Residential · Full Refurbishment

Engulfed House

Engulfed House is the refurbishment of a four-bedroom, three-bathroom family home in St. John's Wood, completely surrounded by neighbouring buildings with no visible facade of its own. Split across several dark, disconnected levels and reached via an inconspicuous access route, the property had defeated several architects before the clients approached Studio Basheva. The solution centred on inserting a heavy load-bearing structure into the heart of the house to support a large skylight with openable panes, flooding the ground floor with daylight, alongside a small internal courtyard open to the sky that brings light and privacy deep into the plan. The result is an open-plan kitchen and living space anchored by a sculptural staircase, with high-ceilinged bedrooms and en-suite bathrooms throughout — a complete transformation the clients described as exceeding their expectations after a ten-month construction phase.

Type
Full House Refurbishment
Location
St. John's Wood, London
Commissioned
2016
Completed
2019
Budget
£300,000
Programme
4 Bedrooms, 3 Bathrooms
Features
Structural skylight insertion, internal courtyard, sculptural staircase
Role
Architecture, Planning & Interior Design
Open-plan kitchen and living space flooded with daylight from the structural skylight, with sculptural timber-clad staircase and courtyard beyond
Open-plan kitchen and living space flooded with daylight from the structural skylight, with sculptural timber-clad staircase and courtyard beyond
Open-plan ground floor at night — ambient ceiling lighting animates the skylight, staircase screen and kitchen beyond
Open-plan ground floor at night — ambient ceiling lighting animates the skylight, staircase screen and kitchen beyond
Kitchen at night showing the marble island with under-lit breakfast bar, timber cabinetry and structural skylight open to the night sky
Kitchen at night showing the marble island with under-lit breakfast bar, timber cabinetry and structural skylight open to the night sky
Internal courtyard by day — gravel floor, bamboo planting and sliding glass doors bring sky and greenery deep into the centre of the house
Internal courtyard by day — gravel floor, bamboo planting and sliding glass doors bring sky and greenery deep into the centre of the house
Internal courtyard at night — the lit interior glows through the floor-to-ceiling glass, the bamboo casting shadows against the white walls
Internal courtyard at night — the lit interior glows through the floor-to-ceiling glass, the bamboo casting shadows against the white walls

More projects