Love Walk II, Southwark

2024 RIBA London Award

Love Walk II, Southwark
Knox Bhavan Architects for private client
Contract value: Confidential
GIA: 250m2

The name comes from the fact this is the second house on the same street in Camberwell by the architects Knox Bhavan. The project has two aspects: the conservation of an unlisted building, and a creative addition at the rear, replacing a poorly built but substantial Victorian extension. It was praised by the jury as well-built, innovatively designed and interesting. In the restoration, all possibilities for thermal upgrade have been employed, including micro double glazing to windows, and improvements to floors and ceilings. A successful deep retrofit and contemporary extension in a conservation area, it has future-proofed the Victorian villa house with energy saving technology, and is sensitively considered to serve its owners’ needs into later life.

The new volume forms an armature to enjoy the garden, with generous amounts of glazing and solar shading to protect the building externally from overheating. The entire ground floor now provides level access between all the living spaces. It is designed to endure – thoughtful detailing of the enlarged doorways for possible wheelchair use in the future makes this house a keeper for the owners, who are presently able bodied, offering adaptability as they age. 

Cement-free concrete – a lower-carbon alternative to standard concrete – was used in the floor build-ups and the architects learnt a lot on this project to be re-employed in future work. The local authority had treated the application as if it were a locally listed building, encouraging the architects to restore the railings and stonework at the front, but also to incorporate the latest sustainability criteria. An air-source heat pump placed behind the front garden wall provides all the heating requirements.

The verdigris copper-clad extension incorporates the kitchen and dining areas of the house, opening to the garden in the summer months through the glazed curtain wall. Steel forms the primary structure of the extension, clad and infilled with Douglas fir. The jury found the sense of calm and greenery beyond particularly enjoyable.

See the rest of the RIBA London winners here. And all the RIBA Regional Awards here.

To see the whole RIBA Awards process visit architecture.com.

RIBA Regional Awards 2024 sponsored by EH Smith and Autodesk