Hidden House sits discreetly at the far end of a 200 ft garden in North London. The secluded garden, filled with birdsong and darting squirrels, became an important inspiration for the eventual design.
The south-facing site is a slender strip of land, measuring roughly 30 by 7 metres, bounded at its northern extremity by an early 19th-century brick wall, originally the boundary of a former convent. To the west, a flanking wall separates the new house from a housing development, the length of this wall dictating the extent of the new scheme’s upper storey. A similarly high wall to the east marks the termination of the gardens of Victorian houses in an adjoining street.
The constrained site, with no light or openings permitted on the western elevation, dictated a linear elongated plan articulated into three massing elements. The single storey kitchen and living room flank a two-storey central element matching the height of the closest house on the western boundary. The plan was then “cracked open” to allow a full height window on both floors looking north. The design celebrates its open southerly aspect with a generous glazed entrance that leads from the garden approach into the heart of the new dwelling, with kitchen, dining area and living space presenting as one continuous enfilade.
The house offers living accommodation at ground level and a bedroom plus an additional guest room-cum study on the upper level. Planning permission was achieved in early 2017 and the new house was completed, including landscaping, in Summer 2020.
The new timber-framed structure sits discreetly within its constrained setting. The delicate pale green foliage of a weeping pear tree inspired the choice of the upper storey’s green zinc cladding, complementing the pale, dappled grey/white Petersen D72 brick.
The plan is deliberately dislocated so that the east wall splits away from the rear volume with views to the north to allow a tall two storey continuous slot window, a dramatic incision that breaks up the overall massing.
Sliding and folding Vistaline triple-glazed entrance doors ensure generous daylighting, the transparency further accentuating the seamless flow of interior volumes at ground level. The longitudinal section of the house is stepped, with the sloping roof of the rear volume enabling a 5-metre wide strip window to be created, bringing south light into what is otherwise a north-facing bedroom.
The house has excellent green credentials. The timber superstructure is constructed using high quality Swedish softwood and is insulated to provide a wall U value of 0.15, reducing heat loss and achieving an “A” energy rating substantially in excess of building regulations. A 2kw Ochsner fully internal heat pump provides underfloor heating, and solar PV panels on the upper flat roof and 5KW of battery storage help to reduce grid consumption. Two green wildflower meadow roofs have been planted front and rear - on top of the kitchen and sitting room to the rear. Two drainage systems for “dirty” and “clean” water with a 1500ltr Graff Platin shallow tank reduce mains water consumption by feeding “clean” rainwater back to the WC’s, washing machine and irrigation of green roofs. The ground level polished concrete floor (pigmented white) has a high thermal mass to optimise the underfloor heating system.
Team:
Design: Alan Morris Architect
Collaborators: James Walker, Katherine Christie
Builder: T. J. Quinn Carpentry
Structural Engineer: Form London Engineers
Environmental Engineer: Alan Arnott - Studio Nine
Zinc Roofing: PMF Roofcraft
Foundations/Piling: Groundsun
Heating: Ochsner heat pump / Groundsun
Polished concrete: Polished Concrete Company
Windows: I. D. Systems
Landscape: Joshua Allen
Photo credits: © Fred Howarth
Material Used :
1. Facades: Ground level - Petersen D72 brick and upper level - V M Zinc pigmento green; standing seam
2. Flooring: Ground level: In-situ cast and polished concrete (Pigmented white); Upper level: Forbo Walton linoleum Vintage blue
3. Doors: Quarter cut white oak veneer by Kent Flush Doors
4. Entrance door: Black charred ash thermowood by QTD Group
5. Windows: I D Systems - Aluminium EPC coated
6. Roofing: V M Zinc pigmento green cladding standing seam / flat roof in Bauder System; single ply
7. Interior lighting: Astro, plaster wall lighting and downlights
8. Interior furniture: Built-in specialist joinery
