Knox Bhavan Architects designed London Brownstones, a project conceived from a pair of sandstone residences to reflect the early 20th-century houses lining this south London neighborhood. The pair of homes mirror each other to tie the project together with designs and proportions that embody the popular stucco detailing of the time period.
The street-facing facades are made from a terracotta colored sandstone which attributes to the inception of the term “brownstone” and are detailed with white sandstone lintels and columns.
Clients Greg and Jenny Falzon hired the local firm, Knox Bhavan to design one of the five-bedroom houses as their family home, and the other to fund the project.
“London Brownstones replace an ugly 1950s bomb damage infill building and are a contemporary reinterpretation of the Edwardian terrace,” said the architects. “They are a contemporary answer to the ubiquitous and well-loved London terraced house.”
The design team aimed for a contemporary aesthetic both for the internal and external features of the homes, which include an arched porch that is shared between the two symmetrical houses. Inside, the second floor features a split-level arrangement that can accommodate five bedrooms around a family bathroom. A timber staircase unites all levels of the house. To add to the butterfly effect of the house, four angled bay windows protrude from the upper floor bedrooms.
The ground floor of each house is occupied by an open-concept living area, dining space and kitchen that offer clear sight-lines into the middle of the structure. In the shared front garden, a pair of planters are used to disguise bike stores.
The project successfully blended the updated homes to create a modern, yet seamless addition to the neighborhood. [Photography by Dennis Gilbert]
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