A Living Courtyard
Ladderstile House, Richmond
Threefold Architects was commissioned to design this one-off house development for a four-bedroom contemporary courtyard home in 2007. Ladderstile House was completed in February 2009 and has since been shortlisted for the Evening Standard Homes and Property Awards, ‘Best Eco Home’ & ‘Best New Family Home.’
The highly sensitive site lies alongside Richmond Park, London’s largest ‘Site of Special Scientific Interest’, and is located within the Local Conservation Area and on a private road owned by the Royal Parks. After several previously unsuccessful planning applications, Threefold Architects undertook careful negotiations with the Local Planning Authority, local community and the Royal Parks and successfully secured planning permission under delegated powers in 2008.
The design implements innovative structural and environmental technologies. The prefabricated solid timber panels and ‘glulam’ beams superstructure enabled the main body of the house to be erected in under two weeks. Eight geothermal boreholes and the use of heat exchangers provide the energy for the heating, hot water and heated swimming pool. The house has virtually no running cost. The buildings’ carbon footprint is further reduced by the use of sustainably-sourced materials, sedum roofs, solar shading and high levels of insulation.
The finished house is a light and spacious cutting edge courtyard home with inside and outside spaces that seamlessly merge. It encompasses generous open plan areas looking onto the main courtyard garden and snug private rooms looking onto smaller enclosed courtyards, an indoor swimming pool and a formal living room with dramatic framed views of Richmond Park.
photographs by Nick Kane and Jonny Holland
(photo © Nick Kane)
www.ladderstilehouse.co.uk