Blackened, hot rolled steel and oxidised timber treatments have been developed to create a unique, meditative space that plays with light, shadow and reflection.
Primrose Hill Prefab
This project is at the intersection between architecture and engineering, pushing the limits of off-site manufacturing capabilities. The existing detached house is located in the post-war Chalcot Estate in Primrose Hill dating from the 1960s.
The brief called to increase the existing floor area by over 20% without any structural alterations to the floors below. Through a forensic analysis of the existing structure and the development of a horizontal truss diaphragm, the extension spans the entire footprint of the house below, loading evenly onto the existing external walls.
The project's aesthetic is born out of the structural solution of laser cut steel with a lightweight infill timber construction with structural ply linings. Entirely manufactured off-site and craned into position, the prefabricated procurement will reduce the overall cost and cut the on-site construction period to less than three months.
Working with the structural materials, a simple yet beautiful selection of oxidised rotary cut Douglas fir plywood and hot-rolled blackened steel creates an atmospheric space, juxtaposing the more neutral materials on the floors below. Emphasis is placed on the way the materials and their treatments interact in both natural and artificial light.
The project is soon to enter off-site production with completion in autumn 2024.