A unique solution to a silver of land in London

ARTICLE Holly Jean Brooker PHOTOGRAPHY Helene Binet 

Aptly named Sliver House, the unique glass-fronted abode was built on a complex historic site, previously housing the stables and storerooms for a Victorian wine seller in the 19th century.
Uninhabited for decades, there seemed to be no feasible way to use the unusual space. A local resident of London’s Maida Vale, bought the land in the early 2000s but quickly hit trouble when it came to building on the site. 
Nicholas Boyarsky, one of the two founders of Boyarsky Murphy Architects, explains, “Our client had lived next door in a flat for many years and had always dreamed of building his home there. Some 10 years or so before he approached us, he had asked an architect to look into refurbishing the original structure but it just wasn’t workable. When he came to us he had decided to demolish the property and build again.”

The challenges were obvious from the outset. The site was unusual and small, and with the street lined with classic Victorian terraces, anything outside of this norm was going to raise eyebrows. And, of course, being a heritage area, there were considerable planning restrictions to adhere to. 
“The Sliver House is a unique response to a difficult infill site,” Nicholas explains. “There were no obvious ways to develop it. The planners didn’t really know how to respond to our proposal with its intricate geometries. They wanted the building to be subservient to its surroundings so they made us top one floor off (from the original design plan).” 
Yet, with ingenious design, Boyarsky Murphy have created a comfortable three-storey family residence that sits graciously sandwiched between two imposing Victorian houses, confidently holding a voice of its own.

With a street frontage of less than 3 metres, the site itself is just 11 metres deep and 7.5 metres wide at the rear of the property in a triangular shape. From the street front, the full length glass exterior panelling is somehow subtle, yet the juxtaposition to the homes either side ensure the tiny sliver of a home dominates the street scape. The site widens at the rear, giving Nicholas the opportunity to develop a private garden and terrace space downstairs for much needed additional living space. The kitchen and dining area opens out onto this courtyard, with floor-to-ceiling sliding doors, creating a completely open space that brings the outdoors in.
In such a tiny workable space, the build itself was logistically a challenge. This needed to be carefully thought through prior to the build commencing, Nicholas explains, “We devised a structural system whereby the first two floors (excavated basement and ground floor) were concrete and the upper floors steel frame with timber infills. This way the two parts of the building could be built independently at the same time.” 
As well, one of the neighbouring flank walls has a range of external windows and none of these could be blocked from the build. “We had to treat the design of each floor plan separately in relation to these external constraints. The project therefore resulted in a stacked house.”

A staircase winds across the home to suit the layout of each of the three levels, with sunlight drifting through each of the layers in varying interjections, weaving a path of shadows across the home. The upper levels house the bedrooms and bathrooms, with each room protruding outside the building, a unique tactic devised to achieve maximum floor space for the family to enjoy. 
The use of floor-to-ceiling frosted glass on front and back façades allows natural soft light to float into the tiered home. This creates a romantic feel throughout, and ensures privacy for its residents. 
Strategically placed skylights and windows ensure natural lighting is at its optimal level in each space – a no-brainer for the narrow abode. 
An intentionally simple palette of white tones softens the stacked box-like structure, and with simple furniture and aesthetics, devoid of drapery and floor furnishings, the pared-back home resists the nonsensical cluttered approach to family living so many employ.
It is a well thought-out home, with every angle, every inch of space, thoughtfully considered and enhanced to create a family abode in a bustling metropolis, which is peaceful, calming and quite frankly, stunning.  

Key Details  

Location: Maida Vale, London, United Kingdom

Project budget: £450,000

Timeframe: 9 Months

Client brief: Three story family home with plenty of character

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This article by Holly Jean Brooker featured on page 76 in Issue 021 of Renovate Magazine. Renovate Magazine is an easy to use resource providing fresh inspiration and motivation at every turn of the page. This is not a Refresh Renovations case study. 

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