CBA: ‘Crouch End House’ connects garden with interior using timber elements

‘Crouch End House’ was a renovation project by CBA Ltd (Catriona Burns Architects) that has won the ‘Best Interior’ award in ‘Don't Move, Improve!’ 2019 by New London Architecture. CBA ltd added a colourful timber framed kitchen and dining room extension, attic space and external terraces to this North London property to enhance connections between the house and garden.

The Edwardian house had a small kitchen and utility room which was inadequate for a large family dwelling. The original accommodation at the rear of the property had an awkward stepped relationship with the outside patio resulting in poor connections between the internal spaces and expansive rear garden.

CBA ltd reconfigured the internal layout at ground to incorporate a full width rear kitchen and dining room extension. A timber lined hallway was formed which includes two sets of steps to resolve the change in level between the original house and the new extension. A large timber framed glazed screen inserted into the line of the original rear elevation allows daylight into the depth of the plan and provides connecting views across the new dining space to the external terrace and garden beyond. 

Bespoke birch plywood storage units incorporate timber and coloured veneered panels. The deep red visible on the kitchen units is also used between the exposed structural timbers across the ceiling. Fixed and projecting windows incorporating a solid oak ventilating panel and a large pair of oak doors overlook the new ground floor terrace which is finished in sandstone with cedar trellising to provide privacy from neighbouring properties.

A smaller terrace at first floor over the extension provides additional external amenity space and includes a green roof around the perimeter.

A second floor attic was extended and has a large picture window framing rooftop views across London.

About CBA Ltd

CBA Ltd is a London based practice established in 2013. All their work involves a continuous dialogue with our clients to create bespoke design solutions. CBA enjoy working on projects of varying scales and in different locations.

All photograph credits to Adelina Ilieve

Image courtesy of CBA Ltd