A monumental Oxford house extension makes the most of concrete’s structural strength
A traditional Oxford house gets a concrete, part-shelter, part-sculpture, brutalist gazebo by Adrian James Architects
Although this new Oxford house extension is relatively small, it makes a substantial impact. Crafted from concrete, drawing inspiration from some of the most celebrated modernist architecture structures of the 20th century, Adrian James Architects has created what it calls a ‘gazebo with a difference’.
An Oxford house’s ‘concrete gazebo’
The new extension is shaped like a triangular wedge that extends out into the garden at the rear of an existing period house. Concrete is the dominant material, forming the floor slab, steps, columns and roof.
The latter cantilevers out across a new terrace, providing a covered space that wraps around a glazed living room extension. A response to the client’s request for a strong statement made from concrete, the architects have certainly delivered.
One of the key inspirations was John Lautner’s iconic Sheats Goldstein house in Los Angeles, and the underside of the new roof structure features inset triangular elements and circular pavement set into the concrete.
‘The brief for this project was simple: to provide shelter,’ the architects write. ‘Our client wanted a covered terrace in the garden so they could spend more time outdoors, day or night, rain or shine.
Beyond its pragmatic function the client also wanted something of higher architectural purpose. Supported on just four columns, the massive roof structure pulls off that rare trick of appearing far lighter than it actually is.
The flipside to this sculptural boldness and ‘structural gymnastics’ is concrete’s massive carbon footprint. ‘We were clear from the start that if we were going to use concrete we would need to compensate for it by properly and fully offsetting,’ the architects explain. ‘We researched the most effective and assured way to do this and the client has financed the requisite amount of new woodland planting in Yorkshire.’
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Jonathan Bell has written for Wallpaper* magazine since 1999, covering everything from architecture and transport design to books, tech and graphic design. He is now the magazine’s Transport and Technology Editor. Jonathan has written and edited 15 books, including Concept Car Design, 21st Century House, and The New Modern House. He is also the host of Wallpaper’s first podcast.
-
Three new coffee makers for a contemporary brew, from a casual cup to a full-on branded espresso
Three new coffee makers, from AeroPress, Jura and Porsche x La Marzocco, range from the defiantly manual to the bells and whistles of a traditional countertop espresso machine
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Don't miss Luxembourg's retro-futuristic lab pavilion in Venice
As the Venice Biennale enters its last few weeks, catch 'A Comparative Dialogue Act' at the Luxembourg Pavilion
By Amah-Rose Abrams Published
-
A Berlin park atop an office building offers a new model of urban landscaping
A Berlin park and office space by Grüntuch Ernst Architeken offer a symbiotic relationship between urban design and green living materials
By Michael Webb Published
-
Meet the 2024 Royal Academy Dorfman Prize winner: Livyj Bereh from Ukraine
The 2024 Royal Academy Dorfman Prize winner has been crowned: congratulations to architecture collective Livyj Bereh from Ukraine, praised for its rebuilding efforts during the ongoing war in the country
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
RIBA House of the Year 2024: browse the shortlist and pick your favourite
The RIBA House of the Year 2024 shortlist is out, celebrating homes across the UK: it's time to place your bets. Which will win the top gong?
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
The new Canada Water boardwalk is an experience designed to ‘unfold slowly’
A new Canada Water bridge by Asif Khan acts as a feature boardwalk for the London area's town centre, currently under development, embracing nature and wildlife along the way
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Paddington Square transforms its patch of central London with its 'elevated cube'
Paddington Square by Renzo Piano Building Workshop has been completed, elevating a busy London site through sustainability, modern workspace and a plaza
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Architectural car parks to drive into, in the UK and beyond
Architectural car parks form an important part of urban infrastructure but can provide a design statement too; here are some of the finest examples to peruse, in the UK and beyond
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Architectural Association's newest show uncovers the architectural legacies of rural China's lost generation
The Architectural Association’s ‘Ripple Ripple Rippling’ is not your typical architecture show, taking an anthropological look at the flux between rural and urban, and bringing a part of China to Bedford Square in London
By Teshome Douglas-Campbell Published
-
Into the groove: Henriksen House is the UK’s first home extension featuring exposed clay block walls
Architect Michael Henriksen uses textured clay blocks, cork flooring and self-built joinery to transform his family home in St Albans near London
By Léa Teuscher Published
-
This unassuming London house is a radical rethinking of the suburban home
Station Lodge by architect Andrei Saltykov in South West London offers a radical subversion to regional residential architecture
By Ellie Stathaki Published