Mailen Design takes cues from Victorian London for Lee Terrace house

A row of garages in south London has been replaced by Lee Terrace, a contemporary house by British architecture studio Mailen Design woven with references to its historic neighbourhood.

The three-storey home sits at the end of a long garden attached to a Grade II-listed villa, which is located on Lee Terrace in the Blackheath Conservation Area in the borough of Greenwich.

Mailen Design, which has offices in London and Oxford, drew on the traditional relationship between grand London properties and their "end of plot" mews – former stables or carriage houses for grand buildings.

The first and second storeys of the 114-square-metre house have been recessed to align with the neighbouring terraced homes, while London stock brick and stone cladding were used to "ground" the building in its context.

The front facade features angled brickwork detailing. This creates a modern twist on Victorian cornicing, nodding to the area's 19th-century houses built for merchants and sea captains with ties to Greenwich's maritime trade.

On top of the house is a mansard made of bronze-finished aluminium cladding with an undulating form.

"The material palette was carefully selected to integrate sensitively with the surrounding architecture whilst maintaining a high level of quality and craftsmanship," said the studio's managing director Ben Mailen.

From the street, a black-timber door opens onto a small front courtyard paved in large ceramic tiles, which forms the entrance to the house.

Inside is a large open-plan lounge, dining room and U-shaped kitchen with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the garden. This floor also has a downstairs bathroom.

"By incorporating a courtyard and large expanses of glazing to dual aspects, the design creates a sense of openness and flow, bringing in natural light and extending views beyond the immediate boundaries," said Mailen.

A large sliding door opens onto a tiered garden with a paved patio and a built-in seating area, shielded from overlooking properties. A gym is hidden away in a garden room.

Oak staircases lead to the sleeping areas on the upper levels. While two bedrooms and a family bathroom sit on the first floor, the main bedroom, which has a walk-in wardrobe and en-suite bathroom, is on the second floor.

Inside Lee Terrace, the studio picked materials that would bring warmth and texture while "reinforcing the building's robust, crafted feel", according to Mailen.

Exposed concrete has been used in the living areas alongside timber and a contrasting herringbone parquet floor. The kitchen features marble worktops and dark forest-green cabinetry.

"The interplay of these materials, combined with carefully detailed joinery and a restrained colour palette, ensures the interior feels both refined and inviting, with a strong connection to the surrounding landscape," added Mailen.

Sustainability measures include green roofs and high levels of airtightness, as well as an air-source heat pump for efficient water heating. The studio also worked closely with an arboriculturalist to retain two mature trees near the site.

Designated jointly with Greenwich in 1968, Blackheath was the first zone in the capital to be given Conservation Area status. In Blackheath Village, the majority of buildings date from around 1790 to 1880.

Other projects by Mailen Design include the Weald House, a barn-like home in Kent completed with Peter Bradshaw Architects and a medicinal cannabis production facility set to be built on the Isle of Man.

The photography is by Alex Dormon.

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