Old Stables

Sited in the London borough of Richmond-upon-Thames with a prominent view over the river, the old stables overlooks the finishing line for the annual University boat race that takes place between Oxford and Cambridge. Standing now as an individual residential building with its own grounds, this grade II listed property previously existed as an auxiliary stable house to the grand neighbouring properties. Unfortunately, the building has seen plenty of careless development over the years and its existing condition was best described as a warren-like arrangement of confusing hallways and stairs with many twists, turns and level changes resulting in plenty of wasted space. The house suffered from poor natural daylight throughout which only increased the feeling of constriction brought about by the overly complex circulation. The earlier remodelling of the property resulted in very little original fabric being left behind, existing now as a shell with an insensitively constructed, and somewhat modern, interior. This brought about the opportunity to explore radical changes to the interior of the property safe in the knowledge that any interventions would not be negatively affecting the building’s heritage. Part of the works included a new build extension. A previous low quality non-original shed was demolished to make way for a permanent addition to the building. This new addition provided the design with additional capacity to exist without compromising on space elsewhere. A key principle of the design philosophy employed was to bring about a level of excitement to the interior. The house is surrounded by a rich tapestry of history and grandeur, as a result we wanted to bring some of these qualities into the building. Large double height spaces and areas of the house that were designed to feel distinctly non-domestic have been utilised to imbue a sense of drama into the domestic environment. The project also carefully engages with the need to maximise the daylight being brought into the interior. This meant thoughtfully considering the location of the most commonly used spaces of the home and positioning them in line with a naturally occurring hierarchy of light distribution. We had a strong desire to move as far away as possible from the impression of confinement the original house gave through all the physical barriers in place. The building is generously proportioned however the previous internal arrangement disguised this, our new intervention wanted to ensure that a visual porosity was instilled throughout and gave a feeling of openness.