House for Hayley and Marc
The project creates a new loft space at a Victorian end-of-terrace house in Peckham with an interior opening the rooms to the sky in a variety of thoughtful ways and an external form, finish and detailing offering a characterful reference to the location’s industrial heritage.
The project aimed to site itself in Peckham like it has always been there – yet not in an obvious way. Perhaps a forgotten relic of the industrial 1700s or a small workshop from the road over that caught a breeze through the arches and landed on this residential street, with the dark metal cladding subtly distinguishing it from the tiled roofs of the surrounding residential buildings. The project also vastly improves the thermal performance of the existing house by wrapping the new loft in a thick, high-performance insulation - replacing a leaking, uninsulated pitched roof structure.
The project worked with the client to unlock the existing house’s potential to be a bright, multi-functional loft, enabling them to stay at the site as their family grows. The key ambitions for the project were a focus on natural light, ‘low-energy’ enhancements and contributing to the streetscape in a curious, but creatively contextual way.
Taking each of these independently, the loft sought to filter natural light not only to the new rooms, but deep into the dark plan of the house. Using frameless rooflights placed and detailed carefully, each folds into the interior rooms as an extension of the architecture
and not merely a hole in the roof. Particular attention was paid in
the bathroom, where a view to the changing sky was afforded for occupant wellbeing and the largest windows possible were sited in the external facade, affording long views down the perpendicular street pattern towards the Shard in the distance.
The existing roof was leaking water and air. The heat rising through the house was simply leaving into the atmosphere beyond. By wrapping this new loft in a thermal blanket retaining heat energy previously lost to atmosphere and using triple-glazed windows, the energy used to heat the space would be lessened due to the vastly enhanced retention of it.
Whilst inherently private, the loft is conceived to enrich the life of the street beyond and offer something to the public as they pass. Rather than cladding the exterior in a forgettable material, recyclable zinc sheets with a standing seam joint carefully placed was specified. This material reference to the rich industrial heritage of the area broadens the character of this place and a piece of material craftsmanship is offered to passersby.
Benjamin Machin is an architect designing contemporary buildings, interiors and public spaces. The studio is an RIBA Chartered Practice and is small by design, with Benjamin leading the design and management of each project. The practice is a signatory of both Architects Declare and the RIBA 2030 Climate Challenge and specialises in sustainable retrofit and new-build projects.
Benjamin studied architecture in Liverpool and London and worked within critically acclaimed practices for over ten years. In 2021, he established his design studio in London to make thoughtful work
with a sensibility for what already exists. Alongside directing the studio, he is actively engaged as a visiting critic at various schools of architecture across the United Kingdom and has led a teaching studio at Loughborough University since 2021.
The studio makes architecture that is spatially rich, yet necessary with a design approach that is respectful of history and place, yet contemporary in nature. Incorporating responsive collaboration with clients, consultants and constructors, each project initiates a new process of looking, learning and interpreting. Formed of concerns for wellbeing, ecology and locality, our work strives to enhance the experience of its users and the wider community.
