A CORK HOUSE
IT'S ALL ABOUT CORK
Sector
Residential
Location
E7, London
Year
2021
Budget Range
£180,000 - £220,000
Core Materials
Cork, Plywood, London Stock Brickwork
Photographer
Chris Snook
Consultants
Structure Workshop
A Cork House was conceived as a design and build project constructed by Richard and his wife over the course of three years with specific consideration to staging the development to best service their lifestyle over the duration of the project and also making it a test bed for exploration of light, materials, form and function.
As an ex HMO residence the first stage of the project involved extending through the side return to create an expansive kitchen diner as an entertaining space with sliding pocket doors that allow full access to the garden via the flush threshold and concrete patio whilst the rest of house focused on creating an upstairs bathroom and restoring the original Victorian features. The second stage comprised of extending upwards with a double dormer loft conversion to add an additional two bedrooms and ensuite clad in the iconic Portugese sourced cork panelling for its eco friendly and insulating properties.
The materials used for A Cork House represent a fundamental aspect of Studio Hleo's design process working with inexpensive and aesthetic palettes to create a design that is curated and mindful. The inner section of the house is in keeping with the Victorian features using exposed original London Stock Brickwork and original wood flooring whereas the newly added extensions embrace modern textures such as bespoke plywood carpentry, matte vinyl flooring and exposed copper pipework.
To maximise bringing light into this mid terraced house, rooflights were installed in the central stairwell, kitchen and master bedroom as well as a feature round window for the extended dormer whilst an industrial folded steel staircase is used to connect the original house to the upper bedrooms.
