A modern interior living space with a high ceiling, large window with wooden slats, and sunlight casting shadows. There are two black chairs with wooden frames, a small black coffee table with an open book, a potted plant, and a textured gray and black rug.

APARTMENT BLOCK

An impeccably hand-crafted, two-storey apartment, designed as a solid piece of joinery ‘inserted’ into a Grade II listed building

Modern interior with black chairs, a wooden table, a potted plant, a brick wall, large windows with wooden slats, sunlight casting shadows, and a beige and wood-paneled wall.

Apartment Block’s main living and circulation spaces have been carved out of over 30,000 individually cut and laid cross-section blocks made of European Oak. They maximise the sense of openness, light and spatial quality by cleverly reconfiguring the existing mezzanine over the huge double-height living room.

The new timber blocks create a granular richness of delicate light. They were individually hand cut and laid and now cover most of the space, including flooring in the living room, kitchen, and flexible dining room on the ground floor, and the office space on the mezzanine level.

Interior of a room with wooden walls and ceiling, a small kitchen window with a plant, and a dining table with chairs.

Behind the living area sits a contemporary kitchen and a flexible dining room, which can be converted into a second bedroom when necessary. A staircase, which has been moved to the side of the plan for efficiency, ceremonially leads up to a study area that looks back over the double-height space and is screened off from the master bedroom behind sliding screens.

Interior view of a cozy room with a wooden ceiling, brick wall partition, and a window with white curtains. There is a small table with a glass vase of white flowers, and chairs including a blue cushioned chair and a wooden chair.
Isometric architectural drawing of a multi-story building showing interior rooms and structural elements in black and white.

REVEALING A HISTORIC SPACE

The existing flat was dark and cramped with a convoluted floorplan and there was no celebration of the spaces’ original Victorian features. Our work reveals the past, including windows, glazing and cornicing, while celebrating the potential of this as a modern home.

Bright living room with large windows, wooden blinds, brick walls, gray sofa with pillows, a black coffee table, one black flowerpot with white flowers, wooden chairs, and a black radiator.

FEATURE WINDOWS

The three-metre-tall original sash timber windows now are featured in the main living space, with ornately crafted opening shutters lined with translucent linen to allow light in whilst still maintaining privacy.

Interior view of a modern, minimalist room with white walls, wooden accents, and a potted plant in a white vase.
Modern living room with large windows, a grey sofa, wooden chairs, black radiators, and a black coffee table with a small potted plant.
Modern living room with a gray sofa, black coffee table, black and gray chairs, wood-paneled walls, and pendant lights hanging from the ceiling.
Modern open-concept living room with a gray sofa, black blanket, and pillows, adjacent to a kitchen with wooden cabinetry, a coffee maker, and a pot on the stove, illuminated by a large white pendant lamp.
Interior view of a modern staircase with a wooden finish, a white hanging light, a potted plant, a small wall art piece, and sunlight casting shadows through a window.

AN ORCHESTRA OF SHADOWS

The shutters filter sun from the south-facing windows during the day and streetlamp light by night, casting an orchestra of shadows on the walls of the double height living space, ever-changing and moving throughout the day.

Modern, minimalist living room with a grey sofa, a black coffee table with a blue notebook, pendant lights, and a tall window with wooden frames, exposed brick walls, and a wooden side wall.
A minimalist wooden dining nook with a small table, two chairs with blue and gray cushions, and a framed piece of Japanese calligraphy on the wall.
View of a modern kitchen seen through a wooden open window or pass-through. The kitchen features wooden cabinetry, a stainless steel backsplash, a sink with a faucet, and a stovetop. The ceiling and walls are also made of wood, giving a warm, natural aesthetic.

FLEXIBLE SPACES

A sliding pocket window panel to the kitchen can be closed off as needed to offer privacy to a flexible dining room/ snug area.

Minimalist interior space with a wooden bar counter and a modern chair with a wooden backrest and black cushioned seat.
Wooden staircase with handrails leading up to a white wall with a framed picture of a building
Wooden slat partition in a modern interior room with a light-colored wall and countertop.

CLOSED / OPEN

Japanese-inspired sliding screens separate the bedroom from the desk area and double height space. They can be left open to let light in across the mezzanine or closed to provide privacy with blackout fabric.

Modern bedroom with white bedding, two gray furry pillows, wooden wall panels, a built-in desk area with a wooden chair, and gray window shades.
Modern interior with wooden walls, black chairs, a coffee table, and decorative art in a lounge or office space.

LOCATION

London, UK

SIZE

915 sqft

STATUS

Completed in 2019

CLIENT

Private

AWARDS

/ Don’t Move, Improve Materiality and Craftsmanship Prize — won