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Not Just a Pretty Place
Clever space solutions and detailed finishings make this project more than just an eye-catching 'showhome' - it's also had real workable practicality built-in
This article appeared in the August 2009 issue of Designer
Frustrated with the lack of apparent cohesion between architects and interior designers, Alix Lawson and Charlotte Robb joined forces in 2003. Their architecture and interior design practice offers an all-inclusive niche service to clients at the luxury end of the market.
One of the projects Lawson Robb has worked on is the redesign of a converted loft apartment in Battersea, London, which was situated in an old hospital with a tower located at the rear of the property.
The rear two-storey tower of the property contained a bathroom, small guest room, main bedroom and roof terrace. The rooms prior to commencing work were dark and pokey with no clear scheme or flow throughout the property.
The client is very creative and a highly regarded photographer. As well as a complete refurbishment and cutting edge design, he also wanted to work with a design company that could handle both the architectural and interior design aspects of the design and build and manage the project from conception to completion.
As the client spends so much time out of the country, he was keen to utilise his space as best as possible by offering it out for film location and photo shoots when working away. It was also very important that the apartment be much more of an inspirational space for when he is working at home, which meant increasing the feeling of space and natural light throughout, introducing beautiful and creative architectural features, clever lighting and the all essential 'wow factor'.
The style was to be contemporary and verging on minimalistic in line with the high end boutique hotels that the client stays at when away. He wanted a design that really pushed the boundaries whilst still being a welcoming and comfortable place to come home to.
Within the rear tower area of the apartment, the client required a master bedroom, bathroom, guest accommodation and new roof terrace with comfortable access to encourage use. Ample storage was also important to satisfy every day practicalities and as a space to store film and camera equipment. Gallery spaces were also to be a consideration to display his artwork and photos. With so much time away from home, security was also high on the agenda, and a scheme where there would be minimal maintenance required.
Following discussions with the client, Lawson and Robb decided to create a 'wow' factor for this job by opening the space up and playing with vertical vistas throughout, introducing spaces with dramatic height and flooding the apartment with natural light. Playing off white against grey and strong flashes of bold crimson, would also be key design decisions in helping to bring this project to life - injecting a 'fast' modern and urban mood.
Stage one was to research the structural make up of the building. Being quite an old building, it was imperative to thoroughly check out walls and weight-bearing between floors. They discovered early on in the research process the internal ceiling had been dropped quite substantially above the lobby area outside the bathroom and also above the bathroom. They removed the internal ceilings and replaced the pitched roof above with glass panels to create a very dramatic effect of height - the natural light would also flood the bathroom and lobby space, which would instantly open up the property.
"It is absolutely essential to do research at the beginning of every project to avoid unexpected surprises," says Robb. "Liaising with building control, the planning structural engineer, M&E consultant and other consultants before final designs were prepared ensured that all potential issues were considered and the appropriate design solutions incorporated.
"With period properties, it is important to spend time on the initial investigative work at the start of the job to avoid hidden issues that may threaten the integrity of the property."
The most challenging part of the brief was to add a gym and guest sleeping to this already very tight space. Additional floor area was essential to achieve this, and without the luxury of being able to extend out to the side, the only way would be to raise the roof level, removing all walls, floors and staircase and remodelling the interior with new staircases to allow an additional gallery floor level.
By choosing to use very specific building materials, a sleek and contemporary look was devised for use across all areas of the project. Low iron glass was used for all the balustrades - a subtle design consideration which ensured that the green edge of the glass was not seen and the greenish hue did not cast dulled light across the freshly coloured scheme. All the channels for balustrades in the scheme were recessed within the floor so that the stainless steel fixings could not be detected.
Custom concrete floor tiles were selected to use within the lobby and weights room areas and to surround the master bed area in which a futuristic 'bed pod' design would be created.
A Berker system was chosen and installed enabling all the lighting, blinds, heating and sliding glass box on the roof terrace to be operated from a single remote control source. All light switches were intended to be operated wirelessly which enabled the switch plates to be placed anywhere in the room. An underfloor heating system was also integrated across a specially designed wetroom, as well as in the lobby and weights room.
The existing bathroom was quite small so Lawson Robb decided to create a wetroom concept which would completely open up and make the most of the space available. Using finishes such as black slate on the floor and walls, a wall hung bespoke concrete sink (designed by Lawson Robb and manufactured by Paul Davies Design), and a wall hung Flaminia WC also maximised use of space whilst the long and narrow mirrors above the WC and the sink created the illusion that the bathroom was a lot bigger, and emphasised the vertical vistas to the glass roof above. The look was completed with brassware by Hansgrohe including a Raindance shower.
A bespoke three and a half metre high fushia pink lacquer pivot door was created as the entrance to the bathroom, which again played on the height ratio and, as it was highly reflective, it bounced light throughout the lobby and weights room, whilst also acting as a key focal point.
Within the lobby area the design duo created a four metre high shallow cupboard, deep enough to display a huge array of shoes, books and other accessories. They used the new found height of the walls to reinforce the 'unique' aspects and character of the original building, whilst bringing it right up to date for modern times.
An important addition to the existing property was the weights room. Stripping out entirely the rear tower area, both floors were removed and the existing dog-leg staircase, stud walls and the roof within the tower were retained.
Completely gutting the tower of walls, floors, roof and stairs enabled Lawson Robb to install a custom designed timber cantilevered staircase that snaked around the inside of the tower up to the master bedroom with a further staircase continuing the line and material on up to the roof terrace, enhancing the flow from space to space. A recessed shadow gap detailing at skirting level was also created with a floating ceiling and a recessed lighting detail around the perimeter of the ceiling. This created clean lines to maximise the space.
The unusual 'bed pod' concept was realised and uses a recessed sunken mattress which in effect created an additional guest area or room - freeing up the floor below to become a workout space/zone.
The bed pod was a very complicated structural design. To prevent any lateral movement a cross brace structure to the rear side was designed and a further connecting beam was concealed beneath the stairs. The recessed sunken mattress now sits flush with the custom concrete tile surround.
The blinds have been recessed within bulkheads to create a completely seamless look and subsequently can be pulled down within the bed pod in front of the glass balustrade. Lights were also recessed with the bulkhead to create a softer 'lantern' glow effect when all the blinds are fully down.
The master bedroom featured a beautiful staircase with recessed lighting leading to the newly created roof terrace and a low iron glass wall which separated the staircase from bedroom zone. In collaboration with a high end glazing company a retracting glass box was created to fit over the new staircase providing remote controlled access to the roof terrace.
A custom timber platform bed which was recessed underneath the stairs was also built and wall hung cupboards installed above. The resulting recess was covered on three sides with velvet. All the cupboards were built in and finished to match the walls as this created a seamless eye-line within this area.
The wall hung cupboards above the bed were a great space saving solution helping minimise clutter. The bespoke timber bed also had pull out drawers. Finally a plasma screen was also hung - recessed into one of the walls located beneath the stairs.
It was difficult to provide a contemporary window treatment for the arched window in the master bedroom but Lawson Robb found a solution - the 'Panel Glide' by Silent Gliss. This features three panels of custom fabric which is operated electrically via a remote control mechanism. The Panel Glide was hung from the ceiling with the rail and all the mechanics and motor components recessed in the ceiling and hidden entirely from view. Simple bronze and dark green fabrics were selected, doubling up as 'artwork'.
A floating ceiling with a recessed lighting detail around the perimeter was devised to create a clean line and open up the space as much as possible. All the lighting, glass box and panel blind glides in front of the arch window and throughout the property can be operated from the bed by a remote control- 'James Bond-esque' in style - and totally to the client's taste.
"A part of the brief from the client was to maximise space and light throughout," explains Robb. "We feel that the design as a whole has really achieved the brief. The double height space really made the project, the drama that it created by the vertical spaces in both the living areas and the bathroom gave it the essential 'wow' factor.
"It can be worthwhile losing some floor space if you can afford to, in order to create a double height space."
