NEGUS HOUSE
St Johns Road, KT1
The brief was for a "Green" self build project, to provide a separated residential unit into an existing live-work arrangement within an irregular shaped site with a narrow street frontage and backland sheds. The project was limited by budget to phase one only:- the superstructure and external weatherproofing.
In association with the client, we designed a restrained, modern, zinc and copper clad, timber framed, detached, three storey building. It comprises a commercial reception space on the ground floor serving existing commercial areas at the rear; a two bedroom maisonette above, accessed via a spiral stair at street frontage, forming a composition that complements the elevational rhythm of the adjacent houses.
The residential accommodation is arranged with south facing sunspaces to both floors with a roof plantroom incorporating solar heating systems. The timber structure is braced laterally by three site welded steel frames to avoid structural cross walls, and braced longitudinally by diagonal timbers forming diaphragm walls.