Private Client

Crosscut House

A complete refurbishment and extension of a tired 1980s house at the end of a late Victorian terrace in Cambridge.

The overarching concept reimagines the building as a mews home, accentuating its differences from its neighbours. The diagonally laid Siberian larch boards on the front porch are a signature statement, while the grey-painted brick façade complements new aluminium windows.

The spaces are centred on a feature staircase of CNC-milled birch ply stained a rich red. Jewel-like in its double-height alcove, it stands alone as a separate piece of furniture, signalling the heart of the home.

The ground floor spaces are now all interconnected through new full-height sliding pocket doors that afford uninterrupted vistas right through to the garden and give a generous open-plan feel – without losing the ability to close off spaces as required.

 

Generous new windows on the east and south walls and a new west roof light through the rear extension fill the space with light. The character of the spaces changes as the play of light and shadow gently evolves from sunrise to sunset.

Name:
Crosscut House
Client:
Private Client
Date:
September 2017
Location:
Cambridge, UK
Status:
Completed
Sector:
Residential
Team:
Alan DempseyShimin CaoAlan Ma
Photography:
Jim Stephenson
Collaborators:
Quantity Surveyor: Nex— Interior Design: Nex— Structural Engineer: Cambridge Architectural Research