The house, with its whitewashed brick facade, is very small. Standing on a site only 90 m² in area, it provides 68 m² of floor space that is divided between two storeys. The housing shortage in London has animated many clients and architects to exploit extremely small plots of land to create premium living conditions. The present house was built in the rear part of the garden of what was once a fine terraced residence. Formerly, a disused garage stood here. A special feature of London’s urban fabric are the so-called “mews”: narrow cobbled lanes that served historically as service routes between the back-to-back gardens of long rows of terraced housing.
In earlier times, they provided access to the mews houses for servants and horses. The present brick building is only one of several dwellings erected in such situations in recent years; but bare garage areas, crooked fences and the dirty brick facades of once noble five-storey structures all form part of the picture. To create a contrast to these aspects, the architects selected pale-coloured bricks, which are not only a reference to the existing building with its red brickwork. They also introduce a brighter note into the narrow street. With its light-coloured slurry finish, the little house has a monolithic appearance, while at the same time, each individual brick remains visible.
In earlier times, they provided access to the mews houses for servants and horses. The present brick building is only one of several dwellings erected in such situations in recent years; but bare garage areas, crooked fences and the dirty brick facades of once noble five-storey structures all form part of the picture. To create a contrast to these aspects, the architects selected pale-coloured bricks, which are not only a reference to the existing building with its red brickwork. They also introduce a brighter note into the narrow street. With its light-coloured slurry finish, the little house has a monolithic appearance, while at the same time, each individual brick remains visible.