Squeezed amid the housing estate in Walthamstow, the construction of the Black Ridge House is proof of responsible planning and an intelligent transition between modernity and nature. Following the footprint of an existing Victorian terraced house, this project embraced a concept of 'open-place' living and a cohesive transition towards the garden designed by the owner, a former drummer Rechossed, to a landscaping designer.
Restoring Vibrancy Without Compromising Legacy
The strategy is to restore vibrance to the sight and not compromise with the legacy of antiquity. The architects decided to maintain the regular spatial size in the individual rooms while creating an ample open-plan space towards the rear of the house. With a clever trick of the roof shape, they expressed a spatial hierarchy, and the edges were emphasized accordingly, heightening the effect, which created a dining area flooded with natural light on the top.
Energy conservation starts with the building's design, which includes high insulation, underfloor heating, LED lighting, and the use of maximum skylights. In addition to these elements, green housing is believed to provide a sense of well-being for its inhabitants.
The extension's architectural language pays homage to the roof lines and rhythm of the early Warner houses, embracing the philosophy of Biophilic design principles. By utilizing timber, a natural material, and employing the Shou Sugi Ban technique of burning, the architects celebrate nature's inherent beauty and imperfections. The timber cladding panels' resulting texture, color, and grain evoke a sense of spontaneity and richness, adding depth and character to the facade.
Inside the home, craftsmanship takes center stage, with many objects crafted in collaboration with the client and a team of skilled joiners and metalworkers. Each element reflects a handcrafted approach within a modern interior, from the oak-clad kitchen to the steel-crafted media unit. The industrial-contemporary vibe of cherry-picked reclaimed wooden panels set on sliding doors and contrasting with black steel tracks is a complementary concept that, in addition to the mix of warm and textural surfaces, creates a scenery.
(Photo: Tim Crocker)
Strength and Permanence of Concrete
Concrete also manages to bring gestural design elements such as integrated kitchen worktop countertops and a cantilevered bathroom basin into the picture. It builds a sense of strength and permanence of modern times into those utilitarian buildings while providing the building with the needed grounding.
By implementing wabi-sabi touches and accepting imperfection and transience, the design finds beauty in the imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete, appreciating it as authentic. This philosophy is reflected in an organic live-edge kitchen island and a combination of results produced by Shou Sugi Ban with its natural siding, creating a space with an authentic and original feel.
(Photo: Tim Crocker)
In conclusion, with these works, the House on the Top of Black Ridge by Neil Dusheiko Architects can be considered evidence of the great impact of smart planning and attention to detail. This jewelry design concept conveys nature-oriented themes and embraces imperfection since a modern living can be redefined while the previous architectural heritage is cherished. Squeezed amid the housing estate in Walthamstow, the construction of the Black Ridge House is proof of responsible planning and an intelligent transition between modernity and nature. Following the footprint of an existing Victorian terraced house, this project embraced a concept of 'open-place' living and a cohesive transition towards the garden designed by the owner, a former drummer Rechossed, to a landscaping designer.
