Ramsden Road, Balham

This tight urban plot is positioned at the junction between a row of semi detached two storey houses and a cluster of single storey garages. The new two storey house mediates in scale and form between these two building types, squeezing a surprising range of spaces into a tight envelope. The street elevation is informed by both the image of an iconic house and the restrained appearance of a garage.

The lower level is set 1.5 metres below street to reduce the height of the house and to allow privacy in the rear courtyard garden which opens off the two bedrooms. The upper floor is an open volume with a raised kitchen and a tall ceiling that follows the pitch of the roof, a room that feels far larger than one anticipates from outside. Detailing is simple and restrained to complement the modesty of the design.