Ivo Carew The Bakehouse

Source: Ivo Carew

Photography:Ivo Carew

The Bakehouse is situated in a surprisingly peaceful hidden enclave near to Peckham High Street and the surrounding hubbub. The project required adding a new roof and side extension to the former Victorian brick bakery which occupies a rear interstitial site. The main body of the building is entirely detached, affording dramatic views on three sides of the bedroom at the top of the house.

The acquisition of a unit above a previous conversion demanded a reshuffle of the space. The two floors were connected with a new spiral staircase.

At the outset, the aim was to work with the historic quality of the existing building. This quality is enhanced by an approach which delves into the world of architectural ambiguity. Traces of the building’s history are left visible and are exploited for their compositional value.

Material choices build upon the London vernacular in a project which is about subtlety and blurring boundaries. New handmade London stock brick is used on the ground-floor extension, blurring the boundary with the adjacent brick buildings, whilst the new roof extension is clad with glass panels to create a backdrop to the brick chimney: a defunct remnant of the bakery. Anodized aluminium windows are inserted into new openings formed in the historic bakery building, whilst a large square frameless window is situated in the yellow brick extension, bringing much needed light into the ground floor area. This hybrid approach contrasts with the restrained material palette employed internally. Douglas fir is used throughout for the joinery and floorboards, whilst a dark limestone is used for the stonework.

The new roof extension is super-insulated, using two layers of insulation behind the double-glazed units. Existing brick walls have also been insulated internally to bring the historic building up to the required level of thermal performance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Start on site October 2017
Completion August 2018
Gross internal floor area 104m²
Gross (internal + external) floor area 134m²
Form of contract JCT Minor Works Building Contract (with contractor’s design)
Construction cost £208,000
Construction cost per m² £1,552
Architect Ivo Carew Architects
Client Private
Structural engineer Alan Baxter Partnership
Approved building inspector
Main contractor
CAD software used