high strange nestles modern ‘photographer’s house’ intervention in london

a residential intervention in london

english studio hugh strange architects designs this so-called photographer’s house as a minimal and contemporary intervention to a  mid-19th century family home in peckham, london. while the existing three-story house had little relationship with its garden, the project led to its complete transformation and the reorganization of the upper and lower ground floors. with the reconfiguration of the interior, new shared spaces are oriented toward the garden, beneath the largely untouched house above which hosts the family’s bedrooms and bathrooms.

images by david grandorge | courtesy of hugh strange

the photographer’s house by hugh strange

high strange architects (see more here) completes the photographer’s house extension with a light, steel-frame structure which at once supports the existing house and extends beyond it. the enclosure creates a light-filled, open interior, its full-height walls of glass creating a visual depth of space. the family might occupy the garden and look beyond the interior space and through to a smaller, lush courtyard. 

balancing the regular grid of the steel frame, specially crafted joinery in larch tri-board provides built-in and freestanding furniture. while these pieces almost line the space, they can still be read as independent figures. with the overall scheme, the team at hugh strange architects prioritized the dialogue between the house and its garden, and between the steel frame and the joinery.