Power House, London, United Kingdom. Architect: Paul Archer Design, 2013.

Link to image

Link to Set

Power House, is a refurbishment of a private house in Highbury North London that includes a highly sculptural timber clad rear extension. The focal point of the new house is a spacious double height kitchen/diner at the rear of the property, which is created from the interplay of interlocking volumes made of frameless glass panels and linear timber panels. A structural glass box allows direct sunlight to penetrate deep into the plan. The upper floors of the extension are clad with a skin of Douglas fir battens, which run both inside and out as exterior cladding and interior wall lining, emphasising the interplay between volumes. The cladding extends partially over the glass, patterning the light and providing shading. A glass panel at the end wall of the first floor music/playroom creates a balcony overlooking the main space, flooding light into the original house and making a connection between the two spaces. A glazed sliding door closes off the space when privacy is required.