A Cloistered House

A Cloistered House is the careful restoration and rear extension of a Cubitt-built Georgian terrace in a London conservation area, brought back from years of disrepair by Turner Architects. The original three-storey plan is retained, with studies, bedrooms and bathrooms stacked above one another so that the historic façade reads as a quiet line of defence between the street and the new work behind it.

The extension itself takes its cue from three sources: Dutch courtyard painting, traditional East Asian courtyard houses and the cloistered courtyards of monastic architecture. A formal open-air courtyard sits at the centre of the plan, with the surrounding rooms framing it on all sides. The intent is a protected, contemplative space at the heart of the family home, where the historic shell and the modern interior meet around a shared point of stillness.

Other consultants on the project included structural engineer Bini Struct-e Ltd. and kitchen supplier West & Reid.

Architect: Turner Architects. Photographs by Adam Scott.