Finsbury Park House
Finsbury Park house is a simple, very late Victorian mid-terrace townhouse located on the edge of a conservation area in North London.
Within a fairly constrained site and access, the proposal re-established a healthy connection between the rooms at the back and the garden for the first time since the late 80s, while addressing structural issues. With the client’s inclination toward good quality materials and craft, a lot of the previous alterations to the house were removed, and attention was given to the use of recycled, natural and reclaimed materials such as wood-fibre insulation, or concrete by-products based tiles.
Planning permission was granted June 2024, and the project is now completed.
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Axonometry
Since its construction (1895-1905), the Finsbury Park House was transformed significantly on two occasions. Firstly with the addition of the rear outshot before 1950, then in 2005 when it was converted into 3 separate flats.
With multiple owners ever since, the relationship between the backrooms and the garden was long-lost while structural defects revealing poorly-chosen finishes and insulation materials around the bay window at the back started to show.
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Plan
Under a limited budget, the proposal focused on interventions in the rear outshot. It was proposed to replace the failing bay window with a contemporary glass box which allowed more natural light in the room. A poorly designed single door opening was also replaced with a double opening. Both were carefully designed in tandem with the new joinery forming the kitchen
All the detracting external elements installed by a succession of owners were carefully removed exposing the house’s original openings and garden levels
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Front elevation
The failing front wall made of concrete was removed to give way to a reclaimed brick wall and piers with a new metal gate. The new wall features a integrated planter which created depth, therefore helping with privacy on this South-facing, dense and narrow street. It also brings in some shading and promotes biodiversity.
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Rear elevation
One of the main outcome was to bring the garden back to its original level so that it would match the rear outshot. With the new double door opening and a glass box giving on to the side return, the physical circulation and visual connexions to the garden are greatly enhanced. The awning window in the basement room is also returned to its original opening with a new glazed door so that the garden extends all the way to the basement through the side return. This arrangement maintains the neighbours’ right of light as opposed to a full side extension.
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Joinery elevation
The joinery represented a big part of the work, and was designed in connection to the garden. Solid timber was used as much as the budget allowed and completed with handmade tiling and clay plaster. The joiner worked on smart use of bespoke dimensions and standards fittings to create much needed storage space both inside in the kitchen and outside in the garden
