Clad in pale brick with an iroko timber fascia, the Coach House features exposed aggregate concrete, oak veneer cabinetry and ash cladding, with timber mullions and a softwood ceiling to control light and add warmth
Open Practice Architecture has completed the Coach House, a mews infill development in East Dulwich, designed in collaboration with interior design studio Kinder Design.
The project is located on a site previously occupied by an automotive garage and outbuildings.
The three-bedroom house, which includes a courtyard garden and a separate guest suite annexe, has been delivered in two phases. Open Practice and Kinder Design acquired the site at auction in 2017, with the main house completed in 2022 and the annexe added in late 2023.
The design is intended to retain the volume of the original building’s footprint while introducing stronger connections to outdoor space and improving natural light penetration. The building presents as a cubic L-shaped mews house, clad in pale brick with a horizontal iroko timber fascia that runs along the perpendicular rooflines.
The interior includes a vaulted steel staircase leading to a double-height atrium and a double-width skylight, with glazing and wide-panelled windows across both floors. Timber battens and mullions divide the window widths, intended to control light distribution while maintaining privacy.
“The aim for the Coach House was to stitch the building, both form and material, into the historic context of the site whilst using modern detailing to enhance openness, natural light, and framed views,” said Rupert Scott, director at Open Practice Architecture.
The interior design incorporates neutral walls, light ash flooring and a painted softwood ceiling. The kitchen and living areas feature exposed aggregate concrete flooring, oak veneer cabinetry and stainless steel countertops.
The annexe, which includes a family snug, home office, and additional bedroom, contrasts with the main house through the use of solid ash cladding. The development also incorporates thermal insulation and an outdoor heat source pump as part of its energy strategy.
“It’s exciting to be amongst a growing number of architects who are pivoting into development as a way of navigating a difficult market,” said Scott. “This shift presents a great opportunity for London with many thoughtful and contextually sensitive housing projects appearing throughout the city.”
Project details
Architect Open Practice Architecture
Client Private family, self-build
Interior design Kinder Design
Structural engineer Constructure
Principal contractor Evoke Projects (excluding annexe)
Kitchen Hølte
Timber Lathams
Windows and external joinery Simin Birtwistle Design
Flooring Reeve Wood (ash engineered floor), Steysons (concrete)
Lighting Lucent
Downloads
COACH HOUSE - PLANS
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