Old North London timber yard transformed into little ‘village'
Emerging architecture studio kennedytwaddle completes a cluster of five houses in North London, guided by a sensitive approach to context and the environment
A little ‘village' has appeared in London's northern neighbourhood of Finchley. The project is the work of Dalston-based architects kennedytwaddle, headed by Gary Kennedy and Chris Twaddle. Arranged like a composition of open and closed volumes, the boutique development – named Spencer Courtyard – consists of five homes built in the challenging site of a former disused timber yard.
One of the scheme's key challenges was the fact that it sits surrounded and overlooked by several existing properties, so creating a solution that would allow the new houses to breathe, ensuring light and privacy for both them and their neighbours, was tricky. The architects' proposal focused on a low, single-storey arrangement with a distinctive roofline that echoes the shapes in its context.
Kennedy and Twaddle aimed at creating a series of structures that feel warm and welcoming, so opted for natural, tactile materials, such brick and timber, adding large openings to their clean, geometric volumes, to ensure the interiors get plenty of natural light. The brick walls are at places perforated, creating screens and a playful interaction of light and shadow that changes throughout the course of the day.
Inside, a zigzag of parquet flooring is reflected in the strong lines of the ceilings exposed rafters. Soft colours, a simple material palette and seamless, bespoke designed storage underlines the attention to detail that went into the project.
Various courtyards dot the development and offer fresh air and open space for the inhabitants. Meanwhile, green roofs highlight the project's sustainable credentials. ‘From a barren collection of ramshackle buildings and a hostile concrete concourse, 75 per cent of the site is now covered with greenery,' say the architects.
INFORMATION
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
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).
-
Explore Cornwall's cosiest coffee shops
Cornwall is known for its natural beauty and stunning landscape, here is our pick of coffee shops to enjoy the views and refuel
By Tianna Williams Published
-
Maude’s Brâncuși-inspired sex toys go on display in a new Paris exhibition
Maude’s design-led vibrators are now on display at Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, as part of ‘Private Lives: From the Bedroom to Social Media’. Brand founder Éva Goicochea talks to Wallpaper* about partnering with the museum and opening up cultural conversations around sex
By India Birgitta Jarvis Published
-
‘I was captivated by the idea of merging two iconic brands’: Nigo on his 1990s-inspired collaboration with Moncler and Mercedes-Benz
Unveiled at Moncler’s ‘The City of Genius’ event in Shanghai this past weekend, Japanese fashion designer Nigo unpacks his three-way collaboration with Moncler and Mercedes-Benz, which includes a play on the G-Class alongside a fashion collection in his eclectic style
By Jack Moss Published
-
The Museum of Shakespeare set to open in east London
The Museum of Shakespeare puts the remains of the ancient Curtain Playhouse at the centre of 'The Stage', a new urban development in the heart of Shoreditch
By Smilian Cibic 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
-
Join our tour of London Zoo, its modernist architecture and more
London Zoo is a well-established magnet for younger visitors, but there's plenty for the architecture enthusiast to admire too; our tour explores its modernist treasures for guests of all ages
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Load into this reimagined Fortnite cityscape, courtesy of Zaha Hadid Architects
A collaboration between Epic Games and ZHA, Re:Imagine London brings the architects’ modular forms into one of the world’s most popular multiplayer games
By Jonathan Bell Published