Cheyne Walk House London : Architecture Information

Cheyne Walk, London Amin Taha Architects House with Planning approval 103 Cheyne Walk was originally built for a retiring Lord of the Admiralty on a gap site plot overlooking the Thames, giving its facade the bay window and flag post arrangement designed to resemble the stern of a Man-of-War. Since then it has had additions and internal changes that have left it dark and cluttered. Amin Taha Architects were asked to look at clearing out the later additions allowing light to come into rear areas and spaces to suit more informal living patterns. The main house was returned to its original defined room arrangement and left as the private family area. The new addition to the rear was set-off the existing building forming a light well and clear separation between the two parts. The form of the new rear block is a rationalised repetitive geometry whose starting points are generally environmental. Beginning with an extruded block, neighbouring legal issues, planning amenity concerns, solar shading and the distribution of natural light, cut and slice through the block to leave an abstracted envelope. The remaining form then generates a rationalised geometry to create a coherent unified whole. This envelope is allowed to remain lightweight and detached from the 'garden' walls further identifying existing or older environments from the new. Similarly the subterranean condition is expressed as such with the garden pressing the concrete soffit downward. In this way the cradle performs the dual functions of characterizing the space underneath while providing enough volume for soil to sustain a viable garden above. Cheyne Walk House images / information from Amin Taha Architects