New House, Well Road, Hampstead, London
The original site comprised a square plot with a ‘chalet’ style house in the centre, surrounded on all sides by tall brick boundary walls. Our clients’ brief was to create a new modern family house, using Mediterranean render and concrete finishes. They also asked that the new house maximise the available space on the site. The Architect’s response was to shift the new house to one side, against one of the garden walls, and to go downwards into the natural hillside, effectively hollowing out the site to create a new courtyard a storey below ground level. Garage, swimming pool, plant and storage areas take up the basement, along with the courtyard garden space. Upper ground and first floor contain the living accommodation.
Concrete flat slab construction, with a different free form column layout on each floor, creates a house with flexible spaces and long spans, as well as giving the benefits of thermal mass. Concrete was also used to create an open staircase, and the projecting balcony using our own thermal break detail. Infill blockwork, render, and structural glazing make up the facades.
Architect Richard Webb Architects
Client Private Clients
