AL-JAWAD PIKE
WALLPAPER* ARCHITECTS’ DIRECTORY 2019: Dean Pike and Jessam Al-Jawad both studied architecture at the Bartlett and worked together at David Chipperfield Architects. In 2014, they established their London practice, which approaches architecture as an everyday art form. Projects include a two-storey extension and a terraced house (pictured) in Peckham in south London.
![Kings Grove, London, designed by Al-Jawad Pike, selected for the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2019](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ras8rEB6GCoFHHYbCJmNW9-415-80.jpg)
Kings Grove, London, designed by Al-Jawad Pike, selected for the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2019.
Attention to detail and materials, a rigorous and holistic design approach, and a close collaboration with the client; all values embraced by many an architecture office, yet few of them bring them to life with as much precision and flair as London based Al-Jawad Pike.
The young practice, headed by Jessam Al-Jawad and Dean Pike, who worked together at David Chipperfield’s office in London for about ten years, set up shop in East London in 2014. The pair have since immersed themselves in a wide variety of projects – ranging from interiors and pop ups for fashion brands like Celine and Burberry, to exhibition design and residential work.
The redesign and extension of private house in South London’s Peckham is among their latest offerings, and one of the most recently completed residential project that caught our eye. Providing a two-storey new-build space extending into a Victorian terraced house’s garden, this scheme created a new light filled kitchen and dining area, a washroom and a generous arrival hall.
The materials used are simple, but exploited to perfection, and include minimalist but elegantly pronounced oak window frames and polished concrete floors. Their approach, crisp and uncluttered, allows the materials to shine through, defined by precise, confident lines and clean volumes.
‘We try to be sensitive to clients’ aspirations, as well as their personal finances’
AL-JAWAD PIKE
‘Designing something so personal as someone’s home is a huge challenge often layered with emotion and complexity,’ they say. ‘We try to be sensitive to clients’ needs and aspirations as well as the personal financial investment required. We see it as our responsibility to help guide our clients through the process while trying to also create projects we can all be proud of.’
Shapes and massing echo the house’s historical typology, as well as the context around them. The duo however are not slaves to context either. ‘Respecting local context is of course a big influence on our work, however, we see this as being sensitive to the multiple forces that shape the design of a project, rather than imitating a vernacular style,’ they explain. ‘In London, due to the restrictions on space and general density of building, it is almost impossible to avoid being directly influenced by the surrounding context. The expression of our architecture therefore inevitably takes reference from this, either consciously or unconsciously.’
Wallpaper* Newsletter + Free Download
For a free digital copy of August Wallpaper*, celebrating Creative America, sign up today to receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories
Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).
-
Feel at home at Auberge, Château La Coste's new inn for culture lovers
Auberge La Coste sits at the heart of the art-filled estate, minutes away from the joyful town of Aix-en-Provence
By Harriet Thorpe Published
-
This Nova Lima apartment is a Brazilian family oasis with striking Minas Gerais views
A Nova Lima apartment designed by Jacobsen Arquitetura celebrates its long, natural Minas Gerais vistas
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Commune’s sustainable personal care products look ‘quite unlike anything else’
Commune’s Somerset-made products stand out in the sustainable skincare crowd. Madeleine Rothery speaks with the brand’s co-founders Kate Neal and Rémi Paringaux
By Madeleine Rothery Published
-
Tour the Natural History Museum’s new gardens, a Jurassic lark in London
The Natural History Museum in London has unveiled two new gardens, with resident dinosaurs, after a transformation led by architects Feilden Fowles
By Bridget Downing Published
-
Drama Republic moves into a colourful, handcrafted workspace in London
For the new creative HQ of production company Drama Republic, Emil Eve Architects remodels a warehouse into office space in London’s Holborn
By Léa Teuscher Published
-
Hideaway House in London features timber panelling inspired by the New York hospitality scene
The elegantly refurbished Hideaway House by Studio McW in London features timber panelling inspired by Philip Johnson’s The Four Seasons Restaurant
By Léa Teuscher Published
-
An Uxbridge annexe by Bureau de Change is a design for effortless intergenerational living
Uxbridge Bower, a residential annexe in west London, is a contemporary addition offering both privacy and connection for the needs of a family
By Tianna Williams Published
-
‘Modern Buildings’ tours south-east London through a guide to post-war Blackheath and Greenwich
‘Modern Buildings: Blackheath and Greenwich’ is a detailed survey of a London borough’s rich trove of new modernist architecture
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Triangle House invites you to its inner world of colourful surprises
Triangle House by Artefact is a private home in Epsom, outside London, combining Caribbean style, colour and functionality
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Tour the refreshed Saint Andrew Holborn: an icon reveals its crisp new interior in London
DaeWha Kang reimagines Saint Andrew Holborn church through a sensitive architectural solution that blends tradition and modernity in London
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
A Suffolk house by Studio Bark pairs a fresh visual language with low-energy design
Suffolk house Water Farm is off-the-grid but defiantly on the map, a bold new object in the landscape with a strong visual impact and minimal carbon footprint
By Jonathan Bell Published