Six surprisingly light-filled London basement homes
London's lack of space and strict planning restrictions are pushing some locals to look underground in their search for a home. Our latest lookbook brings together six sun-catching examples. To make the most of the UK's sparse sunlight, many of these basement extensions and sunken houses introduce skylights and lightwells or stepped gardens that dip The post Six surprisingly light-filled London basement homes appeared first on Dezeen.
London's lack of space and strict planning restrictions are pushing some locals to look underground in their search for a home. Our latest lookbook brings together six sun-catching examples.
To make the most of the UK's sparse sunlight, many of these basement extensions and sunken houses introduce skylights and lightwells or stepped gardens that dip below ground level.
But they also showcase plenty of non-architectural interventions, with white-washed walls, polished concrete floors and pale timber joinery helping to trap light where the sun doesn't shine.
This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides curated visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more see previous lookbooks featuring brutalist kitchens, home offices and bathrooms with pink sinks.
Self-designed home, Shoreditch, by James Shaw
Planning restrictions in the conservation area around Columbia Road required designer James Shaw and writer-curator Lou Stoppard to build all but 2.7 metres of their home out of sight from the street level.
The result is a two-storey house (top and above) with a large basement that is invisible from the outside, where bright white walls and a small sunken terrace help funnel in light.
Find out more about Shaw's self-designed home ›
Brexit Bunker, Kensal Rise, by Rise Design Studio
In the wake of the UK's vote to leave the European Union, London firm Rise Design Studio constructed the Brexit Bunker as a hideaway from the country's contentious political climate.
The sunken garden studio is illuminated by an oriel window and clad almost entirely in plywood to create a warm, enveloping interior.
Find out more about the Brexit Bunker ›
Walden, Tuffnell Park, by Polysmiths
The varying levels of daylight in this basement flat informed the material and colour palette chosen by architecture studio Polysmiths during its refurbishment.
"The light internal finishes were used in the public spaces – living room and dining room, to make sure they feel open and bright, more like a house in the woods than a typical basement apartment," founder Charles Wu told Dezeen.
"Private spaces – bedrooms, bathroom and kitchen – are darker to provide a level of comfort that is cosy and quiet."
House in Primrose Hill, Primrose Hill, by Jamie Fobert Architects
Local studio Jamie Fobert Architects added two floors undeath a Victorian house in Primrose Hill to turn it into a spacious five-bedroom family home.
Glazed walls, lightwells and skylights ensure the new spaces feel as bright and comfortable as the rest of the house, while exposed polished concrete walls, beams and joists amplify London's sparse sunlight.
Find out more about House in Primrose Hill ›
Heath House, Highgate, by Proctor & Shaw
Another project using wood to brighten up a subterranean floor is this Grade II-listed villa in north London by Proctor & Shaw.
The local firm added a basement extension defined by oiled Douglas fir beams, shiny terrazzo floors and light-pink clay plaster walls, accessed via a staircase with a small workstation tucked away on the landing.
Find out more about Heath House ›
Powerscroft Road, Clapton, by Daytrip
White-washed walls, Douglas fir cabinetry and pale Evora marble countertops help to trap sunlight in the basement of this Clapton townhouse, excavated by London studio Daytrip to make space for a large kitchen.
"A muted and pale palette of off-whites are paired with honest materials which promote their inherent patterns and textures without feeling 'over-designed' or mass-produced," co-founder Iwan Halstead told Dezeen.
Find out more about Powerscroft Road ›
This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides curated visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more see previous lookbooks featuring brutalist kitchens, home offices and bathrooms with pink sinks.
The post Six surprisingly light-filled London basement homes appeared first on Dezeen.
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