Kenilworth Road, W5
Ealing, London Complete 91 sq.m. Shortlisted - Build It Awards Best Self Build Architect 2021 Signature House
We were contacted by a potential new client in 2019 who owned an existing detached single storey double lockup garage with two forecourt parking spaces, and with an overall footprint of only 67m2 and aspired to build a compact two-storey 2 bedroom detached house on the confined plot which fronts a leafy street adjacent to a Conservation Area in the London Borough of Ealing, West London.
The client had read about our experience and success in gaining planning consents for similar small infill garage sites in controversial urban infill and brownfield locations, that often come with a multitude of planning restrictions and policy issues that need to be addressed and resolved, and following several initial discussions with the client to review the main briefing requirements and to talk through the key planning and construction issues, we were pleased to be appointed to take forward designs for the new house.
A thorough review and analysis of the site context was undertaken initially, and preliminary sketch designs were then produced to demonstrate the potential of the site to accommodate a new two-storey contemporary dwelling in the ‘Bauhaus’ style that the clients liked. The house footprint flanks 3 of the site boundaries and provides a habitable area of approximately 88m2, simply configured with a large open plan ground floor accommodating a living room, kitchen and dining area and a concealed WC and utility space opening onto a small front courtyard garden providing defensible space on the street frontage and flooded with natural light and sunshine from floor to ceiling glazed sliding doors and full width high level glazing. At first floor, two double bedrooms and bathrooms, one en-suite to the main bedroom, are accessed via a bespoke feature staircase.
The design respects the scale and massing of existing adjacent homes and aims to preserve and enhance the character of the street scene with a facade design that uses traditional facing brick and stone as the main external finishes. All main window openings are accommodated on the street facade to minimise overlooking of neighbouring homes and gardens, with triple glazed charcoal coloured powder coated aluminium framing creating a contemporary exterior and contributing to the high energy standards aimed for.
Crawford Partnership secured the planning permission within the statutory 8-week period and have overseen the construction which incorporates an internal heat pump and solar panels on the roof, creating a sustainable new dwelling for our client.
