A Victorian house built around a patio

Arabella Maza and Stephen Maginn are the members of Archive for Space, a multidisciplinary architecture and design studio founded in 2019 that operates worldwide from its offices in London and Palma de Mallorca. Regarding their work, they state that it “embraces architecture, interior design, industrial design, installations, generative art and scenography”. Almost nothing; what one might consider a 360 degree view of each projectbut with an approach that makes them truly unique.

Jackson House, this is the name of the project, consists of a discreet and harmonious Ground floor extension to a Victorian terraced houselocated on a street in Leytonstone. To put where we are in context: this is a suburban neighborhood northwest of Londonpart of the Waltham Forest borough, known for its mix of Victorian houses and green spaces such as Epping Forest. It has a lively scene of pubs, cafes and restaurants, is connected by the Central line of the London Underground and has a strong sense of community, being the birthplace of figures such as Alfred Hitchcock, David Beckham or Damon Albarn.

Archive for Space explored the area taking inspiration from Wanstead Temple and Leyton Townhall to create a magnificent residential-scale façade. The Temple is one of the few buildings, with 500 years of history, that remain of the magnificent Wanstead House and features a classic porch with a tiled roof. Precisely one of the distinctive traits of Arabella and Stephen is that they run a large archive of references and disciplines that merge research with a conscious and at the same time individual experience. “In addition to our design services, we are fervent advocates for the dissemination of knowledge, as we believe that design flourishes when it feeds on collective brilliance. For us, the “Archive” allows us to have a deeper understanding of design through the distinctive lens of our practice,” they say.

In this case, the customers, a growing family, they needed a space that was economical and resistant in materialswhich allowed Archive for Space to explore a range of resistant materials such as wood, brick or terracotta, which also have an innate richness as decorative elements.

As in other works by the studio, the project explores theassembly and processing of raw materials and how these can be easily manipulated to provide a totally amazing sensation. Brick, for example, is seen here as a finished surface, far from its intended use only as a building material that will later be hidden under layers of plaster and paint. Here, each piece is much more than a part of a whole.

Thanks to the care in construction and the final coat of paint, the use of brick creates a warm and textured setting for the family’s daily life. The renovation project of this ground floor with internal courtyard in a terraced house uses resistant and durable materials; in addition to brick, terracotta tiles were used. To contrast this element, the architects worked with a lighter and warmer palette when choosing the type of wood (Douglas fir and plywood for the ceiling).

The rich shades of the ceiling match the flooring and kitchen to create an overall atmosphere of warmth, tranquility and comfort. In fact, the fir wood extends to the rear façade, which overlooks an internal courtyard, where three openings with a tiled pediment were created which nods to the architecture of Wanstead Temple. As for the interior design, simplicity is the dominant element, with a careful selection of furniture from the Beton Brut collection.

archiveforspace.com

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