdale square involve a complete renovation of the basement, reconfiguring the layout so that the living room is located to the rear to afford access to the garden. The light well at the rear is extended to the limits of a closet wing at ground floor level, and roofed with glass. Steps up along the boundary wall provide access to the garden.

This minimal intervention sits unobtrusively within its context retaining the quality of space at the foot of the house, while opening up the envelope to allow light into the deeper parts of the basement. Functionally it provides a new room, extending the open plan living space beyond the original bounds of the house, and providing a connection to the garden.

Lonsdale square is a grade 2* listed early Victorian terraced house. Negotiations had to be made with the planners to ensure key characteristics were retained within the changes.

Ibberton, Dorset

The 1st phase of works at the Old Rectory, involved the conversion existing barn opposite the main house to provide a study and place of repose away from the house. The conversion was to include space for a desk and general office storage, an informal sitting area, a WC with shower, and a sunken spiral wine cellar.

The design concept was to treat conversion as if it were a building within a building. A timber structure built within the existing shell, provides depth for the high levels of insulation and is predominantly lined out in cherry panels. This structure pokes out of two existing openings in the brick shell to create window bays which provide generous spaces for sitting. The end walls of the main space provide shelving and storage space, leaving the centre of the room free. A wood burning stove keeps the building warm in winter, while a combination cross ventilation and dispelling warm air through high level roof lights keeps it cool in the summer. Externally a skirting of paving runs the perimeter of the building, and will link into the second phase of work at the Rectory.

This project was achieved through permitted development due to its proximity to the main house, and the nature of the changes.

Islington, LondonThe client wanted to mirror an existing glazed extension to the rear of her double fronted terrace house, which in itself provides a very pleasant conservatory space overlooking the garden. The new extension is double story accessing a kitchen in the basement and a formal room, currently used as an office, on the ground floor. The design as described mirrors an existing conservatory on the opposite side, borrowing its form, scale and structural rhythm, but it does not match the existing which is rendered as a Victorian glass house. It is instead designed as a refined glass and timber box with minimal sight lines and no exposed exterior mullions. In the basement the new space coming off the kitchen provides a breakfast area, while large glazed sliding doors open onto a sunken terrace which steps up to the main terrace. On the ground floor the space provides a reading and sitting area, and optional dining room. A large area of glazing slides back to open the room onto the garden.

The house was a listed property and required a full listed buildings permission before proceeding which was attained successfully.

Chelsea & Kensington, LondonThis loft level extension provides a new bedroom suite with bathroom and walk-in wardrobe, significantly increasing the size of an existing family home.A timber structure sits over the existing area of roof providing a large enclosure unimpeded by sloping eaves common in loft extensions. This structure is wrapped in a rubber membrane, while the elevations to the rear are a combination of timber cladding and glazing. Internally the stair from the first floor rises up beneath a roof light, to alight on a central landing space from which the bedroom, bathroom and walk-in wardrobe are all accessed. The main bedroom has large windows which look out onto the gardens at the rear. The whole space enjoys the flexibility to be able to open up the space using large sliding doors.

This project was secured under permitted development rights.

Ibberton, Dorset

The 2nd Phase of works in Ibberton involve changes to the main house, a new outbuilding, landscaping works, and an array of Solar PV panels. These have provided an opportunity to consolidate the happenstance nature of the property, both functionally and as a place making exercise.

The kitchen/dining area in the main house has been opened up to create a light and open plan space. The utility room and boiler are re-housed in the new outbuilding. This building sits between the main house and the barn, defining the property boundary with the road, while creating a courtyard space to the interior of the property. From the roadside the building constructed in brick borrows from the vernacular barn typology, while to the interior it is glazed and timber clad.

The gardens have been formalised into three tiers stepping up the hill, defined by brick retaining walls. The specific character of each part of the garden is enhanced, from the formal lawn in front of the house, to the working vegetable garden on the top tier.

Baddingham, Suffolk

The collection of buildings associated Walnut Tree Farm are no longer in operation in any industrial sense. The owner of the property wanted to develop a redundant barn part of the farm, to provide ancillary accommodation for the main house. The building needed to be semi-autonomous but not totally independent.

The scheme looked at ways to allow domestic occupation of the building while retaining as much of the character and quality of the existing structure as possible. The whole of the main interior volume is retained, with two sleeping enclosures suspended over the open plan living quarters. The centre of the barn retains its full height with a wood burning stove in the middle. Light is brought into the space through the barn doors which are replaced by large areas of glazing, and at the gable ends where the timber slats are replaced with louvered windows.

Proposal for an installation commissioned by August Art.

A function of architecture is the relationship between the interior and exterior of the architectural object. The exterior form of a building is generally linked to its internal volumes, but a characteristic of ancient tomb and mausoleum architecture is the disjunction between the interior and exterior as a consequence of the massive nature of their construction. The exterior form of the object can be entirely independent of the interior network of spaces burrowed within its mass.

The project provided an opportunity to explore this idea in depth, experimenting through drawing and modelling interior spaces, and exterior forms. The final proposals were massive suspended objects filling the gallery space with openings that partially revealed interior spaces. These objects while possessing an imposing external presence would have an introverted and silent quality withholding the knowledge of their interior.

Lisbon, Portugal

As a co-collaborator in MAprojects, EM was invited to Lisbon in an exchange programme run by the Architecture Foundation and the British Council. Following the exchange MAprojects were invited to submit proposals for an installation for the design museum, MUDE, which had recently taken over a large stripped out former bank in central Lisbon.

The subject of the installation was the theme of Home. The design centred around the idea of providing a Home Base within the museum which could serve a range of functions from general informal occupation to structured activities like talks and seminars. The enclosure would be a building within the building, providing soft and intimate surroundings to contrast with the exposed concrete of the stripped down museum interior.

London

This competition entry developed with artist Alex Fox, explored the possibilities of delivering various facilities and programmes to points along the London canal network as a way of activating otherwise neglected spaces. Canal boats could be adapted, providing a mobile platform for different functions. These could carry programmes that could develop direct links with local communities and initiatives, such as mobile libraries or allotment barges, as well as providing opportunities for larger arts bodies to bring events to various parts of London.