Acquiring a disused garage plot, Nelson Wright were able to successfully gain planning permission to create a continuation of the 2 storey Victorian terrace on a tree-lined street in Leytonstone, London. The design is conceived as a contemporary interpretation of the existing terrace, with familiar forms meeting minimalist detailing. Slender format Belgian bricks and tectonic cast stone elements help to create a blend of the traditional and modern. The project was self-developed by Nelson Wright, allowing them to be their own clients.

Light-filled, semi-open plan living spaces on the ground floor are arranged around a central bleached oak joinery unit that defines the different areas and integrates built-in storage. Pocket doors allow privacy and enclosure to be controlled flexibly and a triple-height open stair connects the levels of the house together. A soft palette of materials combined with the contemporary exposed joists create a characterful quality. Sliding, folding glass doors frame views out to the walled garden, creating seamless indoor/outdoor spaces.

To create a sense of space and generosity to a familiar housing typology, we played with ceiling heights and scale. Typical 2.6m ceilings to living spaces give way to a full height, gallery-like circulation space reaching up into the pitched roof. This allowed us to create contrast between the proportions of the living spaces, with both familiar and surprising scales that intrigue and delight.

Two bedrooms occupy the first floor as well as a family bathroom. A curved staircase leads up to the top floor where a timber box provides a home working spot set high up in the triple height space. A circular skylight allows light to spill down and provides long views out over the rooftops. A blackened timber sauna is accessed from a top floor wet room.
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Tactile, hand-made materials are applied throughout that celebrate patina and imperfections. This allows the houses to change over time, imprinted with the marks of craftsmanship and use, weathering gracefully as they become synonymous with both the street and the inhabitants. Bespoke lights and furniture have been carefully designed for each space along with curated objects and artwork that tell the stories of the owners. Contemporary specifications for high performance windows, extra-thick insulation and the latest in green energy equipment resulted in a sustainable and future-proofed design.

Nelson Wright designed and developed the project for the two directors who were seeking an alternative housing model after becoming disillusioned with the options available to first-time buyers in London. Following a rigorous search of backland and forgotten sites dotted around London on bicycles, they came across the brownfield garage plot at a property auction. They were able to arrange enough short term borrowing to buy the site, which allowed them to re-work the existing planning permission and add a second house to the plot. This uplift helped to finance the project and deliver more much needed housing on the disused plot.