Fitzroy Park House in London, England by Stanton Williams Architects

Article source: Stanton Williams Architects

Stanton Williams was commissioned by a prominent film director and an interior designer to create a new family home in the conservation area of High gate, north London, replacing a late 1950’s house.

The design strategy takes advantage of the sloping site by creating new additional spaces within the lower garden level, above which a series of interlocking sculptural forms emerge, evoking the spirit of a tree house.

Image Courtesy © Edmund Sumner

• Architects: Stanton Williams Architects
• Project: Fitzroy Park House
• Location: London, England
• Photography: Edmund Sumner

Image Courtesy © Edmund Sumner

The house is surrounded by rich greenery. Its upper level cantilevers out and floats amongst the tree canopies, with great views to Hampstead Heath and beyond. The position of the new house is set back sensitively from Fitzroy Park with a minimal stone and metal bridge, allowing mature trees to be retained and enhancing its peaceful setting.

The bridge leads into the heart of the house, which opens up dramatically to views over a day-lit double-height volume down to the lower garden level. Large sliding glass doors bring in plenty of daylight and blur the boundary between the inside and outside.

The landscaped garden gently curves around the house. Like the small waterfall created within it, the spacious living room flows into the dining room and kitchen, which in turn rolls back out to the garden. A set of stone stairs leads to a small swimming pool, which resonates with the presence of Hampstead ponds nearby.

Material references for the house reflects the rich natural setting of the site. Cedar fencing and oiled Iroko balconies contrast with the Accoya timber envelope. Painted in dark grey, the timber brings additional texture and colour to the limestone on the exterior façade.

The crisp and sharp protective exterior layers give way to softer warm interior spaces, with an extensive oak ceiling and floor sumptuously laid out in limestone or dark oak. The wash rooms are also clad in limestone. Refined ironmongery on doors and handrails are made in bronze. The emphasis throughout is placed on using the raw materials found in nature.

The house is naturally ventilated and well insulated. New sedum roofs also help to blend the house into the surrounding natural setting. The bedroom timber sliding windows are set back from the balcony edge and shaded to reduce solar gain. The bedrooms also feature separate north facing openable slot windows to enable natural cross ventilation.

Skylights are strategically placed at various points in the house, bringing in more daylight, whilst large sliding doors enable easy access to outdoor areas even at the upper level of the house. These details ensure that the family can engage with nature at every possible opportunity throughout the seasons. Embedded in the unique, rural-like setting, Fitzroy Park House manages to be at once open and protective.

About Stanton Williams
Stanton Williams is a multi-award winning architectural design practice based in London. The studio was founded by Alan Stanton and Paul Williams in 1985 and has team of 90 people with five directors, two associate directors and eleven associates. Stanton Williams has successfully completed over 350 architectural, urban design, master-planning, exhibition and interior design projects, winning more than 90 international and regional awards, including the prestigious RIBA Stirling Prize for the Sainsbury Laboratory in Cambridge. Alan Stanton and Paul Williams were each awarded an OBE in recognition of their services to architecture earlier this year.

Tags: England, London

Category: House

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