The site of Stapleton Hall Road, which we purchased at auction in December 2005, was an oddly shaped 270 square metre gap site sitting at a road junction. The surrounding area is characterised by late Victorian and early Edwardian houses bisected by the dominant infrastructure of the elevated Parkland Walk and the cutting of the London overground railway.
On the site sat a faded yellow shop selling shoes, a single-storey redundant railway shelter and a huge advertising billboard. There were a number of hurdles we needed to overcome, including some long negotiations with Network Rail and discussions with the planning officer. Eventually we obtained consent in January 2011 with a design created in collaboration with Stephen Taylor Architects.
Construction commenced in October 2012 for a pair of mirrored Solidspace houses. The two houses are arranged in a butterfly plan, symmetrical around the axis of the party wall. They are arranged over seven half levels, rising around the stair. The ‘Eat Live Work’ arrangement occupies the lower three levels, with bedrooms on the remaining floors topped by roof terraces.
The metre-wide void between the living and dining spaces extends the perception of space allowing both privacy and long internal views.
Brick wraps around three facades, the double order arches reflect the railway arch beyond and perforated concrete coping stones follow the gable to articulate traditional bargeboard detailing.
The development demonstrates the possibility of building houses on gap sites between 145 and 155 square metres equating to a density of 72 units per hectare.
You can purchase a dedicated monograph on this project here.
Location: 66-68 Stapleton Hall Road, Stroud Green, London N4 4QA
Completed: 2014
Gross internal area: No.68 146m2 and No.66 157m2
Gross internal volume: No. 68 405m3 and No. 66 432m3
Number of units: 2
Number of levels: 7
Architect: Stephen Taylor Architects
Photos: Dominic French and Morley von Sternberg