Etta House
Etta House
Etta House is the remodelling and extension of a tired Victorian property in Balham, transformed for a young family seeking space, light and clarity. The project opens up the rear of the house and brings coherence to a previously constrained layout, using a pared-back material palette and a series of carefully orchestrated architectural moves. The new elements are unapologetically contemporary, while the original building fabric is retained and celebrated, allowing old and new to coexist with confidence.
The design is shaped by the site’s subtle wedge-shaped geometry. Rather than conceal this irregularity, the architecture embraces it. The rear façade is defined by two angled brick blades that converge one-third of the way across the elevation, creating a composition informed by the golden ratio. This quiet asymmetry gives the extension a sense of balance and presence, while also expressing the unique character of the plot.
Although the design was completed before the clients had children, the house was carefully planned with future family life in mind. The reconfigured layout now offers generous sightlines, flexible zones and improved flow, supporting everyday living while providing moments of architectural interest throughout.
Etta House demonstrates how thoughtful geometry, crafted materiality and precise detailing can bring new life to a Victorian home. The result is a warm, contemporary living environment rooted in the character of its site and enriched by the interplay of light, form and texture.
“Matt and his team gave us the confidence to make some bold decisions and we're so pleased with the final outcome. The space provides a modern contrast to our Victorian home – it adds so much light and feels like a bridge between inside and outside. The layout works really well for how we want to use it as a family.”
Chris and Cara (Client)
Materiality
The material palette is deliberately restrained, allowing form and geometry to lead. Brick, glass, and timber establish a clear hierarchy, softened by off-white plastered walls that provide calm visual relief. Timber flooring runs continuously through the ground floor, reinforcing flow and coherence, while the kitchen introduces warmth through wood joinery paired with deep green elements that anchor the space. Brickwork is pulled internally to express structure and threshold, giving the architecture weight and continuity between inside and out.
Brick Blades
The rear elevation is defined by two intersecting brick blades that shape both plan and section. Angled relative to one another, the blades meet but slide past each other in plan, while pitching in different directions in elevation. This subtle displacement creates tension, depth, and a sense of gravitas, giving the extension a sculptural presence that shifts with viewpoint and light.
Brick Detailing
The brick façade required an unusually high level of precision. With no orthogonal corners, bespoke brick specials were developed to maintain crisp edges and consistent jointing. Detailed setting-out drawings, informed by multiple measured surveys, allowed the complex geometry to be executed accurately on site. The result is a façade where the brickwork reads as a continuous, carefully crafted surface, despite its non-standard geometry.
Before and After
The transformation replaces a constrained, disconnected layout with a space that is open, legible, and connected to the garden. The contrast between the existing and completed house highlights the clarity gained through reconfiguration, geometry, and light.
Maximising Lines of Sight
Long, uninterrupted sightlines connect the front of the house to the garden beyond. Views are carefully aligned from the hall, through the reception rooms, and into the extension, creating a strong visual relationship between old and new. These connections enhance both spatial clarity and everyday use, allowing the house to be read as a single, continuous sequence.
Every Angle
No wall meets another at 90 degrees. The angled geometry ensures that movement through the house is constantly animated, with each turn revealing a new alignment, junction, or framed view. This subtle distortion of the familiar creates moments of interest throughout, transforming everyday circulation into an architectural experience.
