Souldern Road

DOSArchitects are proud to announce the completion of their latest London residential project – a stunning superconversion for a private client in Brook Green. We have fused two adjacent Victorian houses into one bold statement, playing with the intersection of indoor and outdoor spaces through ambitious use of glass structures, to striking effect in this domestic setting. In light of the stringent planning restrictions imposed on this conservation area, such daring cutting-edge design represents a breakthrough, and sets a new benchmark for architects working in the inner-city residential market.

Blessed with a passionate client and the scope provided by a generous space, DOS decided to work principally with the garden façade and its existing dramatic features, extruding these outwards via a giant prism of heat-efficient sun-cool glass. These vertical planes, set against the sharply delineated horizontals of the interior levels, create a magnified kaleidoscope effect for the eye; a delightful interaction of angles, spaces and tactile materials. The result is a 450m2 complex with 5 bedrooms, 2 living rooms, a gym and outdoor jacuzzi, drawn together by a monolithic conservatory area leading onto to the sculpted garden below.

This large-scale, high profile enterprise demanded total commitment and intensive collaboration between all the consultants involved. We were proud to work with some of the most experienced engineers, lighting designers .PSLAB and planning consultants in the field, not to mention a team of builders whose dedication and attention to detail were second to none. What might have turned into a bureaucratic nightmare emerged as one of our most versatile and inspiring projects to date.

DOS’s approach to residential conversion projects is always to emphasize the livability of the space we create. Design superiority must never be at the expense of visual integration with the surroundings, and of total consistency with the practical demands of the client. 1 Souldern Road exemplifies these principals, with our bold extension highlighting by contrast the house’s existing features, whilst infusing the whole structure with movement and light. We are looking forward to the completion of a series of similarly challenging and ambitious residential projects across the capital.

.PSLAB collaborated with DOSarchitects on the refurbishment of an old Victorian residence in London. We developed a range of custom light fixtures adapted to the architectural constraints and the desired spatial conditions.
The central element of the residence consisted of the dining room, housed in a double-volume space, establishing a vertical connection to the living room above.
Through its high glass panels, the dining room also featured a strong horizontal connection to the backyard.

However, the highly transparent façade was interrupted by an opaque concrete frame which, seen from the outside, blurred the vertical spatial connection.
Consequently, we developed an installation of three large U-shaped arms fixed with a hinge system to the concrete frame, each carrying a stainless steel cylindrical lighting head at their end. The shape of the fittings responded directly to the volume of the space, and re-established the connection between the levels in the façade.

Also due to their flexibility and size, the arms would, from one point of fixation, float over the whole area of the dining room. A fourth independent shorter arm would cover the stairs running along the side of the room.
A similar language was developed for the lighting of the backyard with a system of cylindrical lights attached to the railing, unifying the interior and exterior spaces.

private

DOSArchitects
Lighting designer and manufacturers: .PSLAB