Description
Bladerunner House is a side-return extension and ground-floor remodel in Greater London by Bradley Van Der Straeten. The brief was to open up the existing layout into a single, flexible open-plan space while threading the clients' love of shuttered concrete (drawn from the National Theatre and the Barbican) through the heart of the house.
A new in-situ concrete blade wall runs between the original corridor and the middle room, opening the plan and giving the ground floor a visible spine. In the kitchen, vertical concrete blades sit beneath a large rooflight, breaking direct sunlight and casting a moving pattern of light and shadow into the dining area. Slim-profile Maxlight sliding doors at the rear soften the boundary between kitchen and garden.
Room zones are read through level changes and a tight material palette rather than partitions. A terrazzo island and worktops are paired with a matching terrazzo floor and charred black-timber boards in the dining area. A red structural column, painted in a bold Bauhaus primary, acts as a focal point against the otherwise black-and-white scheme. A massive terrazzo step marks the threshold between the original house and the lowered new extension, giving the kitchen and dining room additional head height.
Designed by George Bradley and Jessica Williamson at Bradley Van Der Straeten, with Ewald Van Der Straeten as project director. Photography by French + Tye.
Questions & Answers
Who are the clients and what's interesting about them?
Young professionals working in central London with a love for raw concrete, the Barbican, National Theatre London. They wanted a very minimal feel to the interior.
What was the brief?
Create an open plan kitchen/dining area with a side return extension. The client has a love for concrete as a building material, it was important to incorporate this love for the raw form of concrete into the interior.
What were the key challenges?
Assuring the middle lounge got good daylight and wouldn’t have inferior living qualities vs the new kitchen/dining area.
Gallery
Company
Video
Industry
Sector
Details
- Building Levels: 1
- Completion Date: 2019
- Photographer: French + Tye
Region
Location
-
London, UK
Discuss
A private and exclusive forum for Architecture & Design professionals and students.
Backed by industry specialists, it’s where you can engage in meaningful conversation, make connections, showcase your work, gain expert insights, and tap into curated opportunities to advance your career or strengthen your studio.
A private and exclusive forum for Architecture & Design professionals and students.
Backed by industry specialists, it’s where you can engage in meaningful conversation, make connections, showcase your work, gain expert insights, and tap into curated opportunities to advance your career or strengthen your studio.
