- Project: Terzetto House
- Architect: ConForm Architects
- Location: United Kingdom, London
- Year: 2023
- Area: 97 m2
- Photography: James Retief
In London’s historic conservation areas, ConForm Architects has transformed a compromised garden flat into Terzetto House, a refined and textural home that seamlessly extends into a lush rear garden. By reinterpreting the ornate bay windows of Victorian terraced houses, the architects introduced a contemporary canted bay extension, angled to reduce its impact on neighbors while maintaining visual harmony with the street’s character.
Context and Design Approach
The existing flat suffered from low ceilings, dark interiors, and poor garden connection. The clients, long-time admirers of ConForm’s work, sought a sophisticated redesign that would maximize natural light and reorient the living spaces toward the south-facing garden.
Drawing inspiration from the architectural language of Victorian terraces, the extension concept reimagines the traditional bay window. Developed as a canted bay, the form reduces bulk while framing a new relationship between home and garden.
Architectural Composition
The design borrows the tri-sectional composition of a classic bay—plinth, column, pediment—expressed in distinct materials:
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Plinth: A concrete floor datum establishes a continuous line throughout the house.
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Columns: Sleek green terrazzo elements add color, texture, and structural clarity.
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Pediment: A clay-toned plaster roof plane completes the composition with warmth and tactility.
Inside, a sequence of clerestory windows, skylights, and glazed openings choreographs views and natural light, subtly guiding the journey toward the garden.
Spatial Organization and Functionality
The reconfigured plan optimizes both lifestyle and property value:
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Living Spaces: Reoriented to face the garden, opening onto a patio framed by the continuous plinth.
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Bedrooms: Maximized through clever design, including skylights and clerestory windows that bring light and ventilation into previously landlocked rooms.
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Flexible Layout: A concealed three-leaf pocket door enables the living area to convert into a guest room or snug.
Materiality and Detailing
Material contrasts enrich the interior experience. In the kitchen, light oak cabinetry with perimeter framing details balances function with ornament. A large trapezoidal skylight directs daylight deep into the plan, illuminating a central art wall while preserving privacy from adjacent properties.
The living area is defined by concrete plinths, terrazzo details, and clay-toned plaster, creating a textural and amphitheatrical setting. A sunken seating arrangement, unified by three datum lines, blurs boundaries between interior and exterior, emphasizing the connection to the garden.
Terzetto House exemplifies ConForm Architects’ ability to tackle spatial challenges with bold conceptual clarity and material richness. By drawing on the heritage of Victorian architecture while embracing contemporary detailing, the project delivers a sophisticated, light-filled home that integrates seamlessly with its natural surroundings.
