New rendering of our Thames House project, due to go out to tender this month. The glazed corner windows catch oblique glimpses toward the Thames, and sit flush with a fibre-cement cladding. The volume of the main house is lifted up over a brick base, constructed of the recycled bricks from the existing house which will be demolished. Rendering by Whitaker Studio.
Progress on our Wandsworth developemnt.The project comprises the construction of a new build house on an angular corner site, and the extension and renovation of an existing dwelling. Builders started in July, and have made good progress to far on demolition.
Some photographs from a small house ‘contraction’ project we did this year. This was a project where we persuaded the clients to reduce the size of their home, but make the space work more effectively so that it feels larger. This means making a connection between the front and the back with a concealed pocket door between, and using am industrial palette of materials of anthracite coloured windows, butcher board worktop, and exposed London stock brick walls.lls.
We have lots of projects on site at the moment, all at various stages of completion, and all involving substantial alterations to existing properties, either by extending them or in some cases contracting them. It is always interesting to try and re-imagine how the original house used to be – always quite difficult after five months of contractor occupation.
Planning approval has been granted for the redevelopment of this old School house in Moor Park as a new residential dwelling. The existing building, built in 1920s is one of the founding buildings of the estate, and the design seeks to work within the character of the existing property,but providing a more contemporary internal layout, and exemplary environmental performance.
Our Willesden Road Junction project has been featured in this month’s Grand Design Magazine
Energy Consumption has been greatly reduced in this side extension by A-ZERO architects. The environmental upgrades include the installation of a new MVHR system, high performance glazing, and greater levels of insulation throughout. Internally, the new addition features a series of roof-lights, and exposed brickwork, while externally, the decorative iroko facia spans the rear elevation with bi-fold doors leading to the stone clad garden’.
The June 2016 A-ZERO line up : Sho, Caterina, Giles, Anya & Phillip.
Phase 01 complete… now on to phase 02….
It’s not quite finished – but good enough to take a couple of pictures. Now that the lawn is established, and the last remnant of building materials has been removed off site, it is ready for a summer. There is still a bit to do interanally, so the final photos won’t be for a couple of months yet…
We are slowly but surely getting out of the ground on our Hampton Street Project. Piles are in, below ground drainage is in, utilities are in. Now things get interesting with some concrete pours….
Our Peckham project – ‘extending without an extension’ is a finalist in the London Building Excellence Awards 2016 in the Best extension or alteration to an existing home category. Fingers crossed!
Photos from our St. John’s Wood project from last summer. Giles had worked on this house 10 years ago, and we were asked back to reconfigure the interior, creating a new kitchen / dining area and study space. We worked with an excellent joiner – Rob Berry, who we would highly recommend.
Our Willesden Junction project is virtually complete. The original house has been fully refurbished and extended with an infill extension to the side. We thought a lot about the glazing around this extension, the rhythm of light in the space, and the transparency of the corners. The iroko wrap-around emphasises this relationship, whilst providing integrated down lighters over the full width bi-fold doors. More internal photographs to follow….
We have lodged planning for a house in Northwood. The building, was originally built as a school, and the organisation of spaces internally is very unconventional. The proposal is to work with the language of the original school building, introducing a series of garden facing roof elements which draw on the materiality and pitch of the original roofs, but are clearly different in their expression.
First part of the build is in – all the piles are down. Not very much to look at, but it has generated a phenomenal amount of muck and dirt. Next stage is the joys of below ground drainage….
Things are almost wrapping up on our Willesden Junction project – the resin floor is down, the wrap around roof-light is in, the MVHR is running, the joinery is happening… almost there…
This years Christmas card is a movie again – this pretty much sums up the pace of the last year!
‘the unique angular design of the proposed dwelling is innovative…it would add a distinct and vibrant element to the street scene which would have a positive impact on the character and appearance of the area’.
We are really excited to be finally on site with our Elephant & Castle Nursery + Housing development. . It is great to be a part of the wider Elephant & Castle regeneration, and after three years going through planning, even better to be starting on site in one week. The project comprises three new build low energy houses with a ground floor nursery, and will achieve passive house performance. The project is due for completion Autumn 2016.
As one of the practices shortlisted for the New London Architecture ‘New Ideas for Housing’ competition. our entry ‘The High Street Living Project‘ was featured under the ‘densification’ category. The submission is also on display in the Building Centre in Store Street until December 2015.
We are delighted to have been shortlisted for the New London Architecture’s ‘New Ideas for Housing international ideas competition’
Our proposal ‘The High Street Living Project’ looks at ways in which London’s high streets can be brought back into residential use; focusing on the much maligned Walworth Road as a case study. We looked at possible ways the existing houses, landlocked behind single storey shop units, could be rehabilited through new roof-top residential development. http://a-zero.co.uk/portf…/
Our proposal will be featured in the New Ideas for Housing publication. The winning scheme will be announced on 14 October and an exhibition of the shortlisted entries will be held in the NLA galleries at The Building Centre, 26 Store St, London WC1E 7BT (http://
Windows in in our Northwood house – a great job by Derek from V-Windows – http://vwindows.eu/. Even though the house is North facing – we especially like the fact that we still get sunlight passing through the double height space in the hall form the south facing roof-lights…..
Our development in Elephant & Castle has now been granted full planning permission! The development comprising three new-build townhouses and a nursery will be commencing on site in Autumn. The project provides a ground floor nursery, and three Code Level 04 Terraced Houses above. Visualisation by Whitaker Studio
A wonderful day had by all when Giles (finally) tied the knot with Ingrid. We successfully mamanaged to get almost 100 guests from Kennington to Vauxhall on a menagerie of bicycle BMX’s, tandems and rickshaws. Well done to one and all!
A bit of an A-ZERO outing on Sunday…. Giles & Phillip cycled from London to Brighton as a part of this years British Heart Foundation annual cycle. Although technically Phillip was faster, he walked up one of the hills, which Giles didn’t.
Photographs by Photographer Step Haiselden (http://chronological.co.uk/), for our Zinc House in the garden. Thanks Step! More details & photos here : http://a-zero.co.uk/portfolio/zinc-house-_-2015/
Our Willesden Junction project is virtually complete. The original house has been fully refurbished and extended with an infill extension to the side. We thought a lot about the glazing around this extension, the rhythm of light in the space, and the transparency of the corners. The iroko wrap-around emphasises this relationship, whilst providing integrated down lighters over the full width bi-fold doors. More internal photographs to follow….
Giles will be in Dublin on this Thursday, 21st May to give a lecture to the IET.
‘Sustainability within the built environment requires an integrated approach from architects and engineers. It is not just a question of the efficiency of building systems, rather a question of how performance can be fundamental to the architecture itself. The idea of embedded performance suggests that concepts about energy, comfort and climate are intrinsic within the design process from day one. It suggests that sustainability should not be additive, but should be so implicit within the design concept that it becomes invisible.’
A very nice feature in The Modern House website for our Timber Frame House.
‘Perhaps the most impressive space is the open plan kitchen / living /dining room. It is an uplifting, light-filled area that features a wonderful exposed oak frame, floor to ceiling glazing, integrated audio and a bespoke kitchen. The second reception room is a more cosy space with a fireplace. Upstairs the bedrooms all have vaulted ceilings (with extra mezzanine levels in the smaller rooms) and lead on to a wide, meticulously-detailed circulation space’
More details here : http://www.themodernhouse.net/sales-list/bragenham/
Progress on our house in Northwood. What started as a small extension has, through numerous planning application expanded to become a very sizable house. The idea remains though – creating a strong connection between the ground floor living space and the garden, and bring as much light as possible into the kitchen via rooflights…
Work has begun on the Central European University redevelopment in Hungary. A-ZERO was part of the competition winning team lead by Irish architects O’Donnell + Tuomey in 2011 for the redevelopment of this Budapest campus.
http://www.archdaily.com/602063/o-donnell-tuomey-s-central-european-university-in-budapest-breaks-ground/
Our ‘Extension without an extension was featured as one of this years 2015 Small Project’s’ entries. Free access into AJ’s Building Library : http://www.ajbuildingslibrary.co.uk/projects/display/id/7133
January’s edition of AJ featured a special case study on insulation, in which our Timber Frame House predominantly featured. Check out the article here : http://a-zero.co.uk/aj_timber-frame-house_jan-2015/
This year’s Christmas Card is on video….
Photographs from Saturday’s MUSARC concert in the Hawksmoor Chruch Spitalfields. A fantastic evening of atmosphere, christmas scents and music. Programme included…
Marc Antoine Charpentier, O ANTIPHONS (1690)
Francis Poulenc, QUATRE MOTETS POUR LE TEMPS DE NOËL (1951-2)
Three new works, commissioned through
Sound and Music’s Portfolio Scheme 2013-4
Clay Gold, BIAS
Eloise Gynn, ONLY BREATH
Lee Westwood, THE ARCHITECT
Photos by Yiannis
We are very chuffed after receiving an award in this year’s Aylesbury Vale Design Awards. Our Timber Frame House was ‘highly commended’ from a list of seven shortlisted projects completed in the last 12 months. The Design Award scheme has been run annually by the council to recognise and celebrate examples of good building design in the district. 2014 is the 21st year of the Design Awards. http://www.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk/environment/2013-design-awards/
Featured this week in Archilovers – http://www.archilovers.com/projects/141282/timber-frame-house.html#images, and ArchDaily http://www.archdaily.com/567749/timber-frame-house-a-zero-architects/, and
Archello http://www.archello.com/en/project/timber-frame-house#
Circular windows on our Purple House in Catford….the project completed earlier this year extends the existing house to the limits of permitted development. More information here. The purple pop-out accommodates the double height kitchen, from which we stole a sneaky view to the neighbour courtesy of the porthole windows. Thanks to Step Haiselden for the photos http://www.chronological.co.uk/
We have been featured in Dezeen magasine – http://www.dezeen.com/2014/11/10/a-zero-timber-frame-house-leighton-buzzard-england-barn-cow-shed/. The timber frame hosue, which is currently shortlisted for the Aylesbury Vale Design Awards was completed earlier this year. Photographs by Whittiker Studio
Planning permission has been submitted for a new build house near the Thames. The house is designed to capitalise on views toward the Thames which are just visible from the upper levels of the site. The building mass is developed with respect to achieving this view whilst mediating between the various scales of buildings that surround the site. The building will be constructed out of a highly insulated SIPS panelling system, and clad with fibre cement and photo-voltaic panels to achieve a passive house performance in terms of heat loss and low carbon on-site energy consumption
Working with designer Ingrid Hu and sound artist Andy Pink, A-ZERO was selected as one of five winning submissions for installations in the proposed tidal lagoon in Swansea, Wales. The lagoon, due for completion in 2018, will use Swansea’s significant tidal swing to generate hydro-electrical power. The proposal is to accommodate a series of floating misting water jets moored parallel to the promenade which encompasses the lagoon. The water mists, which are activated during times of energy generation only, will rise and fall according to water levels in the lagoon, and according to the 25 hour cycle of the tides. This dynamic of changing height of water, changing weather and changing time of energy production will constantly vary the effect, with the mist sometimes blown thin, sometimes forming a fog behind the shelter of the pier. A-ZERO worked with the design team to explore how the installation could work best with its immediate environment to achieve and control these effects.
Full animation here : http://vimeo.com/102369557
We are very excited to be contributing a project to the redevelopment of Elephant & Castle – we have just lodged planning permission for a new development behind Strata tower. It will include an extension to an existing nursery at ground level, and three terraced houses independently accessible off the street. The project aims to achieve Code for Sustainable Homes Level 4,
A-ZERO headed down to Bedford Square yesterday afternoon to check out this year’s Project Review at the Architectural Association. A really good body of work this year with excellent models. Well worth a visit –http://www.aaschool.ac.uk/
A career ambition was reached on Friday – we now have a piano in our studio. Thanks to Rob from Wired Canvas and Phillip (and a Zip-van) we man-handelled a piano from Clapham and it is now installed (and reasonably in tune) in our studio in Borough…
Photos from this Saturday’s MUSARC concert in the Barbican – rain almost stopped play – but didn’t in the end… The performance included Ernst Toch’s Geographical Fugue and Walzer; some of Francis Poulenc’s Chansons Françaises; and a new work for the choir by Jan Hendrickse which recently premièred at Töne Festival.
Two new projects started on site this week – a house in Dulwich which we are extending with an oak clad pop out, and a Grade II listed property in Kennington which we are extending and refurbishing to achieve PassiveHouse standards.
Photographer James Whitaker came up to the completed Timber Frame House to take a series of photos. The external works have yet to happen, but everything else was photographed, including a very orange sunset.
A photo from the Musarc concert two weeks ago at Sir John Cass Faculty of Art, Architecture and Design, London Metropolitan University. Giles along with the rest of the choir was singing music by Monteverdi, Lauridsen, Di Lasso, LeJeune and the magnificant Historia de Jephte by Carissimi (worth a listen on Spotify)
Planning permission has been received for the extension and refurbished of this grade 02 listed house in central London. The project, due to go on site in May 2014, will substantially improve the building fabric with the aim of achieving Passive House standards of insulation and air permeability, whilst still respecting the existing listed fabric. The new build parts will be made of recycled brick and zinc, and the new south facing fenestration will provide a new connection to the garden, as well as improving passive solar gain to the property.
Photographs from the completed house no. 18 project complete with Boris the dog. The project extended an existing Victorian house to the side and rear, using roof-lights to maximise day-light into the space, and create a new indoor-outdoor relationship from the dining area to the garden via the folded brick elevation.