Lantern House, Croydon

A new build contemporary dwelling on a compact London site in Croydon, the new dwelling is organised around an internal courtyard.

To the south of the site is a master bedroom suite. The north of the site houses the kitchen and living area. The northern end of the development is two-storey and accommodates a small mezzanine within a lightweight metal lantern structure. This reflects the density and height of the adjacent dwellings. The southern end of the site is single storey. Care has been taken to ensure that there is no overlooking in respect of the rear gardens of Victorian terraced houses to the east of the site.

The massing consists of a brick enclosure surrounding an internal courtyard at ground floor level along the existing boundary line and a metal lantern structure housing a mezzanine level on top. The focus of the ground floor living spaces is a brick chimney, around which the staircase to the mezzanine and a window seat are sited. The internal courtyard is delineated by a timber enclosure. This faces the existing footpath and main elevation of the house. The proximity of transport links in Croydon means that cycle parking has been prioritised over vehicle access.

Glazing is located either facing the internal courtyard, the sky (as rooflights) or, in order to provide natural surveillance, the northern end of the public footpath. Planning has been approved and we are turning our attention towards the detailed design and procurement of this project.