Corner Cottage turns a corner of a terrace of nineteenth-century houses. The Wimbledon Society believes it was originally a school run by a single volunteer until it was converted for residential use. When our clients and friends Paulina and David purchased the property, it was with its irregular architectural character in mind. Our brief was to remedy the awkward internal circulation associated with its long corridors and two principal entrance doors.
Changing the linear, cellular nature of the house involved thoughtful landscaping and a radical reconceptualisation of the spatial organisation. To provide for a prominent approach route, a clearly defined path and double-height extension was added to the centre of the plan. This had the capacity to draw natural light into the new basement, used as a private living space, and to open up and connect the ground floor with the garden and the central stair.
Constraints to development associated with the proximity of neighbours, sloping landscape, and prominence on the corner site escarpment of a conservation architecture area could prove challenging at times. The finished result stands testament to Pauline’s tenacity, skill, and care. Stepping through the doorway you are immediately struck by the thoughtfully selected dining table which serves as a central axis around which the cooking, living, and working spaces revolve.
