client private
engineers One Arp & Partners.
contract value £45,000
area 60 sq. m.
Halvorsen Architects was asked to convert the attic and remodel the rest of this end of terrace Victorian town house to create more light and space. This was achieved by stripping out the labyrinth of dark hallways, corridors and cupboards and and creating a large top lit stairwell in the centre of the building. This became the main circulation space, off which all rooms can be accessed. Each half landing was used to provide a workspace, bookshelves and storage. Halvorsen Architects believes strongly that staircases should be more than circulation spaces. By opening them up and including other functional spaces within them, a much more spacious stairwell can be created.
In order to maximise natural light from the large high-level window, the stair was made as translucent as possible. The structure was made of mild steel so that all the elements could be as slim as possible, the treads of open steel grid, and the balustrades of 10 mm diameter steel rods, all allowing light to fall through and creating dramatic shadows down the stairwell.
The attic was turned into the master bedroom with wall-to-wall glazing opposite the large triangular stair well window, bringing a large amount of light into the room.
