South London House

Deptford, 2018

We first visited this site when our client was looking to purchase what was then a closed down car repair yard tightly hemmed in on several sides by party walls and sitting over an un-mapped network of Thames water pipework. Step by step we worked with architect and client to create an award winning family home which clearly demonstrates the love and intense thought which went into every aspect of the making of this house.

Team: Architect: Oval Partnership London
M&E / Energy consultant: Enhabit
Specialist geotechnical input: GEA Ltd.
Contractor: Fullers Builders Ltd.

Awards: Civic Trust Awards 2021
Longlisted: RIBA House of the Year 2019
Shortlisted: Stephen Lawrence Prize 2019
RIBA London Award 2019
Highly commended: Structural Timber Awards 2019
Longlisted: Dezeen Awards 2019

Photos: Gareth Gardener
Jonathan Pile

Design

To make any construction possible on the site we first had to develop a viable ground works scheme able to gain approval from Thames Water. Working with specialist geotechnical input we designed a raft slab solution able to distribute the building loads evenly across the site whilst minimising new loading onto the maze of un-mapped pipework below the site.

Build

The new building comprises a series of one and two storey volumes set around an internal courtyard. The smaller volumes are largely simple loadbearing timber framed structures with a feature exposed douglas fir roof structure across the main living spaces.

The main two storey volume of the house is formed from a delicate steelwork portal frame structure which enables large open span spaces to be created in combination with simple timber joisted floor build-ups and structural timber stud walls providing lateral infill stability to the structural steelwork.

Completed Project