Architecture studio Paper House Project has breathed new life into a former Victorian school hall in London's West Greenwich Conservation Area. Peyton Place is a new family home, created by recycling the existing building and making the most out of clever architectural adaptive reuse.
The old hall was derelict when Paper House Project was called upon to transform the structure into a contemporary and child-friendly house. Drawing on the industrial aesthetic of the neglected structure, the architects arranged the interior over two floors; a sunken ground level that spills out to a rear courtyard; and a top floor that includes a mezzanine in the roof.
Three generous bedrooms, bathrooms and auxiliary spaces, such as a laundry room, are spread out across the ground level. A wide corridor off the main entrance leads directly through to the paved garden, connecting visually front and back. The upper floor contains the living spaces, arranged in an open plan space with a dramatic metal staircase guiding guests up to the mezzanine. ‘A large retractable skylight provides an additional living area [on the mezzanine] whilst creating a new connection between the internal and external spaces,' explain the architects.
Matching the building's brick bones with a palette of sleek, yet friendly material, including dark painted metal, timber and milky, semi-transparent glass, Paper House Project has entirely transformed this period structure from a neglected and dilapidated property to a warm and modern residence, fit for 21st century family living.
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