London Solar Townhouse by Archi-Tectonics

Archi-Tectonics has designed the London Solar Townhouse to focus on sustainability and elegant design. This project follows other similar initiatives like the 512 GW Townhouse and Blaak Tower.

The building includes a photovoltaic roof, providing electricity for heat pumps and a car-charging battery. This results in an almost off-the-grid building, aligned with eco-conscious trends in architecture.

Set in London, the 2250-square-feet (210 square metres) house embodies the idea that “small is beautiful.” This approach is evident in both its compact size and its intricate layout.

The firm’s design aims to create a four-dimensional interplay of spaces, with volumes spreading across two eras. This is evident from the building’s tiered, geometric forms, made of glass and zinc.

While aligning with adjacent structures and vegetation, the structure makes full use of the built space. The original building has been left mostly intact and forms a structural core.

Additions to the townhouse include an extra story with multiple terrace levels. These winding, angular extensions hearken back to the creative compactness of modernist architecture.

There is a distinct intersection between the zinc-and-glass envelope and the densely packed program within. As a result, the home contains a number of sculptural and prominently exposed elements.

These include several distinctly formed apertures such as the pyramidal skylight, a glass slit in the living room and a fully glazed panoramic window. The house opens onto multiple perspectives, combining nature and urban living.

The original structure formed a dark, enclosed box. Archi-Tectonics have maintained these edges, then opened them up with light-filled bridges and airy extensions. The translucent folded roof is somewhat otherworldly compared to its mostly brick neighbors.

Other notable features include the custom-built stair at the center of the building. The designers created a sculptural steel helix form, visible from across the house’s bridges and landings.

The stair connects areas such as the entrance floor, living room and open kitchen, linking all the home’s public spaces together. In many ways, it embodies the volumetric dynamism that Archi-Tectonics seek to convey with each project.

The architectural firm describes the staircase as “both extremely efficient and strikingly beautiful”. It’s the greatest example of how “density and richness” come together in their signature style.

Across the interior, materials have been selected with an eye toward balance. More modern glass lighting fixtures complement or break up highly textural, earth-toned finishes.

Natural elements such as organic furniture and wool rugs pair with high-contrast raw wood or stone surfaces. The entire home is unified by a sense of deep lavishness and dark browns.

Additionally, the home has a level of translucency that provides greater exposure to natural light. Combined with the sculptural space arrangements, this creates a vortex of illumination.