Upwards.  2012 - 2013

Space is at premium in London and so Londoners tend to grow upwards, sideways and downwards, once their family- or working needs change or expand. Located on top of a typical Victorian terrace in London, Brockley, Upwards, was designed by offsea’s London branch. Designed by Anuschka Kutz, co-director of offsea, it pursuits a humanist-economic approach. The project was built as a shed-like timber stud structure clad in cedar, with every inch of three-dimensional space being squeezed out. A holistic material design approach counteracts traditional categorizations of spatial entities, such as the differentiation between walls, ceilings, doors and furniture, leaving it up to the imagination of the residents and their guests to discern what’s what. A customized plywood interior covers and curves through the space, forming walls and ceilings, bookshelves, cupboards and doors. On the exterior no effort or expense was made to conceal ductwork, which unashamedly runs down the side return like an un-tucked shirt.

Client: confidential

Location: London, Brockley.

Date: 2012 – 2013

Contract Value: Confidential

Design: Anuschka Kutz, offsea / London.

Structural Engineer: TALL structural engineers and consultants

Contractor: Ecoway Ltd

Photographs: Tim Crocker, architectural photographer