Set on a site formerly hosting a tired 1970s structure, this Wimbledon home features contemporary grey brick, clean lines and cubic volumes. The project was executed by architecture studio McLaren Excell, which replaced the existing house on the plot with this confident new build, fit for 21st-century living.
Step inside this contemporary Wimbledon home
The team made sure the interior spaces were adaptable for entertaining and laid-back family life to accommodate the client's daily needs. As a result, this Wimbledon home carefully balances a crisp envelope and softer interior furnishings.
The house's exterior is a statement on its sleepy residential street; with an all-brick front façade, it acts like a fortress, yet its interior is open, spacious and designed to follow the sun's path throughout the day.
The client has a keen interest in materiality and in particular, brick houses. The architecture studio stayed true to this, with materials – brick, concrete, and timber – rooted in the home's sculptural form.
‘The house cannot be overlooked or easily understood at first glance and there’s something powerful about the proud position it takes up on the street,’ said Luke McLaren, co-founder of McLaren Excell. ‘It is bold and unapologetic, and a testament to our client’s vision for a unique work of architecture.
The bricks were specially chosen from Danish manufacturer Petersen, known for its subtle and chalky finish. Darker colours were chosen for the exterior, and lighter tones feature within, adding depth and a layered finish, offering a further duality to the design by creating optical illusions of volume and light.
Deep windows and concrete beams emphasise the solidity of the design and echo its urban setting. Venturing inside, the ground floor offers a living room, study, lounge and kitchen-dining room.
The residence houses five ensuite bedrooms, four of which extend off a communal area on the second floor. The third floor hosts the primary suite, which is complete with wrap-around terraces and a fireplace.
McLaren shared, 'The very nature of the house will stop people and encourage conversation. Intentionally enigmatic and inward-facing, the façade gives little away and yet within there exists a calm oasis – a eulogy to the beautiful materiality of brick and concrete, bathed in natural light.’
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