Church Walk – Mikhail Riches

Site

The project fills in an awkward brownfield site, and is in very close proximity to a 4-storey block of flats, providing significant overlooking issues and in return, a potential for loss of daylight to ground floor neighbours. The design has been carefully calibrated to minimise impact on surrounding properties, and at the same time protecting the privacy of the new dwellings. A ziggurat shape was derived from using BRE daylight guidelines to establish acceptable build volumes.

Layout & Interiors:

At the heart of each dwelling is a double height family room. This gets good natural light, and views with windows looking north, and large triangular roof lights. Living rooms address the street, again assisting natural surveillance. The rear ‘concertina’ elevation allows oblique long views to the north, whilst avoiding overlooking. The material character of the building changes from front to back; a robust brick wall directly lines the street, with a white oiled larch board on board cladding to the rear. The timber then wraps around the complex geometry of the stepped dwellings, appearing at high level on the street.

“While the scheme’s plan and section are imbued with a vividly serial quality, and a common pallet of white-painted walls and Douglas fir joinery has been employed throughout, the four dwellings prove highly individual. All have their attractions. The southernmost house is entered by way of a pocket-handkerchief courtyard which gives onto an usually expansive living space. The middle one has a particularly terrific ground floor bedroom, which communicates with the garden and comes complete with a bath packed under one of the triangular skylights. The three-storey apartment at the north ends – where Riches and Mikhail have taken up residence – is blessed with a second floor roof terrace and the best views”

“The evident intensity with which the architects have explored the spatial opportunities offered by each dwelling is hugely impressive”

Ellis Woodman, BD

Materials & Construction:

Materials are intentionally taken from a limited palette, with white oiled Siberian larch, arranged board over board giving a ‘corduroy’ effect, a light buff coloured brick set in a flush white lime mortar giving an homogenous ‘cast’ feel to the street facade, recalling the ubiquitous London stock brickwork of Georgian London, and a large gauge expanded aluminium mesh, finished like the windows in anodized bronze; individually robust materials, but which together with the wildflower roofs, seek to achieve a new delicacy and lightness.

Construction is of simple load bearing concrete block and timber floors and roofs with the minimum use of steel beams for the wider spans.

“The selection of materials is consistent throughout, with not a detail left to chance. Every junction was clearly considered and the attention to the finishes, especially the striking flush lime pointed brick façade, demonstrates an exemplary knowledge and skill with materials”

RIBA Stephen Lawrence Prize Shortlist 2013, Jury Citation

The project, completed in 2013 has received recognition as exemplary housing, by winning the prestigious RIBA London Building of the Year Award in 2013, as well as a Hackney Design Award, Housing Design Award and reaching the 2013 Stirling Prize mid-List.

Press

Architecture Today 2012
Building Design 2012
The Sunday Times 2013
The Spaces 2015

Client, Developer & ArchitectsDavid Mikhail, Annalie Riches, Peter Chiu & Henri Bredenkamp

ContractorEurobuild

Ground Work ContractorJesmor Construction

Structural EngineerBTA Structural Design

Building ControlPG Surveyors

Planning ConsultantHoward Sharp and Partners

PhotographyTim Crocker & Mark Hadden

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Annalie Riches and David Mikhail are landlord, developer and architect on this scheme in Hackney.

Church Walk, Hackney
Client, Developer & ArchitectsDavid Mikhail, Annalie Riches, Peter Chiu & Henri Bredenkamp
ContractorEurobuild
Ground Work ContractorJesmor Construction
Structural EngineerBTA Structural Design
Building ControlPG Surveyors
Planning ConsultantHoward Sharp and Partners
PhotographyTim Crocker & Mark Hadden
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