#glazing

In the quiet streets surrounding London’s Alexandra Palace, Zminkowska De Boise Architects has transformed a modest Edwardian mid-terrace through a carefully considered 16 sqm rear extension and wider reworking of the family home. Designed around the daily lives of Claire and Andrew and their two young sons, the project uses colour, exposed structure, natural materials and improved visual connections to turn a previously cramped and disconnected ground floor into a generous, light-filled sequence of spaces. Martina Ferrera Claire and Andrew bought the house in 2018 and lived in it largely unchanged for five years before beginning the project. That period gave the family a detailed understanding of how the existing spaces worked... More

Etta House began with a family who wanted to change how their home felt and was lived in - by adding more space, more light and more clarity. The result is a ground floor side and rear extension that transforms a tired Victorian property in Balham that was fragmented, dark and disconnected from the garden, into a generous, contemporary living environment that is open, coherent and filled with natural light - without losing sight of the character of the original building.  Chris Snook Rather than imposing an ideology on the site, Stylus Architects allowed the site to generate the architecture. A wedge-shaped geometry defines the plot, and every wall, every junction and every view originates from those existing geometries. The rear... More

House of Panes by Matthew Giles Architects is a sensitive yet striking reimagining of an Edwardian terraced home in Muswell Hill. The design masterfully balances the home’s historic fabric with a bold, light-filled intervention, creating a contemporary living environment that celebrates both heritage and modernity. The homeowners, George and Alice, approached the project with a strong design sensibility and a clear vision. Alice, a former vintage furniture dealer, brought an eclectic mix of pieces to the home, enriching its character with curated furnishings that speak to different eras. Now back at university while raising their children, she was deeply engaged in shaping a home that nurtures both study and family life. Their brief... More

Tucked along the banks of the River Medway in East Farleigh, Kent, stands a striking reminder of Victorian engineering and architectural eclecticism. Built in 1860 by James Pilbrow, this Grade II-listed boiler house is a rare example of Egyptian Revival architecture in Britain – a style that flourished briefly in the mid-nineteenth century, when fascination with the temples of Karnak, Luxor and Edfu – particularly the Temple of Horus – inspired civic and industrial buildings across the country. Once crowned by an extraordinary obelisk chimney, now long vanished, the building had endured decades of change and underuse. Today, through a bold yet sensitive design by Felix Lewis Architecture & Interiors, it has been reimag... More

Floating Corners stands as a compelling example of how contemporary architecture can be harmoniously integrated into the fabric of a historic home. Situated in London’s Telegraph Hill Conservation Area, one of London’s most well-preserved Victorian neighbourhoods, this project opens up a semi-detached period property with a ground-floor side and rear extension to better support modern family life, enhancing space, light, and flow while respecting the character of the original building.  Chris Snook Chris Snook Clearly expressed as a modern addition, the architectural intervention is defined by a striking brick corner that appears to float above glass, visually connecting the dining area to the garden. The extensi... More

Perry Vale House is a bold and imaginative reinvention of a semi-detached Edwardian home in Forest Hill, south east London. Designed by Wellstudio Architecture for a young family, this striking extension breaks away from generic rear-addition typologies to create something deeply personal, sculptural, and wellness-led.  Chris Snook Rooted in a contemporary reinterpretation of the Arts & Crafts movement, the design fuses traditional craftsmanship with an expressive modern language of arches, curves and natural light. The result is a space that feels serene, soulful, and seamlessly connected to the home’s heritage and the lives of the people within it. Chris Snook Built in 1901 by celebrated local builder Ted Christ... More

The Journey The wild scenery of Attica, with its rocky hills and olive trees, on the way to the busy port of Lavrio, is the site of this " bespoke" Shell petrol station. Rejecting  the pre- fabricated images of Shell petrol stations chains, that are brought directly to a site, while ignoring its characteristics, was the original source of the idea for a custom-made space that allows the User to be an active participant with the surrounding nature. The building was conceived in such a way that time, porosity, movement, transparency and materiality were the starting points for spatial exploration. Time The journey engages time: a quick time of simple petrol filling, an intermediate that allows for using shower, shop and toilet facilit... More

Perched high on the North slope of Potrero Hill, the location of this project provides an abundance of natural light and views of the city, the bay and beyond. The site is a typical San Francisco narrow lot flanked by zero lot line properties on either side, creating an urban canyon running East to West.  Bruce Damonte The design concept extends the two perimeter walls out beyond the structure and contain the living spaces within. The living room floor plane floats above the ground floor entry level, with volumes of glass that flow out and around the main concrete column which provides support for both upper levels at the front. The common spaces, including the kitchen and dining room, spill out onto the rear West-facing deck, co... More

The focus of this renovation revolved around creating a space that was more accessible and functional for the user, that also complimented the existing architectural elements from the early to mid century. Complicating the design solution was the 1960s architect’s decision to bury half of the first floor behind a berm so that the three-story building appeared to be less dominate on the campus. As a result, entrances were at mid-level.  Upon entering the building, one was confronted with a half flight of stairs up or down to reach a main floor. There were no accessible points of entry.  (An accessible but remote ramp was added in the 1980s from an alley to the lowest floor.)The new entry needed to be at grade so the berm was r... More