A musician and his designer wife wanted to convert an existing mechanics garage into a 3,500-square-foot single-family residence in Belsize Park, in northwest London. The architects transformed the steel-framed structure into a four-level house by placing the living area – the primary entertainment space – in the basement level, which gets light through a sunken courtyard. The kitchen and dining room are on the ground floor. Bedrooms and bathrooms are tucked away on the second and third stories.

As one passes through the entry gates, black tile walls create a strong ambiance and are also featured throughout the interior. Floor-to-ceiling glass walls look out to the courtyard and a pivoting black-framed glass door creates a dramatic entry. The seamless concrete floors, finished in a polyurethane resin, flow horizontally through each interior level, contrasting with the black tiles.

People

Owner:

Confidential

 

Location:

London

 

Completion date:

January 2011

 

Gross square footage:

3000 sq.ft.

 

Architect:

Andy Martin Architects
7A Wakefield Street
London WC1N 1PG
T: +44 (0)20 3397 1999
andymartinstudio.com

Personnel in architect's firm who should receive special credit:
Andy Martin – partner in charge

Tom Davies - project manager

Art Waewsawangwong – project architect

 

Interior designer:

AMA

 

Engineer(s):

Elliott Wood

 

Consultant(s):

Landscape: AMA

 

CAD system, project management, or other software used:

Autocad 2007

 

Products

Structural system

Steel frame with concrete floor slabs on metal deck

 

Exterior cladding

Masonry: Brick

 

Roofing

Built-up roofing: Flat deck roofing with waterproof felt

Tile/shingles: Welsh slate roofing tiles

 

Windows

Wood frame: Tradition hardwood casements to the first floor

Metal frame: Aluminium frame windows and doors at basement and ground levels

 

Doors

Metal doors: Aluminium frame doors at basement and ground levels

 

Interior finishes

Wall coverings: Walls to stair spine in black terracotta masonry blocks

Resilient flooring: All floors finished in PU resin