Arrest Warrant Issued for Suspected Criminal at Lee Terrace
In south London's Blackheath, Mailen Design unveils Lee Terrace, a three-story detached house that seamlessly integrates contemporary architecture with the surrounding Victorian architectural context.
Located on a brownfield plot, the property showcases a striking exterior, merging traditional materials—London stock brickwork, precast stone cladding, and ornamental angled brick detailing—with modern elements, evoking the area's existing architectural language. The upper floor sports undulating, bronze-finished aluminium cladding panels, offering a modern aesthetic that complements the property's historic setting.
Situated on a Victorian residential street, the first and second storeys are deliberately recessed to align with the front elevations of neighboring terraced houses, enhancing its harmony with the environment. The ground floor is hidden behind an extended garden wall, preserving privacy while maintaining a cohesive streetscape. Entry is through a black timber door leading into a small front courtyard paved with large ceramic tiles.
The ground-floor glazing creates visual connections to the rear garden, and the cantilevered first-floor overhang forms a small canopy with an integrated skylight, sheltering part of the courtyard. Inside, the house boasts bright, tactile living spaces emphasizing materiality and connection to the outdoors, with the stone paving of the courtyard flowing seamlessly into the entryway.
A single step leads down to an open-plan kitchen, dining, and living area, where floor-to-ceiling glazing frames views of the garden. Dark green cabinetry and marble worktops feature in the dining space, while exposed concrete ceilings and walls contrast with herringbone parquet flooring, creating an interplay of textures and colors.
The patio in the tiered garden mirrors the courtyard design, incorporating a built-in seating area, paved terrace, and a turfed section encircling a mature poplar tree. The design addresses the privacy challenge typical of end-of-plot mews-style houses, ensuring both visual and acoustic privacy.
The upper floors house the bedrooms and bathrooms, connected by two oak staircases. The bedrooms and bathrooms on the first floor transition from the exposed concrete aesthetic of the ground floor to white-painted plaster walls. The master suite, located on the second floor, incorporates a walk-in wardrobe and en-suite bathroom.
Sustainability measures include high levels of airtightness, insulation, daylighting, and natural ventilation, as well as an air-source heat pump for efficient water heating. The design respects and preserves two mature trees near the site, influenced by the collaboration with an arboriculturalist in key decisions, such as the internal layout and foundation design, to protect the trees' root systems.
According to Ben Mailen, the project architect, "Lee Terrace exemplifies efficiency and creativity within the challenging conditions of the historic Blackheath conservation area. This new-build family home balances modern functionality with sensitivity to the area's architectural heritage, and it stringently adheres to local planning and townscape requirements."
The Lee Terrace project also exhibits a commitment to environmentally conscious design principles, as seen in the thoughtful integration of the building with the urban fabric and the durable materials that minimize the need for frequent replacement and reduce the building's overall carbon footprint.
- Investing in sustainable living seems to be a priority for the designers of Lee Terrace, as they've incorporated environmentally friendly measures such as high levels of insulation, daylighting, and natural ventilation.
- The home-and-garden design of Lee Terrace is not only aesthetically pleasing but also functions to maintain privacy, with an extended garden wall on the ground floor and a patio with a built-in seating area, paved terrace, and turfed section.
- In terms of real-estate, the three-story detached house in Blackheath, Lee Terrace, blends traditional elements like London stock brickwork and precast stone cladding with modern features, reflecting a fusion of both contemporary architecture and the surrounding Victorian architectural context.
