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PORTAL WAY

GARNHAM STREET

BRUNEL WORKS

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NEW CROSS ROAD

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ST. OLAVS

HOLME

39 ST JAMES’S STREET

MAY GURNEY

CAMBRIDGE GATE

A 19th century listed terrace. Once left vacant. Brought back to life. Classic contemporary restoration. Carefully layering proposals to enhance the historic asset.

Regent’s Park, London.

A raised ground and lower floor triplex apartment situated within a handsome French second empire style terrace, creates the perfect frame for a timeless and contemporary family home. Dowen Farmer Architects have worked closely with Laura Hammett Design Studio  to craft a sensitive restoration project. The interior rationale takes influence and responds to the historic architectural language of the property along with the family lifestyle and geographical cues.

Cambridge Gate consists of a terrace originally comprising ten houses designed by T Archer and A Green, and built by Stanley G Bird in 1875-77. The building’s principal façade overlooks Regents Park to the west. The rear of Cambridge Gate is complemented by a later additional mews which originally comprised a range of terraced coach houses and stables.

The arrangement of the link structure is a simple stack of a lounge and kitchen space connected by a new, lightweight metal staircase. Roof-lights integrated into the roof maximise daylight in the upper storey. Operability has been a key focus when developing the detail of the facade to enable positive interaction with the newly landscaped courtyard space.

The new facade and roof to this link piece aim to both respect and compliment the historic courtyard space through key design moves, whilst creating a light and airy interior feel. The classic contemporary design of the link piece both internally and externally allows the user a clear reading of being in between the two historic elements of the property.

The ground floor of the original houses have a single window to the side of a three light window bay with pilasters carrying entablature with a continuous balustrade parapet above at first floor level. The new link piece facade rationale revolves around a modern interpretation of these principal bays with slender and evenly spaced verticals supporting horizontal bands. The weaving of the horizontal band and vertical uprights embodies the facade with this ‘lightweight’ feeling, as it connects the main house to the rear mews. The vertical piers are then shaped to accentuate their slenderness and subservience to the main property.

Pure geometric forms and shapes from the architectural vernacular follow through to the interior of the property considering inner proportions and layout. Simple and timeless elements which complement the architecture with softness and balance are added through layered textured fabrics and relaxed comfortable furniture shapes with meticulous attention to detail and an underlying sense of home and contemporary Britishness.

A refined neutral base colour palette consisting of warm layered & textural tones complimented by a rich palette of forest inspired hue. This is further, enhanced by touches of patinated bronze and warm timber to give depth, offering a backdrop to accent fabrics & artwork colours. Materials are specified to feel authentic, balanced and luxurious, pulling influence from British heritage and craftsmanship.

A high quality elegant material  palette has been curated to complement the existing building which is predominantly Bath stone to the main façade with dark painted metal railings and white, timber framed sash windows. The proposed palette of materials for the new courtyard piece is considered alongside the proposed internal finishes to ensure a holistic, harmonious palette is achieved.

The stone will respond positively to the existing main house, complimenting the London Stock brick on the rear and matching in tonality whilst providing a slight textural variety. The mortar will be specified to closely match the colour of the stone tones, and will be flush pointed with a brush finish to enhance the crisp contemporary reinterpretation.

A range of stone detailing is used across the contemporary link piece in the form of articulated banding across the vertical ‘top-piece’ to the façade. This contrast expresses the vertical element of the façade and offers a positive relationship with that of the lodge cornice detailing.

Aluminium frame windows will have a brushed bronze finish which is complementary to the light stone palette.

Project Info

STATUS
CONSTRUCTION, 2024
TYPE
RESIDENTIAL
LOCATION
REGENTS PARK
BOROUGH
CAMDEN
CLIENT
PRIVATE
AREA
510M²

The Team