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A painted PVC-coated fabric screen concealing windows and balconies merges with the crisp white facade of the artist's new house in north London, designed by the English Guard Tillman Pollock Architects.

The Hampstead property was designed to replace an early 20th-century house that was in a state of disrepair.

Planning regulations stipulated that the new house should maintain the size of its predecessor but didn't necessarily have to look like it. Guard Tillman Pollock instead proposed a minimal boxy form and plain white finish to reference the heritage of 1930s Modernist properties in the area.
A section of the front facade that projects outwards from the first and second floor levels is a nod to an attribute typical of other local Modernist properties.

The screen establishes the floating box aesthetic which is a reference to the 1930s’ Modernist buildings in Hampstead.
The house's interior provides spaces for painting and acts as a backdrop for the owner's collection of mid-century furniture and art. Its layout is based on London's traditional Victorian studio houses and incorporates double-height spaces that are naturally lit by large windows and skylights.

The main double-height space houses the reception area, with a library and study accommodated on the galley above. The owner requested that the studio be located in the basement, which opens onto a courtyard at the front of the house.

The PVC-coated fabric panels, similar to those used for advertising on buildings, screen the largest areas of glazing. The spray-painted fabric restricts views into the house during the day but allows the occupants to look out.

At night, the PVC-coated fabric panels enable movement within the house to become visible from outside. Vertical blinds inside can be closed to ensure privacy when required. At the rear of the house, the fabric protects the reception space from unwanted solar gain.

 

Project: Extended House

Architects: Guard Tillman Pollock Architects , London, UK 

Location: London, UK

Technical info: PVC-coated fabric screen

Picture credits: Gareth Gardner

Website: www.guardtillmanpollock.com