Modern glass-walled building with a lush garden of tall ferns and greenery surrounding it. Inside, a cozy interior with a seating area can be seen through the large windows. The scene exudes a serene and natural ambiance.

Calais Street

London, England

2014 — 2016

Client Private Client

Buildings · Private Homes

A Victorian townhouse and a verdant, exotic garden of tree ferns and tropical palms: the question was how to connect these two potentially discordant spaces sensitively, while ensuring a bold visual impact befitting our client. This was achieved through a series full height windows and skylights, both fixed and operable, and by structural glazed links connecting new and original spaces of the house.

Close-up view of a building's exterior detail featuring weathered, rust-colored metal cladding with vertical grooves. Below, a section of a dark-framed window is partially visible, reflecting the surroundings subtly.

A stone sculpture of a face is displayed in a room, visible through a large window. The room is partially obscured by lush green fern leaves hanging in the foreground. In the background, there are shelves and a glass door.

‘This house is dramatic but also personal, and very nicely done, and the architect maximised what the client wanted.’

Phillipa Stockley, London Evening Standard, January 2017

A modern hallway with a large window opens to a lush garden featuring tall ferns. A stone sculpture of a serene face sits on a pedestal to the left, and the walls are lined with brick and wood elements.

View of a lush garden through a glass sliding door. The garden features a variety of green plants and tall ferns against a wooden privacy fence. The patio floor is tiled, and part of the indoor area is visible. Cloudy sky in the background.

Lush greenery surrounds a modern building with large glass windows. Tall trees with fern-like leaves create a canopy, allowing sunbeams to illuminate the garden path. A wooden fence lines the side, enhancing the serene forest atmosphere.

A modern house with large glass doors surrounded by lush greenery and ferns. The exterior features brick and wood elements, blending architecture with nature. Sunlight filters through the leaves, creating a serene atmosphere.

Modern open-plan living area with large glass doors leading to a patio. The space features wooden flooring, a sleek kitchen, and a cozy living room. Fern leaves hang decoratively around the entrance, enhancing the indoor-outdoor aesthetic.

At times, windows fold over dimensions – merging wall and ceiling, or one aspect and another – reflecting the immersive appeal of the greenery that surrounds it. The bespoke weathered steel cladding panels applied to both the rear and side extensions create an ever-evolving and contrasting backdrop to the ferns, with its rusty tones complimenting both the original Victorian brickwork and the new aluminium framed glazing.