Achilles Marble House Extension

ACHILLES MARBLE HOUSE EXTENSION

Conform Architects

Achilles Marble House Extension
© Lorenzo Zandri

MARBLE SPECIALIST
Nida

MAIN CONTRACTOR
Arobuild

MANUFACTURES
Another Country, Direct Wood Flooring

JOINERY
Greg R & Son

PHOTOGRAPS
Lorenzo Zandri

AREA
188 M²

YEAR
2022

LOCATION
London, United Kingdom

CATEGORY
Houses, Extension

Achilles Marble House Extension
© Lorenzo Zandri

London-based architecture practice ConForm has completed the unique refurbishment of a terraced house in Hampstead, resulting in a new tactile interior scheme contrasted by a distinct, monolithic extension that appears entirely hewn from marble.

The clients appointed ConForm for their sensitive approach to materials which they had seen executed in a previous project.

Their brief called for a full house refurbishment with a functional, serene interior, improved circulation and storage, and flexible, spacious dining and entertaining space for hosting large gatherings.

Achilles Marble House Extension
© Lorenzo Zandri
Achilles Marble House Extension
Achilles Marble House Extension

As a busy family with children, robust, durable but beautiful materials were an important consideration.

ConForm looked first to the context of the home, which is situated in a quiet residential area of London known for its Greek road names. The architects sought to design a renovation that foregrounds contrasts, exploring the relationship and dynamic interplay between solid marble and pre-existing exposed brickwork. A refreshed entry sequence offers simpler circulation through the ground floor.

Achilles Marble House Extension
Achilles Marble House Extension

Stained oak sliding doors from the hallway allow access to the formal sitting room at the front of the home, which features integrated, low-level timber joinery.

A flexible dining area sits adjacent to the sitting room at the center of the plan, also accessible through a new door down the entrance hall, cleverly masking a tucked-away family coat store.

The dining area is defined by rich stained oak timber flooring lined with custom white joinery along the south elevation, revealing a new access point to the cellar and WC.

It is here that the first connection to the extension begins through an internal marble aperture overlooking the new kitchen and side extension.

Achilles Marble House Extension
Achilles Marble House Extension

The extension is entirely clad in marble with soft grey veins and is bookended internally and externally by two cubic frames featuring angled, chamfered edges which direct light and views through the home.

These sleek angular edges soften any visual bulk of the marble, which is lit by overhead glazing along the northern boundary and a deep set floor-to-ceiling window that overlooks the rear courtyard garden.

Three overhead beams of powder-coated steel offer integrated LED lighting, and solar shading throughout the day, bouncing soft shadows and reflections throughout the bright and airy space.

ConForm guided their clients throughout the project, overcoming the technical challenge of working with such a solid material and its application to functional heavy-use surfaces with simple, innovative solutions.

Achilles Marble House Extension
Achilles Marble House Extension

Working in close collaboration with both the supplier and specialist installers, the studio opted to reduce the thickness and more importantly, the weight, of the marble covering the doors, drawers, appliances, and soffits to only 6mm.

Each marble panel is reinforced with latched fastenings, ensuring a secure and solid connection to the highly insulated structure.

Marble continues throughout the kitchen continuously, used for the flooring, wall cladding, and cabinetry, presenting a cohesive space.

Considering precise detailing at each step in the project, ConForm opted not to book match the paneling to encourage a natural, textural language.

Achilles Marble House Extension
Achilles Marble House Extension

The consistent use of marble throughout demarcates the kitchen as a serene space that appears slotted into place, connecting highly detailed and considered junctions to the existing architecture.

The clients spend much of their time cooking and hosting family, and so briefed ConForm to deliver a functional kitchen that can stand up to frequent use.

ConForm designed a convivial congregation point, a generous kitchen island, which appears to float lightly in the center of the bright space.

Achilles Marble House Extension
Achilles Marble House Extension

The stained oak island is supported by a slender white powder-coated steel frame designed to bring a sense of light against the weight of the solid stone cladding.

The steel frame extends and steps down the island to form a dining table that comfortably seats four.

ConForm opted for a Corian quartz countertop as opposed to marble, chosen for its durability and non-porous nature.

ConForm lowered the new kitchen and living area down to create a more generous overhead volume, digging down 40 centimeters.

Achilles Marble House Extension
Achilles Marble House Extension

The openness of this space was designed to reinforce the feeling of the solidity of the marble side extension, and this guided all design decisions.

Materials were specifically selected so they could run inside to out – concrete and white painted brick, the glazing is minimally framed and sliding with external framing recessed into the floor, ceiling, and walls.

These elements culminate in a seamless transition between inside and out, achieving the client's brief of an enjoyable and easy connection to the outdoors.

ConForm refurbished the whole property, with lighter touches made to refresh five bedrooms on the upper floors – three used as bedrooms, one as a playroom, and one as a home office.

Achilles Marble House Extension
Achilles Marble House Extension
Achilles Marble House Extension

The architects added a new dormer, and a pod room above the outrigger which similarly features sloping, chamfered window detailing in black cladding.


Achilles Marble House Extension
Proposed plan
Achilles Marble House Extension
Existing plan
Achilles Marble House Extension
Site plan