XUL Architecture brings light and cohesion to a detached house in Hampstead Garden Suburb
North London based XUL Architecture have fully renovated this home in Hampstead Garden Suburb to create cohesion between the spaces and fill the entire house with light.
The owners of this large detached house in the desirable Hampstead Garden Suburb wanted to improve the circulation and extend the house to create a larger formal living room. XUL Architecture approached this project by reconsidering the internal layout issues to ensure that each space was filled with light from multiple directions.
As a detached house in Hampstead Garden Suburb, the restrictions on what can be done to the external aspect of the building meant that any extension needed extremely careful consideration. XUL has renovated multiple homes within the suburb which allowed them to bring that knowledge to this project.
The owners wanted to utilise the garage space for a new playroom, however, this meant removing space from the existing formal living room to create a corridor to the reclaimed garage room. To avoid dark spaces and smaller living space, XUL moved the living room back aligning the back of the house with the existing extension on the other side of the house.
The internal wall was created using Crittall-style windows to fill this new corridor with light. XUL also brought light in from above by opening up a skylight at the end of the corridor above the single-storey playroom. A further skylight was added to the living room extension.
XUL was keen to create better sight-lines throughout the ground floor which also allowed for more light to pour in. By changing the entrance hall to have a glass door into the central vestibule, and opening up the rear garden entrance with a single glass door, they were able to create an unobstructed view from the front to rear door. The understairs toilet was relocated to the front of the garage conversion.
By liaising closely with the Hampstead Garden Suburb Trust, XUL was able to make several alterations as it was deemed to be an improvement to the existing property which had been previously extended at a time with fewer planning restrictions. Using their extensive knowledge of the suburb’s design guidelines, XUL received planning consent for 1m front extensions to each side and a small extension to the rear. The Hampstead Garden Suburb Trust appreciated XUL’s approach to unifying the building yet extending within the original four corners of the original footprint.
XUL utilised their signature tilted skylight to bring more light into the kitchen and living space, which had also undergone some renovation to open the room up and level out the ceiling heights. This created a cohesive space that the family can use throughout the day.
This 4bedroom house was altered to utilise one of the bedrooms for walk-in closet space and en-suite bathroom for the master suite. The two further bedrooms were reconfigured to create en-suite bathrooms and align the spaces with the central landing. A skylight was added above the landing to create a third direction of light.
Material Used :
1. Timber windows & French doors: Golders Green Joinery
2. Skylights: Glazing Vision
3. Front entrance door & internal doors: Ottima
4. Joinery, Kitchen and Utility cupboards: Ottima
5. Steel framed glass screen and doors: Fabco Sanctuary
6. Architectural lighting: Orluna
7. Ironmongery: Danico
8. Sanitary ware: Alternative Bathroom Co, CP Hart, The Watermark Collection
9. Kitchen & utility worktops: London Marble
10. Vanity tops and splashbacks: London Marble, Diespeker & Co, Mandarin Stone
11. Tiling: Artisans of Devizes, Tower Ceramics, Floors of Stone, Solus Ceramics, Via Arkadia
12. Curtains and Blinds: Curtain Connection
13. Air Conditioning: AAC Services & Maintenance
14. Fire & Security alarm: Coordinated Fire & Security Systems
15. Fireplace: Amazing Grates
16. Fire curtain: Elite
17. Driveway permeable paving surface: Sureset
