No Space No Problem - Building a London home on a 4.5m wide plot

8 years ago

With the Government announcing a target of 1 million homes to be built before 2020, a project by NK Architects to build a London home on a plot just 4.5m wide could soon become the norm. That’s according to Nicholas Kirk, Founder and Director or NK Architects.

The project, which was recently featured as an inspirational home on the BBC’s “The home that £100k built” is nestled between a Victoria and a Georgian terrace in the borough of Islington, North London. Built on a plot just 4.8 metre wide at ground level, the actual width of the self supporting structure had to be limited to just 4.5 metres due to the older properties either side having bowed walls. The challenges didn’t stop there. The sensitive location of the project meant that it was put under intense scrutiny by the local community requiring not just a need for architectural prowess, but some serious diplomacy skills as well.

So did Nicholas have any tips for budding self-builders facing serious plot constraints? “Make sure you accurately survey the site at the start” said Nicholas. “It sounds obvious now, but it’s not just about the plot size at ground level. If you’re building up, you need to take the cubic dimensions into account right at the beginning and plan your space wisely”. Nicholas also went on to provide 5 top tips to really maximise the amount of internal space your plot delivers.

1. Dig down. Creating a basement level can increase your floor space by up to 33%

2. Minimise wall construction

3. Use underfloor heating rather than hanging radiators on the walls

4. Embed pipe work and cabling into the building fabric. Cross Laminated Timber is a good method of construction as it allows you to rout out services into the wall structure

5. Carefully orientate the building / windows on the site to maximise views out / daylight and sunlight coming in

Above all the key message for budding self-builders is don’t leave anything to chance. Every millimetre counts on a small plot and planning meticulously in advance will save you endless headaches, not just with the build itself but with the community that your plot is situated in.

Ends

For further information on this article and the project, contact Nicholas Kirk on 0203 290 5033 or email Nicholas directly at info@nicholaskirkarchitects.co.uk.

An excerpt featuring the property in the BBC’s “The home that £100k built” can be found here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02z1jsp

About NK Architects

NKA is committed to delivering excellent architecture, artworks and installations for public and private clients. We develop ideas and concepts inspired by context and culture with the aim to exceed expectations at every opportunity.

Our design process involves testing out and prototyping ideas through drawing, information exchange and model making. Research is a critical part of the practice for the continuation of our development and growth. We are adept at communicating ideas through advanced 3D visualisation and computer modelling, 2D / 3D CAD and BIM alongside a passion for ink drawings and hand sketches.

Attached Media

About Business Hands

Business Hands specialises in providing top quality marketing services to small and mid-sized businesses in and around London. Our belief, that quality marketing services should not be the preserve of big companies with big budgets is at the core of everything we do. We’re a great choice for ambitious yet cost conscious organisations. By utilising our services, you’re able to significantly increase your marketing power without the downside of employing extra team members. We don’t take holidays or sick days, you can upscale and downscale as and when you like, you won’t need to pay us a pension, we don’t need office space and you’ll get access to a greater level of skills than you would otherwise have for your budget. As a small business ourselves, we understand that every hour worked and every penny spent must be accounted for and our range of quality marketing services is designed to deliver great value for money whilst also relieving you of the burden of these time consuming activities. We’re experts at what we do, but what makes us really stand apart is our ability to combine our marketing services with our strategic insight to help your organisation achieve its long term goals. We don’t like to think of ourselves as a marketing agency. We like to think we're your marketing department, your strategic adviser, your secret ingredient and your biggest fan.