Surface Design Awards – Complete

• HOUSING - INTERIOR 
  Buildings such as houses, flats and apartments that are used for sheltering people. These could be either part of the private or public sector and could be individual dwellings or multi-dwelling developments. Social rented, affordable rented and intermediate housing, provided to specified eligible households whose needs are not met by the market are included.

The project is a typical converted Edwardian terrace, with living space above and bedrooms and a bathroom in the basement. It came with all the problems you would expect from a typical terrace: narrow, claustrophobic hallways, a damp downstairs and a difficult layout that saw the bathroom placed at the rear of the ground floor, blocking light and access to the garden. A series of changes have transformed the flat, where the space flows beautifully, views to nature are prioritised and a small palette of natural materials lends a sense of both unity and serenity.
The main aim was to open up the hallway, both upstairs and downstairs – people really need an entrance space where they can put their shoes and coat on. For downstairs it was about making it not feel like a basement, bringing in the light and getting rid of the toilet that was blocking the outside space. The bathroom has been moved towards the centre of the layout and a single-storey extension (just 7sqm) has created a new guest room/tea room/relaxation space, alongside a study and a further master bedroom with ensuite.
The two storeys are connected by a new staircase with a louvred iroko balustrade, and open treads at the top to help filter the light down to the basement; daylight also now floods the two garden-level rooms at the back of the house.
The project costed approx. £250k and was completed in Nov 2022.

Only natural materials are used in the project:
Clayplaster for the walls, jute carpet downstairs and new stained pine flooring upstairs, while the master bathroom features pleasingly rustic handmade terracotta tiles on the floor and tadelakt walls, continuing the same earthy theme that began with the clay walls elsewhere. The whole house is about warmth and natural materials, creates that calming feeling for a city sanctuary.
Each material were carefully chosen to ensure there is no plastic. Each of them remind us of nature and help grounding us. We use only a limited amount of material type so as not to over-whelm our senses, which is key to create a mindful space.

All of the material chosen are handmade (on or off site) to ensure both quality and to reduce carbon emission.
The walls in particular, is a more sustainable alternative to gypsum plaster and paint, supplied ready to mix with water and be applied with conventional plastering tools and skills.
Clay plasters are natural and non-toxic, with low VOCs emissions and no synthetic, concrete or lime additives. Made from readily available, naturally abundant materials, they require no processing, only blending. During the manufacturing process very little energy is required, no water is used, and there is zero waste produced.
Amongst the most sustainable wall finishes available, clay plasters are recyclable, repairable and compostable. They allow buildings to breathe, attenuate acoustics and help regulate humidity and temperature.

Following the strict "no plastic" rule has been a challenge, even the lighting wire and ceiling roses are made of jute and timber. This means that the architect and interior designer need to go through every single details to ensure materials are carefully chosen, we even end-up making be-spoke timber wall vents. This has taken a lot longer to research and to make be-spoke items, but really help to keep the design theme and to stay true to the concept.