Optimal Build LTD

Hawthorn House

TypeResidential
LocationDe Beauvoir, London
ScopeStepped rear extension First floor rear extension Refurbishment
Size160 m sq
Time span2021
ArchitectBradley Van Der Straeten
Awards Recognition: British Homes Awards 2022 – Winner Evening Standard – Homes and Property Grand Designs Magazine Don’t Move Improve! Awards – Longlisted

Gareth and Richard sought a two-storey extension that transformed the internal living spaces of their North London home and fused seamlessly with the green wilds of their ‘prairie planted’ garden. As professors in design and fashion, their distinctive brief offered very little opportunity for imperfection; honest, appropriate and well-placed materials became the focus, both inside and out. Exemplary craftsmanship was key to achieving the materials-lead impact of Gareth and Richards ambitions. The bare birch ply staircase, the subtle industrialism of the exposed Yves Klein blue steels, and the kitchen’s pink concrete and joinery are all unadorned, celebrating simplicity. The result is a captivating living space that showcases clean, contemporary craftsmanship at its best, whilst honouring the context of its conservation-area setting.