Our main priority is helping clients make great architecture that serves their needs and responds in a vital way to its context and cultural surroundings. In order to do this and to further the studios own knowledge base we invest in a wide programme of research which enables us to be inventive and to find new and sometimes unexpected solutions to the problems that we are posed.
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We work in collaboration with like-minded consultants in order to further our thinking and skill level and since our inception, we have always looked to develope concepts grounded by good research that have a light touch on the planet, are low in carbon and energy-use. We look to our research to help us and our clients mitigate the impact of climate change.
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WR-AP’s clients, both enthusiasts of the Art Deco movement, set out to restore the original characteristics of their 1930s semi-detached Art Deco home by adapting, restoring and preserving its original character and language. The property, located in Twickenham, has been designated a Building of Townscape Merit for its distinctive period styling. The owners are fully committed to restoring the house to its former glory and celebrating its heritage. They reached out to WR-AP to put together a strategy to extend the property and to sympathetically express the architectural value of their home. In line with Core Strategy Policy LP 4, the design complements and enhances the form of the building and the wider setting. The merits of the original building have been brought to the fore by considerately utilising materials and architectural detailing in the new extension. The result is a well-balanced home that suitably reflects the Art Deco character of the property while ensuring complete material continuity and period fenestration styling across the building. The reinstatement of Crittall-style windows will augment the significance and character of this non-designated heritage asset. It is clear that the clients are passionate about the architectural value of their home and the works are testament to their commitment to return the house to its former glory.
The design incorporates a first floor extension over the ground floor bathroom and kitchen spaces to provide additional living area and is in-keeping with the original aesthetic. The extension exhibits a fully contextual approach to original house, by adopting a roof railing and corner window as seen on the adjoining property.
As keen restorers of classic cars, part of the clients brief was to design an enlarged replacement of the dilapidated garage; fit for storage of specialist parts and with sufficient space to carry out essential maintenance. The ambition was to approach the garage and home more holistically, therefore a part-glazed hallway space was introduced unite the structures. The new garage incorporates traditional Art Deco motifs including a tight curved corner, horizontal striations and render tones to replicate the original aesthetic.
With expertise in the restoration of fine art pieces, a separate designated studio space has been provided for the clients in the rear garden. It replaces the existing and unusable tumbledown outbuilding and will prove transformative for their intensive restorative work. Crucial natural light is delivered by a large lantern rooflight; its additional height over a flat rooflight affording the use of taller easels within the studio without increasing the overall roof height. To match the aesthetic of the main house, the studio has been designed in the Art Deco style with a curved frontage, porthole and horizontal striations. It harmonises with the dwelling in its materiality, detailing and glazing; thus establishing a cohesive and stimulating scheme, fully appropriate for the era.
The project is expected to start on site in Autumn 2022.
Date of completion: 2023
Total Cost: Confidential
Gross internal Floor Area: 100 sqm
Client: Vincent Family
Structural Engineer: Studio Allen
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