A listed house transformation by Dominic McKenzie Architects, Segmental House taps into the playful – and dramatic – power of the arch. The home, a Grade II-listed, five-storey house on a south London Victorian square, has been renovated and extended through a brick rear addition by the Islington-based architecture studio.
Tour this listed house transformation by Dominic McKenzie Architects
The architects worked with a bespoke arched brick block, which blends with the original home's traditional Flemish bond – offering a contemporary twist to the project's historical fabric. Inside the extension, tailor-made Douglas fir panelling similar to the Gothenburg City Hall by renowned Swedish architect Gunnar Asplund offers another period nod and quality craftsmanship.
The addition, which creates harmony between the home's Victorian nature and the owners' love of modernist architecture, has been opened up towards the rear garden – while a round overhead opening brings in extra light. Its sequence contains the kitchen, dining space and a garden room that leads to the outdoors.
The design was 'inspired by the arched windows and openings in the historic house', explain the architects in a statement. This way, the 'design balances contemporary playfulness with sensitivity to the listed building and context. Our particular ambition was to produce a highly crafted and materially original extension that lasts for generations to come.'
The design is all about perfecting the detail – from the plywood panelling's finishes and installation to the perfectly chamfered joints, the secret doors that conceal a hidden pantry and a TV cupboard, and the special arched opening at skirting level that allows the owners’ pets to access their hidden food bowls.
McKenzie's architecture studio is a deft hand at high-end residential design with a soul. Emmanuel House is another scheme by the firm, exemplifying its flair for bridging old and new, this time through the reimagining of a 1950s modernist home in London’s St John's Wood.
-
Five of the finest compact cameras available todayPocketable cameras are having a moment. We’ve assembled a set of cutting-edge compacts that’ll free you from the ubiquity of smartphone photography and help focus your image making
-
London label Wed Studio is embracing ‘oddness’ when it comes to bridal dressingThe in-the-know choice for fashion-discerning brides, Wed Studio’s latest collection explores the idea that garments can hold emotions – a reflection of designers Amy Trinh and Evan Phillips’ increasingly experimental approach
-
Arts institution Pivô breathes new life into neglected Lina Bo Bardi building in BahiaNon-profit cultural institution Pivô is reactivating a Lina Bo Bardi landmark in Salvador da Bahia in a bid to foster artistic dialogue and community engagement
-
The Architecture Edit: Wallpaper’s houses of the monthFrom Malibu beach pads to cosy cabins blanketed in snow, Wallpaper* has featured some incredible homes this month. We profile our favourites below
-
Meet Forefront, a cultural platform redefining the relationship between art and architectureForefront co-founder Dicle Guntas, managing director of developer HGG, tells us about the exciting new initiative and its debut exhibition, a show of lumino-kinetic sculptures in London
-
Corten curves and contemporary flair transform this terraced house in LondonCagni Williams Associates’ sensitive refurbishment of a south London Edwardian house features a striking and sustainable Corten steel extension
-
You may know it as ‘Dirty House’ – now, The Rogue Room brings 21st-century wellness to ShoreditchThe Rogue Room – set in the building formerly known as Dirty House by Sir David Adjaye, now reinvented by Studioshaw – bridges wellness and culture in London's Shoreditch
-
The architectural innovation hidden in plain sight at Frieze London 2025The 2025 Frieze entrance pavilions launch this week alongside the art fair, showcasing a brand-new, modular building system set to shake up the architecture of large-scale events
-
RIBA Stirling Prize 2025 winner is ‘a radical reimagining of later living’Appleby Blue Almshouse wins the RIBA Stirling Prize 2025, crowning the social housing complex for over-65s by Witherford Watson Mann Architects, the best building of the year
-
‘Belonging’ – the LFA 2026 theme is revealed, exploring how places can become personalThe idea of belonging and what it means in today’s world will be central at the London Festival of Architecture’s explorations, as the event’s 2026 theme has been announced today
-
Join us on a first look inside Regent’s View, the revamped canalside gasholder project in LondonRegent's View, the RSHP-designed development for St William, situated on a former gasholder site on a canal in east London, has just completed its first phase
