Historic house transformed into a solar house in London

Located in Primrose Hill, a residential area north of Regent’s Park, this three-storey residence represents the contemporary evolution of a traditional London brick townhouse. It has been redefined and extended by Archi-Tectonics, already known for projects such as the 512 GW Townhouse in New York, in a quest to combine aesthetics, circularity and sustainability. The project, as told by the architects, is based on the concept of Existenzminimum and inspired by 20th-century modernists who responded to the demand for new homes by offering minimal and frugal housing solutions. Still, things have gone further in this case, reinterpreting the idea of the minimal house to add a complex and flexible spatiality to a functional character.

The fulcrum of the new home is a double-height open space, characterised by a tailor-made spiral staircase connecting the three floors, creating continuity between the different areas of the house even though they are on different levels. The staircase – a “sculptural vortex of open-lit space” – thanks to its organic form, becomes the beating heart of the home, helping to break up the rigid geometry of an early 20th century London residential architecture. 

The focus on sustainability is expressed not only in cutting-edge technologies, but also through the creative recovery of materials: the original wooden beams have been recycled to create new furnishings, such as cupboards and worktops, giving new life to historical materials. In addition, the building is equipped with an energy system that combines a roof covered with integrated photovoltaic panels with a radiant heating system and a battery to power both the house and an electric car at night.

The original brickwork structure has been preserved as a load-bearing system and a number of new extensions have been placed on top of it, with a contemporary design, characterised by sharp geometries in zinc and glass. This combination creates a dialogue with the surrounding context, maintaining a link with the past but introducing new elements.