Secret House
Secret House
Completed 2008
For Secret House we were both developer and architect for two new houses on Chapel Market in Islington. The site is surrounded on all sides by a high wall, and turns in on itself to form a retreat from the lively bustle of the market outside. All that is visible to the visitor is a narrow timber wall and two doors at the end of a long alleyway.
As you enter the house the spaces gradually unfold, first into an open living area, lit by slots of light cut up into the roof. These spaces are finished in natural materials- limestone and walnut- that are inviting to the touch and the barefoot resident. As you step out into the courtyard, bare brick walls and raw timber reflect the industrial history of the site.