Michael Collins Architects provides Jewelry Field extension to London house
Hertfordshire-based Michael Collins Architects have added a box-shaped, two-story addition made of copper and charred larch to a row house next to a train station in south London.
The extension and renovation was called the Jewelery Box, a nod to the way the Victorian terrace and subtle extension hide the more lively interior of the house.
Michael Collins Architects added a box-shaped extension to a Victorian terrace
“Our customers talked about the house’s jewel box quality, where a simple shape is pulled apart to reveal a more complex, lighter and more textured interior,” said Michael Collins, founder of Michael Collins Architects.
“The extension to the rear is designed as two cubic volumes that slide over a base with glass surfaces in between,” he told Dezeen.
The extension on the ground floor contains a kitchen
The studio extended the house to the rear with two blocky annexes influenced by the various ad hoc extensions to row houses in London that can often be seen on train journeys around town
On the ground floor, an annex made of oxidized copper contains a kitchen and dining area, while a smaller annex with charred larch wood above houses a bathroom on the first floor. This is crowned by a roof terrace, which is accessible from the second floor.
The annex opens to a small garden
“The blocky exterior was inspired by the simple poetry of the stacked, box-shaped, self-made ‘add-ons’ and ‘closet recirculations’ that can be seen along the back of railroad decks, reflecting the diverse lives of their residents attempting to create a highly ordered composition create, “said Collins.
“A central topic was how to create a feeling of spatial generosity in this cramped area and how to approach the steep natural embankment in the rear area.”
Gold and Inchyra Blue are combined in the kitchen
The studio clad the outside of the house in dark industrial materials to hint at the nature of the site next to the train tracks and the former owner of the house, a chimney sweep.
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“The uses of oxidized copper and charred larch were determined by context,” said Collins. “Especially the urban memory of a famous chimney sweep from south London who lived and ran his business on the property, but also the sooty quality of the masonry along the embankment and the oxidized metal infrastructure along the way.”
The interiors contrast the dark exterior
In contrast to the restrained exterior, the interiors were designed in light colors, with inchyra blue cabinets and surfaces combined with golden back walls in the kitchen.
“A flush panel water element hides utility space, pantries and a toilet wrapped around the interior walls of the kitchen to create a sense of immersion and continuity with the trained plants lining the garden walls,” added Collins.
The studio has also renovated the main house
Overall, the architect is of the opinion that the house suits its location and wouldn’t make sense anywhere else.
“We hoped the project would be as idiosyncratic as its surroundings,” he said.
“The project grew out of the location and two very unique customers. These factors have shaped its orientation, size and materiality, and we think that it would not make sense at any other location.”
Jewelery Box was placed on the longlist in the Small Interior category of the Dezeen Awards 2020. This category was won by the Sim-Plex Design Studio Four Bedroom Smart Home in Hong Kong.
Photography is by Jacob Milligan.
