WESTERDAHL - Instant House
WESTERDAHL - Instant House
WESTERDAHL - Instant House
WESTERDAHL - Instant House

Instant House

London, UK, 2024

This infill house in Wimbledon is currently being built off-site in a factory in Southampton. With timber framed off-site manufacture comes a lower carbon footprint as factory production is more efficient. It also has far less impact on neighbours.

The client is a developer who sought to turn his small garage into a house. With a narrow 4 metre wide site, constrained on three sides, the challenge was to maximise a feeling of space. Inspired by narrow houses in Vietnam, where the client has lived and worked, we sought to bring out verticality and openness.

Folded House
Folded House
Folded House
Folded House

The house achieves this by stacking three stepped volumes that follow the profile of the adjacent house. This creates the maximum possible living space on the ground floor, along with a more intimate set of spaces on the upper floors, culminating in a front facing roof terrace framed by the sky. Large windows grant a feeling of openness to the smaller rooms, while the entrance and staircase are open to the ground floor living spaces to allow for views through the house.

The house achieves this by stacking three stepped volumes that follow the profile of the adjacent house. This creates the maximum possible living space on the ground floor, along with a more intimate set of spaces on the upper floors, culminating in a front facing roof terrace framed by the sky. Large windows grant a feeling of openness to the smaller rooms, while the entrance and staircase are open to the ground floor living spaces to allow for views through the house.

The house achieves this by stacking three stepped volumes that follow the profile of the adjacent house. This creates the maximum possible living space on the ground floor, along with a more intimate set of spaces on the upper floors, culminating in a front facing roof terrace framed by the sky. Large windows grant a feeling of openness to the smaller rooms, while the entrance and staircase are open to the ground floor living spaces to allow for views through the house.

The house achieves this by stacking three stepped volumes that follow the profile of the adjacent house. This creates the maximum possible living space on the ground floor, along with a more intimate set of spaces on the upper floors, culminating in a front facing roof terrace framed by the sky. Large windows grant a feeling of openness to the smaller rooms, while the entrance and staircase are open to the ground floor living spaces to allow for views through the house.

The overall rectilinear volume deliberately contrasts with the prevailing street scene, which is dominated by traditional semi-detached houses. Nonetheless, Instant House still respects the positioning and overall massing of its context.  

The rendered facade matches surrounding materiality, but reinvents this age-old finish by using a combed pattern. The combed texture adds depth, especially to the large, fire-rated side facade where windows had to be limited.

Doors and windows are emphasised with deep metal reveals in black, including a generous canopy over the entrance. A slightly curved black balustrade accentuates the front terrace.

The overall rectilinear volume deliberately contrasts with the prevailing street scene, which is dominated by traditional semi-detached houses. Nonetheless, Instant House still respects the positioning and overall massing of its context.  

The rendered facade matches surrounding materiality, but reinvents this age-old finish by using a combed pattern. The combed texture adds depth, especially to the large, fire-rated side facade where windows had to be limited.

Doors and windows are emphasised with deep metal reveals in black, including a generous canopy over the entrance. A slightly curved black balustrade accentuates the front terrace.

The overall rectilinear volume deliberately contrasts with the prevailing street scene, which is dominated by traditional semi-detached houses. Nonetheless, Instant House still respects the positioning and overall massing of its context.  

The rendered facade matches surrounding materiality, but reinvents this age-old finish by using a combed pattern. The combed texture adds depth, especially to the large, fire-rated side facade where windows had to be limited.

Doors and windows are emphasised with deep metal reveals in black, including a generous canopy over the entrance. A slightly curved black balustrade accentuates the front terrace.

The overall rectilinear volume deliberately contrasts with the prevailing street scene, which is dominated by traditional semi-detached houses. Nonetheless, Instant House still respects the positioning and overall massing of its context.  

The rendered facade matches surrounding materiality, but reinvents this age-old finish by using a combed pattern. The combed texture adds depth, especially to the large, fire-rated side facade where windows had to be limited.

Doors and windows are emphasised with deep metal reveals in black, including a generous canopy over the entrance. A slightly curved black balustrade accentuates the front terrace.

Folded House
Folded House
Folded House
Folded House

Internally the project reuses and refurbishes a substantial amount of old marble tiles and old electrical fittings from a past refurbishment of the main house. These finishes give Instant House a rooted history, while also reducing its carbon footprint.

The house is all electric with energy use minimised through high performing building fabric and with an air source heat pump. Provisions for future solar panels are installed, along with electric vehicle charging.

The landscaping re-uses existing Yorkshire stones from the driveway, along with new grass paving. Completion is due soon

Details

Location: Wimbledon
Project: New built house
Client: Developer
Under construction

Team

Architect & Principal Designer: Westerdahl.
Planning consultant: Grade Planning
Structural Engineer: Constant Structural Design Limited
MEP Engineer: P3r Engineers Ltd
Civils engineer: Civilistix Consulting Engineers
Acoustic engineer: ParkerJones Acoustics Limited
Party Wall Surveyor: Party Walls Surveyors Ltd.
Quantity surveyor: Contra Faba
Main contractor: Go-Modular
Building Inspector: Wilkinson Construction Consultants
Photographer: Funto King