Tour London's Plywood House

Plywood House interior showing the material — (Image credit: Lorenzo Zandri)

An unassuming Lewisham terrace has been transformed into Plywood House, a contemporary home with an all-plywood loft extension that inspired its name. The family home, located in the south London neighbourood, is the work of emerging architecture studio Nikjoo, founded in 2017 by Alex Nikjoo.

Plywood House: a family home extension with a twist

Plywood House was a commission by a family of three with a second child on the way, who were hoping to add space and architectural value to their home, elevating their daily life through design.

Nikjoo's sleight of hand, the gesture which made all the difference in the final design's 'wow' factor, was the flowing, airy, central, living space that encompasses different uses. Opening up the interior at its core, the architect was able to create a key work/play area for the residents, which has become both a focal point and the beating heart of the home.

And while the exterior remains discreet and none of the architectural action is immediately visible from the outside, inside, the story changes, with interiors being lined in soft plywood and timber details supporting a welcoming and practical domestic space.

The home's 'core' contains a multifunctional office, study and playspace. All bedrooms are arranged around it. Meanwhile, skylights on the roof ensure every corner inside gets natural sunlight.

Bespoke plywood furniture, such as beds, desks and storage, were created to match the internal cladding for a streamlined look throughout – they were made using offcuts from the construction process.

nikjoo.co.uk

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).