Break New Ground: five contemporary homes for sale in London
Sure, historic homes have a plenty of character and charm, but there’s something particularly exciting about contemporary spaces. We’re talking about the innovative kind that push design, technology and sustainability to new limits. In this round-up, we’re highlighting five contemporary homes for sale in London that are far from your average new build. Instead, you’ll find an extradordinary eco-house, a forward-thinking live/work space and a bold subterranean home that makes ingenious use of a pocket-sized plot. So, who’s in the mood for something new?
Clapham Park Terrace, London SW2
Now, this home ticks the right boxes. Firstly, its eco-credentials are enviable: the house achieved the rare 5* rating in The Code for Sustainable Homes and won the prestigious RIBA Manser Medal in 2013 for its exemplary use of energy. Designed by Turner.Works, its unusual boxy façade chimes right with its neighbours’ thanks to its position on a street of architect-designed, eco-houses in between Brixton and Clapham. The deceptively simple structure made from translucent glass, steel and concrete is built to mirror three cantilevered boxes, while inside a neutral palette completes the contemporary feel. Then there’s the roof terrace, a sun-filled space that’s shared with solar panels.
Sideways House, Sprowston Mews, London E7
“Modern living has got to accommodate change. I’m a great believer in designing for change,” architect Marcus Lee told us when we visited his live/work space in Forest Gate, east London, for our ‘Open House’ series. Indeed, one of the best things about contemporary homes is that they consider the needs of today’s generation. A home today is no longer a space solely for living – many of us require a flexible space for working too. Here, an industrial metal staircase connects the three storeys arranged in an upside-down layout – the living space is upstairs, in order to make the most of the natural light. Marcus’s flexible approach was inspired by warehouses: “I’m a great fan of warehouses because they are so versatile,” he explains. We can’t help but agree.
Pocket House, Melbourne Grove, London SE22
The delightfully named Pocket House is christened after the minute plot Tikari Works had to build this home. The award-winning studio transformed a series of former garages in Peckham, south-east London, into this subterranean two-bedroom house, which was nominated for the RIBA House of the Year award in 2019 for its ingenious use of space. The façade is equally enticing: beautiful oiled cedar louvres cleverly create a contemporary and striking front of house that make it gleam like a fresh pearl among its Victorian neighbours. Pocket House, you had us at hello.
Ghost House II, Borland Road, London SE15
Architectural developers Fraher & Findlay know a thing or two about conceiving award-winning contemporary residential projects across the capital. Completed earlier this year, their latest venture is a series of three homes titled the Ghost Houses (one has been sold, and you can view the other here). To make the most of their narrow plot, the Ghost Houses were inspired by the Japanese architectural model of a pencil house, where homes are slight and tall. The exterior has playful white brickwork and exaggerated zinc-clad pitched roofs, while inside, the immaculate material palette spans uplifting terrazzo, engineered oak and perforated steel. As with a number of homes in this series, it’s an environmentally minded space built for a brighter future.
Wenlock Street III, London N1
Within a development block built by the Swiss architects Jaccaud Zein and RIBA award-winning developers Solidspace in 2015, is this innovative five-bedroom apartment that makes exemplary use of space. Internally, it’s split over six half-levels – plus a roof terrace with views of the surrounding area of Hoxton and landmarks such as the Barbican – creating intriguing nooks for living that at once feel voluminous and secluded from other areas in the home. Elsewhere, the muted colour palette and unfussy interiors are a blank canvas for future residents, or the ideal décor for minimalists. It’s caught the eye of the industry, too: the development was one of 40 shortlisted projects for the biennial Mies van der Rohe Award in 2017 and the RIBA London Award in 2016.
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