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    Emil Eve Architects uses mid-century colours in homey office for Drama Republic

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    Distinct shades of green, orange and blue give character to this workplace, designed by Emil Eve Architects for the production company behind TV shows including the BBC’s Doctor Foster and Netflix’s One Day.

    Drama Republic gave Emil Eve the task of refurbishing its office in London’s Holborn.
    The redesign gives the company a more homey workspace, combining a mid-century-inspired colour palette with textural materials including oak and fluted glass.
    The colour palette includes mid-century-inspired shades of blue, green and orange”This is a working office, but also needs to be pleasant for clients to visit,” said Emma Perkin, Emil Eve co-founder.
    “We had to create a design that was practical but also welcoming and comfy,” she told Dezeen.

    “Often workplaces have a very limited palette; we consciously introduced a mid-century mix of greens, blues and oranges against warm white walls and natural wood. The slightly muted shades mean it’s bright but still calm.”
    Existing glass partitions were moved in line with the new floor planDrama Republic’s brief called for a mix of flexible work areas, including large desks for collaborative working, meeting rooms that support video conferencing, and lounge areas where staff can take calls or read through scripts.
    Emil Eve replanned the office layout to improve the flow between these different spaces.
    A new lobby features partitions crafted from hardwood and fluted glassThe architects were keen to reuse existing materials and furniture where possible, so glass partitions that surrounded the previous meeting rooms were simply moved in line with the new floor plan.
    A lobby was created, with new partitions designed to match the proportions of the existing ones. These were crafted from Sapele, an African hardwood with a warm reddish-brown tone.
    The custom-made desks integrate pinboard screensStorage was also installed, in custom-made wall units that provide bookshelves and hidden cupboards.
    “The office has really good natural light but had never been properly organised, so it felt cramped and ad-hoc,” said Perkin.

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    “Drama Republic didn’t want it to feel corporate, so we used our experience from residential projects to design well-considered joinery which maximised storage,” she explained.
    “There were lots of cables and lights, plus big office equipment like printers; we had to find a way to tidy things away but still have them accessible.”
    Meeting rooms are designed to support video conferencingCustom-made work surfaces include desks with bespoke pinboard screens, as well as meeting and coffee tables.
    All the chairs from before were reused, with the exception of the lobby sofa and the meeting room armchairs.
    Wall units provide both open shelves and concealed storageThe flooring is oak in a herringbone pattern, while lighting is provided by coloured glass ceiling lights and curvy pendants.
    “These are unusual specifications for an office but they work just as well and feel automatically more homey,” added Perkin.
    Poster and photos from Drama Republic productions decorate the wallsThe space is completed by framed photos and posters from Drama Republic productions, including Black Earth Rising, The Honourable Woman, Wanderlust and The Irregulars.
    Perkin and her partner and Emil Eve co-founder, Ross Perkin, established their studio in 2009. Their own office is a retrofit of a brutalist building in Hackney. Last year, one of its projects won London’s Don’t Move, Improve! competition.
    The photography is by Rachael Smith.
    Project credits
    Architect: Emil Eve ArchitectsContractor: Harbour Joinery WorkshopJoinery: Harbour Joinery Workshop, Thomas Collier StudioPaint: Edward Bulmer, Paint and Paper LibraryTiles: Mosaic FactorySofa and armchairs: Loaf

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      Intervention Architecture hides fold-out furniture behind walls of Florin Court flat

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      British studio Intervention Architecture designed bespoke plywood joinery to conceal furniture including a pull-down bed and a collapsible dining table inside this micro apartment in north London.

      The flat is located within Florin Court, a nine-storey art deco building overlooking Charterhouse Square that was designed by Guy Morgan and Partners and built in 1938.
      The 24-square-metre flat at the rear of the building was previously the servant quarters for a larger residence facing the garden at the front.
      Intervention Architecture has designed the interiors for a London micro apartmentIts current owners, a couple of young artists, commissioned Intervention Architecture after seeing images on the studio’s website of another tiny flat it designed in London’s Barbican Estate.
      Similarly to this project, the Barbican flat featured reconfigurable joinery that allowed for optimal use of the compact space.

      “The brief here was to create joinery for lots of storage and to have it all hidden behind doors to make the apartment feel more spacious,” Intervention Architecture founder Anna Parker told Dezeen.
      Furniture in the Florin Court flat is concealed behind built-in joineryA storage wall lining one side of the living area houses a bed that folds down to rest on a moveable bespoke sofa. Shelving above the bedhead provides space for books with built-in reading lights positioned on either side.
      The sofa, which can also be used as a daybed, was built to contain four bespoke flatpack stools. These can be arranged around a dining table that can be broken down and stored within the wall.
      The living area houses a daybed that transforms into a moveable sofa when foldedA focal point of the space is the open shelving that functions as a library along the end wall.
      Here, a recurring arch motif that references the building’s art deco architecture is used to frame the book-filled niches.
      The puzzle-like construction of the shelving was also informed by Florin Court’s claim to fame as the residence of Agatha Christie’s fictional detective Hercule Poirot in the popular ITV television series.
      Open shelving functions as a library with art deco-style arch motifsIntegrated into the storage units in one corner of the room is a study nook featuring a bespoke seat and a built-in drawing board that can be raised and adjusted to provide an ergonomic work surface.
      Joinery throughout the space was constructed using a single material – poplar plywood with a white oiled finish. The floorboards were sanded and given the same treatment to reinforce the cohesive aesthetic.
      “We wanted to retain a sense of calmness and singular surface tone of one natural material in the apartment to create an even tone of light from the one main window opening,” said Parker.
      Joinery was constructed using poplar plywood with a white oiled finishThe ceiling, walls and window frames are painted a simple off-white shade that helps to brighten the space. This hue is complemented by the tactile boucle upholstery chosen for the sofa.
      The room is illuminated by a single bulb above the study area and a central cluster hung at different heights from the ceiling. A pair of matching bedside lamps provides additional task lighting.

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      While the living area is minimal in its use of colour, the adjoining bathroom and kitchen are saturated in bold hues that introduce an expressive element to the scheme.
      “As the clients are two formidable artists, where the use of colour is intrinsic to their work, we wanted to reference a singular use of two colours in the two spaces ancillary to the main studio,” Parker added.
      The bathroom is clad with blush-pink tiles chosen to evoke a hue that might be found in a 1930s ocean liner. All-white aluminium taps, sanitaryware and a Japanese-style bathtub contribute to the clean and simple aesthetic.
      Blush-pink tiles cover the bathroom, contributing to a clean and simple aestheticThe kitchen is entirely painted in a vibrant shade known as International Klein Blue after the French artist Yves Klein, who used it extensively in his artworks.
      According to Parker, the use of saturated colour creates an “immersive experience” within the tiny two-square-metre space, which manages to squeeze in a hob, oven, dishwasher, fridge, sink, spice rack and concealed bin storage.
      The two-square metre kitchen is painted in International Klein BlueIntervention Architecture was founded by Parker in 2015 and is based in Birmingham, England. The interdisciplinary practice adopts a collaborative approach to its projects, resulting in bespoke solutions with their own unique personality.
      The studio has previously worked on several projects in its home city, including an extension clad in cedar battens and a brick extension featuring arched windows that resemble a colonnade.
      The photography is by Tom Bird.

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      Material & Memory exhibition responds to “raw materiality” of Brinkburn Priory and Manor

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      Tutors and researchers from Northumbria University have filled a derelict manor house, nestled in a curve of the River Coquet in Northumberland, with objects informed by the site’s rich history and materiality.

      The exhibition titled Material & Memory is being held at Brinkburn Priory and Manor, a former 12th-century monastery that fell into ruin and was restored in the 19th century, when the manor house was built alongside it.
      Northumbria University faculty has designed products for Brinkburn Priory and Manor. Top photo is by Brian Morris and above by Jennine WilsonAround 20 faculty members and researchers from Northumbria University’s School of Design and Department of Architecture created works that reference the fabric and atmosphere of the historic buildings.
      Co-curator and assistant design professor Anthony Forsyth said the pieces created for the show were influenced by the “tranquil and atmospheric” spaces at Brinkburn, as well as by the multiple layers of history evident in the empty rooms.
      Josh South’s Nook candleholders replicate the form of a shouldered door arch”The raw materiality of the spaces is a rich source of inspiration, while the span of history informs an approach that is contemporary yet acknowledges the past,” he explained.

      Several contributions reference architectural features that were exposed as part of English Heritage’s efforts to stop dry rot from destroying the manor, which had fallen into disrepair before the preservation charity took over responsibility for the house in 1965.
      Anthony Forsyth’s Mullion plinths are shaped like the manor’s stone window mullionsForsyth’s Mullion plinths feature forms derived from the tapered profile of the building’s stone window mullions, while the Nook candleholders created by design lecturer Joshua South replicate the form of a shouldered door arch in patinated sand-cast bronze.
      In collaboration with woodworker Johnny Hayes, South also developed the Quatrefoil tables, which are based on a pattern of overlapping circles commonly featured in medieval emblems and found in the stained-glass windows of the Priory at Brinkburn.
      South’s Quatrefoil tables are based on the priory’s stained-glass windowsPhilip Luscombe, who teaches on the university’s Furniture and Product course, created a lamp with an oak structure that evokes the robust construction of church furniture.
      The Monk lamp’s paper diffuser references religious texts and creates a warm glow when the light is turned on.

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      Forsyth also developed the Assemblage floor lamp, constructed using off-the-shelf components and parts retained from other projects.
      The design is informed by the state of the interior at Brinkburn, where layers of construction have been exposed and the reuse of materials is evident.
      Phil Luscombe has created a lamp with an oak structure that references church furnitureBen Couture, assistant architecture professor and co-curator of the exhibition, created a geometric yellow bench that intentionally contrasts with the architectural style of the manor house.
      The bench responds to the dimensions of the adjacent windows, through which visitors can look out towards the river.
      The exhibition includes various other works in mixed media, ranging from etchings to printed textiles, photomontages and wallpapers. Each of the pieces was created following repeated visits to the site and through conversations with experts at English Heritage.
      Ben Couture designed a geometric yellow bench. The photo is by Brian MorrisThe charity previously worked with Northumbria University on a similar exhibition of objects displayed at Aydon Castle, also in Northumberland.
      According to Frances McIntosh, a curator at English Heritage, the Material & Memory exhibition makes good use of the normally empty rooms, encouraging visitors to reconsider the past, present and future of these historic spaces.
      “Brinkburn Priory Manor House is like a blank canvas and exhibitions like this are a great way to use the space and allow visitors to think more deeply about the complicated layers of the building they can see,” she said.
      The photography is by Phil Luscombe unless otherwise stated.
      Material & Memory is on show at Brinkburn Priory and Manor until 3 November 2024. For more events, exhibitions and talks in architecture and design visit the Dezeen Events Guide.

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      HawkinsBrown converts former Vitra showroom into own street-front office

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      Architecture studio HawkinsBrown has taken over a former furniture showroom, giving its staff a workspace with a shop window, a social kitchen and a Richard Woods-designed cabin.

      The former Vitra showroom on Clerkenwell Road is now a three-level office for 250 of HawkinsBrown’s 350 staff. The new street-front address was designed to give the architects a workspace that facilitates more diverse ways of working and offers greater opportunities for social activities and events.
      The street-front office is located on Clerkenwell Road in London”Our vast shopfront means we are on display, presenting us with a new and exciting opportunity to show the world who we are and what we do,” said HawkinsBrown managing partner Hazel York.
      “It’s a place to connect with our clients, collaborators and the wider Clerkenwell community through a programme of talks and events, temporary exhibitions and art installations.”
      The ground floor can be used for different activities and eventsCentral to this approach was turning the ground-floor space into a flexible “canteen” featuring a stainless-steel counter where staff meet for coffee and cafe-style furniture that can be easily moved around.

      “Our ground floor canteen is our working experiment, our laboratory,” said HawkinsBrown’s creative director David Bickle.
      A stainless-steel counter is the place where staff meet for coffee”It’s a place where we can host talks and seminars, workshops, supper clubs and sunset yoga, and invite takeovers by like-minded organisations,” he told Dezeen.
      “We’ve purposely kept it unprogrammed, loose fit and unfinished, preferring to ‘show not tell’ what we do to the world outside.”

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      A shed covered in the colourful cartoon-style prints of artist Richard Woods can be found on this floor, surrounded by plants.
      Known as Hut, it offers staff a place to find isolation.
      The Richard Woods-designed Hut sits among plantsThe idea was to create the feel of a building within a building, an approach that HawkinsBrown previously explored on projects including the Gantry at Here East and the Here + Now offices.
      “We recognised that many of us worked from sheds, home offices, lofts and kitchen tables during the Covid lockdown and that this form of isolation was important for certain concentrated creative tasks,” stated Bickle.
      This colourful cabin offers staff a place to find isolation”We talked through our ideas with Richard; he was immediately taken with our thinking and open to creating something new,” Bickle said.
      “The closed form of Hut creates a talking point. Paradoxically we placed the most private space in the most public location but, through its design, we created a sanctuary from the rest of the studio and the world outside.”
      The newly painted red staircase encourages staff to stop and chatMore art can be found on the glazed facade in the form of graphics designed by architect June Tong, the winning entry in an in-house competition.
      Power-assisted acoustic curtains allow the space to be subdivided if necessary, while a newly painted red staircase encourages staff to stop and chat while moving between floors.
      The design includes both formal meeting rooms and collaborative spacesMeeting rooms can be found on all three levels. These include a pair of adjoining basement rooms affectionately known as Ray and Charles, which can be combined into one larger room called Eames.
      These were named in tribute to former occupant Vitra, which produces furniture by the famed American architects.
      A modelmaking workshop is located in the basementA modelmaking workshop is located in the basement but visible from above, while pin-up boards were integrated into sliding doors as well as mobile partitions.
      York said the new office has shaped a more collaborative culture among staff. Amid the wider shift to hybrid working, she believes it has strengthened the firm’s sense of community and collective identity.
      “We knew having a shop window on a bustling street would be great but it has surpassed our expectations,” she said.
      The windows feature graphics designed by in-house architect June Tong”Watching the world go by is a constant reminder of how our work shapes and is shaped by the city and communities we serve.”
      “Equally, we are very open about the work we do; everyone can see in. We draw on the windows, stick up work in progress and regularly wave at people at the bus stop!”
      The photography is by Ruth Ward.

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      Beacon House extension by Office S&M features bubblegum pink tiles

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      A London house extension designed by Office S&M features a ceramic facade with the same pink glaze used for Tube station tiles on the Hammersmith and City Line.

      Office S&M designed Beacon House, a single-storey rear extension, for a Victorian terraced house in Tottenham, north London.
      Pink “pillow-shaped” tiles clad the extensionIt creates a larger kitchen and dining space for a couple and their two young children.
      The architects chose “pillow-shaped” tiles for the extension’s facade, giving the structure a puffy aesthetic.
      The pink glaze is the same used for tiles on Hammersmith and City Line stationsThe bubblegum pink glaze is specifically used on Hammersmith and City Line station tiles, to match the colour that indicates the line on the London Underground map.

      Here, it was selected to complement the original brickwork and reflect the clients’ love of municipal architecture.
      Pale green window frames contrast the pink”Alex and Ella showed us examples of public buildings they grew up with and ones they visited on their travels, which included sun-bleached climbing frames, tiled swimming pools, leisure centres and stations,” said Catrina Stewart, co-founder of Office S&M along with Hugh McEwen.
      “Just like with these buildings, they wanted their home to be both robust and joyful,” Stewart told Dezeen.
      The extension creates a generous kitchen and dining areaThe extruded clay tiles, handcrafted by manufacturers Materials Assemble and Teamwork Italy, contrast with the pale green colour of the window frames and downpipe.
      “Ella grew up in west London and her dad used to take the Hammersmith and City line every day; the pink tiles reminded her of home,” added Stewart.
      Curved details include a kitchen island and the wall wrapping a downstairs WCThe renovation also involved improving the building’s performance, making it better insulated and ventilated, and bringing a contemporary feel to the interiors throughout.
      The design features the bold colours and graphic style that have become Office S&M’s calling card, as previously seen in projects like Mo-tel House and Graphic House.
      As with Graphic House, the interior features several bespoke elements that inject a sense of the owners’ personality. Stewart points to the kitchen island as an example.
      Bold colours feature throughout the houseThe central focus of the extension, it features a resin and timber worktop made by surface design studio Mirrl, using a technique inspired by Japanese lacquer craft Tsugaru Nuri.
      “A bespoke pattern was created, referencing the clients’ memories of pastel hues and fading colours found along the British seaside,” Stewart said.
      The hallway includes monochrome tiles and a round yellow mirrorTiled surfaces and curved details feature all over, continuing the aesthetic of the building’s exterior.
      Examples of tiles include a yellow-grouted kitchen splashback, the monochrome flooring in the entrance hallway, and the soft yellow and pink surfaces in the first-floor bathroom.
      Pale pink and yellow tiles were installed in the first-floor bathroomProminent curves include the kitchen island, as well as a rounded wall framing the downstairs toilet and a yellow-framed hallway mirror.
      “Many of the municipal buildings that they showed us were associated with a story or a memory,” said Stewart.
      “The subtle references in their home serve as a reminder of these stories and experiences.”
      The three-bedroom property is home to a couple with two childrenThe colour scheme naturally progresses through the building, with richer tones at the front of the house and lighter tones as you move through to the top-lit extension.
      Local craft makers were involved in many of the smaller details, from the baby blue banquette upholstery in the kitchen, to the hand-painted gold number fixed to the front door.
      The photography is by French + Tye.
      Project credits
      Architect: Office S&MStructural engineer: Foster StructuresContractor: YG BuildersFurniture build: YG BuildersKitchen surfaces: MirrlGlazed pink external tiles: Materials Assemble, Teamwork ItalyGlobal paints: YesColoursUpholstery: Studio SwadeGold number sign: Mark Errington

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      Benjamin Hale Architects extends light-starved Victorian home upwards and outwards

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      Welsh practice Benjamin Hale Architects has added two modern extensions – one made from pale brick, the other from black zinc – to a Victorian-era home in south London.

      The end-of-terrace house is located in Dulwich and previously featured a dim and dated interior.
      The ground floor extension accommodates a new kitchenWorking alongside local interior designer Hamish Vincent, Benjamin Hale Architects set out to bring natural light back into the plan and “engender a sense of calm and domesticity” throughout.
      The practice started by adding a pale, clay-brick volume to the rear of the property, incorporating a neglected alley that sat to the side of the plot.
      Skylights and Crittall doors help brighten up the room”An underused side return or side alley is a traditional feature of many traditional Victorian terrace homes,” the practice’s eponymous founder told Dezeen. “However, being on an edge plot offered a considerable advantage in this instance.”

      Inside, the extension contains a modern kitchen complete with oak cabinetry, pale terrazzo flooring and a central counter with a built-in cooker, where inhabitants can prepare meals.
      Fluted tiles decorate the breakfast nookA breakfast nook was set up towards the back of the room, its cushioned seating bench set against a fluted tile wall.
      Sunlight streams into the room from a skylight created in the room’s upper corner and the Crittall doors that open onto the garden.
      Eye-catching furniture pieces appear throughout the formal dining areaA new doorway links the extension to the formal dining room, where Vincent introduced a bold medley of furnishings. This includes a stripy timber table and a chandelier composed of a cluster of spherical bulbs.
      As many of the home’s original period features had been removed over time, Benjamin Hale Architects reinstated a grand marble fireplace in the room.

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      Ornate coving was also fitted around the ceiling of the adjacent sitting area, which hosts a sofa and sculptural armchairs upholstered in creamy boucle.
      An oak staircase with a slatted balustrade leads up to a zinc-clad dormer roof extension, added at the request of the owners who wanted the home to have extra sleeping quarters.
      The space – which now serves as the primary bedroom – has wooden panels running around its perimeter and a large picture window that offers far-reaching views over the streets of Dulwich.
      Wooden panels envelop the principal bedroomEnsuite facilities were integrated into the room alongside a freestanding bath, snugly positioned beneath the roof’s eaves and illuminated by a small skylight.
      The project also saw Vincent infuse the property’s existing bedrooms with warmth and tactility, adding weathered stone pots, lantern-style lights, tobacco-hued surfaces and more.
      The room also has its own standalone bathThis isn’t the only Dulwich residence to recently undergo a revamp; a few months ago architecture studio Proctor & Shaw built a concrete extension for a terrace home in the affluent neighbourhood, better connecting it to its 57-metre-long back garden.
      The photography is by Pierce Scourfield.

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      Khan Bonshek arranges east London home around brick “spine wall”

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      Architecture studio Khan Bonshek’s founders have remodelled their own terraced house in east London around a central brick wall, carrying out the majority of the work themselves.

      Named Two Up, Two Down, the house was renovated and extended by Sabba Khan and Mark Bonshek, who founded Khan Bonshek in 2021.
      With the studio acting as client, architect and contractor, the couple aimed to rearrange the home’s interior and add small additions to make the most of the space.
      Khan Bonshek designed their own home in London”The house represents our guiding philosophy; how to make the most with very little,” the couple said.
      “Most expensive new builds are about packing in rooms and low ceilings,” continued Bonshek.

      “We’ve taken a volumetric approach. We sought to create expanse, have views beyond rooms and create something humble through spatial arrangement.”
      The house is arranged around a central brick wallThe studio removed all the existing internal walls in the terrace, which the couple acquired in 2018, before adding a central grey brick “spine wall” through the centre of the building.
      This wall supports the stairs, which are visible in the front room, and runs the full height of the home adding a natural, textural element.
      A rear extension was replacedTo improve flow and openness in the house, two small extensions were added. On the ground floor, the existing extension was replaced with a full-width brick addition, which now contains the light-filled kitchen.
      At the top of the house, the existing loft conversion was extended with the addition of a timber-framed dormer.

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      To further improve the sense of space, the walls enclosing the bathroom and study on the first floor were replaced with curtains.
      In the bathroom, a section of the ceiling was removed to create a double-height space.
      A timber framed dormer increased the loft spaceDuring the demolition, Khan Bonshek salvaged materials, which were reused in the reconstruction.
      These materials were supplemented with accessible materials such as plywood and yoghurt pots along with salvaged teak, black marble and brass.
      A double-height space was created in the bathroomAccording to the couple, the focus of the renovation was to create a home that would be an enjoyable place to live in, rather than adding value to the property.
      “We were very clear from the outset that we were creating a comfortable healthy home, rather than an asset,” said Khan.
      “We need to get to a place where we change policy and attitudes around housing as assets and instead to places which offer a reprieve and comfort.”
      The stairs are connected to the spine wallKhan believes the home can be an example of how existing terraced houses in the UK can be upgraded and argued that the government should amend tax laws to encourage renovations
      Refurbishments in the UK currently incur 20 per cent VAT, levies that are not applied on new build developments.
      “We have a duty to provide housing from the existing stock,” Khan added. “Think about all the embodied energy and why that’s such a better option than demolishing and putting up lots of new buildings.”
      The home is located in east LondonOther London home extensions recently featured on Dezeen include a minimalist extension to a Victorian home and a Grade II-listed villa with a wood-filled extension.
      The photography is by James Retief.

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      Sam Jacob gives “soft brutalist” University of Kent building a modern makeover

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      Architecture studio Sam Jacob Studio has refurbished a 1960s building at the University of Kent in Canterbury, England, using playful architectural references and bright colours to add layers of “wit and delight” to the existing interiors.

      The project provides teaching spaces for the university’s School of Architecture, Design and Planning, which is part of a campus designed by William Holford that opened in 1965.
      Sam Jacob Studio has refurbished the interiors of a 1960s University of Kent buildingSam Jacob Studio (SJS) looked to retain what it described as the “soft brutalist” character of the brick and concrete Marlowe Building when reorganising the existing interior.
      The Marlowe building originally housed the university’s physics department, which featured a series of cellular offices on the ground floor and a top-lit lab space above.
      The studio wanted to retain the building’s “soft brutalist” feelingFollowing a detailed consultation with faculty and students, Jacob and his team defined a strategy that balances areas dedicated to specific year groups and subjects with the ability to transform and open up the spaces.

      The team at SJS said it was interested in “what happens between the logic of architecture and the happenstance of creative working”.
      They based their design on a variety of famous creative spaces including the Bauhaus school and Paul Rudolph’s brutalist Yale Art and Architecture Building, as well as The Factory created by artist Andy Warhol in New York City.
      Large sliding doors were used to separate spacesThe architects gutted the existing interior to expose the concrete ceiling alongside the building’s structure and services, which were retained as the backdrop for a series of minimal interventions targeted at fulfilling the space’s new role.
      “This is a project that reveals the intrinsic qualities of the 1960s building, while also contrasting a more fluid contemporary character,” the studio said.
      “It is an architecture that invites inhabitation rather than imposing order, that recognises character, wit and delight as part of an essential role of architecture.”
      Polycarbonate portholes allow light to pass through the spacesSJS worked as much as possible with the existing spatial layout, adding just one wall to the ground floor and two on the first floor so that the interiors can evolve to meet different future requirements.
      Rather than functioning merely as static partitions, the walls are activated by incorporating moving components that can be used to adapt the layout of the studios.
      Large sliding doors with polycarbonate portholes allow some of the spaces to be separated, while pivoting wall sections can be opened or closed depending on the desired layout.

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      The partition walls incorporate full-height pinboards for displaying work. These surfaces were given a more dynamic appearance by cutting the boards diagonally from corner to corner.
      The standard-height pinboards are topped with a shelf, onto which adjustable lights are clamped to allow illumination of the students’ work. Mirrored panels above the shelf create the illusion of a continual space.
      Pinboards feature clamped adjustable lights to illuminate student’s workThe studio can be customised further to suit different working modes by rearranging freestanding elements including drawing boards, easels, screens and moveable storage units built using standard warehouse shelves.
      Existing furniture was reused wherever possible, while doors salvaged during the strip-out were converted into desks, with yellow laminate pieces added to fill in holes where the locks and vision panels were once located.
      Pivoting wall sections can be opened or closed depending on the desired layoutThe interior incorporates several explicit architectural references, according to SJS, including a colour palette based on Le Corbusier’s 1959 paint system.
      “A series of columns used to define thresholds act as 1:1 models of, variously, Canterbury Cathedral, Brancusi and James Stirling, like a library of other architectures inhabiting the school,” the team explained.
      To prevent sunlight from overheating the studios, a series of coloured window blinds was added along with moveable perforated pinboard panels that help to control privacy. This creates a changing topography that animates the building’s exterior.
      Moveable perforated pinboard panels provide privacy and shadingSam Jacob established his eponymous studio in 2014, having previously worked as part of the radical architecture collective FAT for over 20 years.
      Previous projects by SJS include a new entrance at London’s V&A museum made from hundreds of glass tubes and a brightly coloured studio and office for designer Yinka Ilori.
      The photography is by Timothy Soar.

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      Will Gamble Architects modernises London Victorian house with “soft minimalism” interiors

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      UK studio Will Gamble Architects has extended and modernised a Victorian house in south London, using curved shapes and a palette of natural materials to create a calm and minimalist aesthetic.

      The clients – a married couple looking to create their forever home – asked Will Gamble Architects to oversee the transformation of the semi-detached house in Putney into a serene sanctuary.
      Architecture firm Proctor & Shaw initially developed the planning drawings before Gamble’s studio was appointed to develop a cohesive interior design service throughout the home, including technical drawings and revised spatial layouts for the upper floors.
      Will Gamble Architects has extended and modernised a south London Victorian houseTo fufil the clients’ request for increased space, a rear and attic extension was added.
      “We were keen to maximise space and light as much as possible through clever design solutions,” architect Will Gamble told Dezeen.

      “This was particularly relevant over the upper floors where the brief called for four bedrooms and three bathrooms which a conventional layout couldn’t accommodate.”
      Gamble’s “soft minimalism” approach is defined by gentle tonal huesGamble applied an approach he described as “soft minimalism” throughout the interiors, utilising a restrained palette of textural materials to ensure consistency across all floors.
      “Soft minimalism is defined by curved lines, gentle tonal hues, natural materials and carefully curated spaces,” said the architect. “This aesthetic allowed us to deliver a highly bespoke project tailored to our clients’ needs.”
      Muted colours enhancing the “soft minimalism” aesthetic include whites and pinksArched niches, curved walls and a bespoke staircase with semi-circular landings, circular spindles and a turned-oak rail contribute to an aesthetic defined by a gentle geometry.
      Muted colours including warm whites and soft pinks provide a soft and coherent backdrop, while more textured materials including pippy oak and richly veined marble add personality to some of the spaces.

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      The new staircase was illuminated by an oval roof light that continues the theme of gentle, round forms. The roof light casts natural light deep into the floor plan and is openable to allow stack ventilation to naturally cool the interior.
      Bespoke joinery brings functionality and visual interest to rooms including the main bedroom, where a headboard unit made from pippy oak provides additional storage as well as concealing the en-suite shower room.
      Textured materials like pippy oak and richly veined marble add flare to certain spacesThe bespoke bed and headboard with integrated wardrobes are centrally located within the room to maximise the available space. The en suite contains a pair of marble-clad vanities either side of a walk-in shower.
      Pippy oak was used elsewhere in the house for furniture including bedside tables and built-in storage. The wood’s distinctive knots and knot clusters stand out whilst complementing the other natural materials.
      “The ‘cats paw’ pattern of the pippy oak adds a decadence to the otherwise muted material palette,” Gamble added. “We used this unique material in key areas to help establish a hierarchy across the spaces throughout the project.”
      A pippy oak headboard unit in the main bedroom conceals the en-suite shower roomAs part of the renovation project, the building’s historic fabric was thermally upgraded to reduce energy consumption and create a more comfortable environment. A home automation system was also incorporated that minimises visible light switches and contributes to the uncluttered, minimalist interiors.
      According to Gamble, the owners were interested in “achieving a high-quality finish driven by an acute attention to detail”, which led to a highly bespoke project tailored to their exact requirements.
      Will Gamble established his London-based studio in 2018 after working for architectural practices Farrells and Francis Philips Architects. The office specialises in sensitively retrofitting existing buildings through contemporary architectural interventions.
      The studio’s previous projects include a home built within the ruins of a 17-century parchment factory in Northamptonshire and a glass-walled extension to a Georgian house in Leicestershire.

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