Harvist Road Glazed Envelope + Cedar Cabin is the renovation of a garden flat where the protagonists are RISE Design Studio's signature glazing strategy and the high-end finish materials that bring something of a different time to an otherwise highly contemporary home. The flat is located on the Ground Floor of a typical Victorian two-storey terrace property, with a double height rear outrigger extension. The project combines modern features with traditional interior finishes to create an elegant home with a minimalist feeling.
The focus of the renovation was to redefine the existing cellular ground floor layout, which did not perform cohesively nor efficiently and to improve the presence of natural light, which struggled to penetrate into the existing spaces. The proposed layout allows for an open-plan area at the rear for the Kitchen/Dining/Living spaces and more fluidity between the interior and the rear garden. In addition a Garden Studio was positioned at the far end of the rear garden to allow for flexible working. The side alley has become an internal space by way of a frameless glazed envelope allowing views to the sky and rear garden from deep within the plan, giving the space an external character.
In terms of materiality, the contrasting material palette was chosen to create drama and distinction between the three main areas by way of emphasising the varied sensory experiences. Darkened oak floors greet you on entering the house leading you to encaustic tiles within metal trim steps down to the Bathroom and main living spaces. To contrast with these, a polished concrete floor was chosen for the open plan Kitchen Dining Living area which extends externally to the Rear Patio. The rear patio and Kitchen Dining areas are further unified by a continuous internal external brick wall consisting of reclaimed London Stock bricks. Flamed basalt stone stepping stones lead you to the Garden Studio, internally clad in pink plywood, which is in dialogue with the frameless glazed extension via a frameless corner window.
The project's highly sensorial qualities can be experienced through a game of contrasts that accompany the inhabitant through the rooms of the dwelling. From light to dark, from enclosed to airy, from warm brick to vast glazed openings, the qualities of each space are maximized while maintaining the distinct personality of the project in each room. This character can be felt in the attention to finished details and the visual and sensorial qualities of every surface.
The first distinct feature that one encounters on this project is a rotating door that blends with the partitions in order to allow the user to separate, or not, the front room of the house from the circulation space. From there, one may use a tiled corridor to access the bedroom and the naturally lit and open rear of the house or, alternatively, step through the dark library and television room, providing a sheer contrast as one moves across with the ample glazing of the kitchen-dining room that lies beyond the rear threshold of the room. The last space in the procession is the kitchen/dining room, surrounded by a floor-to-ceiling sliding glass door on one side and a vast rooflight overhead. Here, In the rear of the house, the ground floor extension goes beyond its boundary by situating a garden studio opposite the glazed envelope, generating a dialogue of confrontation and complementarity with the main living space.
Material Used:
1. Glazing: Maxligh
2. Tadelakt: Tadelakt London
3. Oak flooring: Tile & Flooring Bath
4. Polished Concrete: Midland Flooring
5. Kitchen: Modus
Cedar Cladding: iWood
Reclaimed bricks: London Reclaimed Brick Merchants
