The architect’s point of view

Highlighting our expertise in creative responses to small, challenging sites, we carefully configured the building form in response to issues of distance, massing, privacy and perspectives in relation to specific site features.

The ground floor had to be raised to deal with the surface water flooding problems particular to this location. The building was also subject to strict height restrictions due to its location in a conservation area. The massing has been deliberately designed to minimize any impact on the adjacent residential gardens as well as the windows of the Victorian terraced houses to the north.

Deep recessed openings reinforce the entrance to the two dwellings and brick ties on the front façade express the external steps leading to the first floor dwelling. The exterior steps are an integral part of the character of the facade and are a famous part of the architecture, drawing on historical references to ‘meow’ houses and brick detailing, albeit in a contemporary way. Deep planters are integrated into the building’s solid façade, providing defensible perennial planting and a visual buffer for the dead-end street beyond. The development is car-free, with secure bicycle storage integrated into the facade of the building.

Both properties have their own front door and are accessible directly from the street, which the practice sees as an important ambition in its housing projects. External steps leading up to the top floor unit mean there is no loss of area for a shared internal core, maximizing the efficiency of the layouts and avoiding the inevitable problems associated with the ongoing maintenance of the common areas in small residential buildings, a style full of character. solution to a practical problem.

The building was designed to use timber frame construction to minimize the use of steel and maximize the thickness of the insulation, resulting in a thermally efficient building fabric. Sustainable technologies, including air source heat pumps, have also been successfully integrated into the project. Collectively, these measures have significantly reduced the use of carbon in a brick exterior fabric meant to be sturdy enough to last for centuries. The development delivers a total reduction in carbon emissions of 49 percent compared to 2013 Part L regulations.

In addition, the building provides green roofs and surface water flow control mechanisms using gravel beds and a small rain garden area to attenuate water as part of a SuDs strategy to ensure that the development will not impact wider surface water levels.

This project represents a significant milestone for Novak Hiles Architects, which has enabled the practice to demonstrate its continued commitment to the provision of good quality housing on challenging urban sites.

Contemporary development within conservation areas is often supported by a position of homogeneity or pastiche. Rather, this project seeks to very carefully source architecture that is contemporary and bold, but also appropriate, and which enhances the character of the conservation area and beyond.

Carla Novak and Adam Hiles, principals, Novak Hiles Architects