17 June 2022 · By Fran Williams. Photography by Nick Dearden

Emerging practice Emil Eve has extended and refurbished a four-bedroomed house in Peckham for £270,000 using custom-built joinery throughout

Douglas fir forms the exposed timber structure, exterior cladding, interior joinery and fittings of the makeover, creating a cohesive palette both inside and out. Designed for a young couple, bespoke crafted elements include an extra-deep window seat that curves along the full length of a wall to form an extended dining bench.

On the ground floor, a piano room featuring a glazed screen wall leads through a tiny inset courtyard to the kitchen and dining space that look out onto a walled back garden.

The rear extension is splayed to maximise solar orientation. Tall glazed doors and deep-framed timber windows direct natural light throughout the day and create view lines through and across the house.

Within the courtyard, a concealed mirror between cladding slats visibly extends the exterior space and reflects light deep into the plan.

A zinc-clad roof extension accommodates a bedroom and bathroom.

Breathable lime plaster walls give a soft texture to the changing light and terracotta tiles in the back garden complement the colour of the Douglas fir.

We wanted to open up the house while still keeping the feeling of distinct, separate spaces with their own identity. As well as the rear extension, features like the timber glazed screen in the piano room and the slatted mirror wall in the courtyard allowed us to pull as much light as possible into the rooms and created defined views through and across the ground floor and gardens, connecting the spaces.

Our clients wanted relaxed but functional spaces and the idea of an over-sized daybed inspired the window seat in the kitchen/dining area, which is angled to catch the sun throughout the day – it encompasses the key aims of the project, creating a home that is bright and light while feeling calm and cosy.

We love working with natural materials, which bring texture and warmth, and enjoy refining the detailing of structure, finishes and joinery to achieve a crafted feeling throughout. Douglas fir is the standout material in this project, but the textured lime plaster is also an essential element of the scheme. As well as being beautiful, these materials are sustainable and relatively low-cost. All the new external walls are breathable, utilising wood fibre insulation which has a high thermal mass and creates a healthy internal environment. Ross Perkin, director, Emil Eve Architects

From our very first meeting with Emil Eve, we knew they were the right architects for us. Ross and Emma spent a considerable amount of time understanding how we use our space and challenging us to consider how our needs may evolve in the future. They understood that we were not just asking them to design a house; we were asking them to help us create our home.

In a nutshell, we asked for a calm, airy house filled with natural light, with lots of built-in storage and generous entertaining spaces, using as many natural materials as possible. We got exactly that, but somehow the house is also so much more: that description does not do justice to the beauty of the Douglas fir structure in the rear extension, nor does it show you how sunlight travels through the house all day via thoughtfully positioned windows and skylights, or how cool air flows through the ground floor when the garden and courtyard doors are open on a warm day.

This house is such a joy to live in and over half a year after moving in, we still notice brilliant little details every day that make us smile, a testament to the care and attention that Emil Eve lavished on our home. Private clients

Start on site December 2020 Completion October 2021 Gross internal floor area 144m2 Gross (internal + external) floor area 179m2 (including rear garden and courtyard, excluding green roof area) Form of contract Traditional Construction cost Approx £270,000 (excluding loft works which were phased) Construction cost per m2 approx £2,000 Architect Emil Eve Architects Client Private Structural engineer Price & Myers Principal designer Emil Eve Architects Approved building inspector Quadrant Building Control Main contractor Evoke Projects

Tags Douglas fir Emil Eve Architects House extension Peckham

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