Cedar Mews

A new building is erected in a careworn part of South London, with the wish to lead by example. From the street, the new development is marked by two buildings akin in scale and massing to their Victorian neighbours, but with a strikingly different attention to appearance. Meticulously crafted cedar-clad facades suggest a revived sensitivity to the things that surround us. Four maisonettes take ownership of these twin towers. The choice of material and detailing ensures an even, soft ageing of the wood, a beauty that will persist over time. Beyond, five single storey pavilions are moored, boat-like, to the boundary of adjacent gardens. A central courtyard is formed by their shapes, creating a sense of communality. In a radical departure from established form, the structures are clad in glass and flooded with light. From the sky the homes are invisible: covered in grass they blend with the gardens beyond.