Two New Rooms
The early 1800s saw the construction of the Jesus Hospital Estate, established on acres of former farmland in London’s East End. The buildings are simple, butterfly-roofed brick terraces, originally built as inexpensive housing along narrow streets. An oddly shaped plot to the rear of a corner pub is now the site of this complex single home, enclosed by garden walls and neighbouring seven properties on four sides.
Much of London’s accommodation has been carved out of previously grand family homes; for example, a four-bedroom terrace house with a single washroom may now be converted into three storeys of flats, each with en suites and private kitchens. This increase in density has created tight, chaotic accommodation where living spaces are increasingly neglected. Fire separation regulations and service runs for gas and waste create a language of unintended disorder within otherwise robust and stately building stock. In contrast, this new design is intentional, flexible, and generous.
The site presents a particular challenge, measuring just 12m x 5m with angled boundaries and limited sunlight. As the maximum planning height is barely one storey above ground, a basement level was necessary to realise the site’s potential. The focus has been on forming two large, well-proportioned, rectangular spaces with good amenity and appropriate ceiling heights on each level. The size and clarity of these two rooms are at the heart of the project; their formality and rigour allow the enclosing service spaces to distort into the site’s awkward boundaries. A double-height room, a top-lit spiral stair, and an external lower-ground courtyard allow maximum daylight into the living room. Upstairs, the bedroom can be easily divided into two if required.
The street elevation consists of a series of three equal double gates: one for bins, one for the entrance, and one to open the courtyard to the street on rare sunny days. Council requirements for building in this conservation area have stripped away any honest street facade; nothing domestic is presented to the public, and a passer-by would be unlikely to notice the building at all. It is common to see ‘exceptions’ built at the ends of terraced streets or on corners where Victorian builders could not apply their off-the-shelf designs. This project is a contemporary solution to an abandoned plot of land at the end of one of these streets—architecturally exceptional for the estate, yet defined by its historic planning.
Specialist basement contractors were essential to establish the deep excavation. This utilised the bulk of the budget, leaving limited funding for above-ground works. Consequently, the house is designed to be built using basic carpentry skills and few specialist contractors. Windows make up the majority of the facade, minimising thermal and waterproofing details, while the lower-ground floor is raised on pedestals to create storage below.
The design resists the temptation of overtly specific or bespoke solutions, aiming instead for robust, singular rooms. There is strong symmetry in the plan and a repetition of opening sizes for all windows and doors. The lower-ground floor features only doors, not windows; the ground level features only windows, not doors.
‘The windows in the temple ought to be small and high, so that nothing but sky may be seen through them; to the intent that both the priests that are employed in the performance of divine offices, and those that assist upon account of devotion, may not have their minds in any way diverted... for this reason the Ancients were very often contented without any other aperture besides the doorway.’
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