Architecture office House of EM has modernised a terraced house in north London, adding a sunken rear extension that can be opened up to create a flexible indoor-outdoor living space.
The studio, headed by former Michaelis Boyd directors Emma Bodie and Matthew Sanders, designed Loggia House for a young family of four.
House of EM has modernised a terraced house in north London
The project involved renovating a two-storey property in Kensal Rise and adding a ground-floor extension that helps to maximise the connection between the house and garden.
The extension was constructed using prefabricated concrete panels that House of EM developed in collaboration with the contractor to deliver a bespoke colour and texture.
The extension features a concrete-lined snug
The structure is complemented by bands of brick around the base and the top that add cohesion to the elevation.
The existing interior featured small, compartmentalised rooms connected by a long corridor, which the studio remodelled to create “a light-filled, open-plan interior” that is better suited to the family’s lifestyle.
The kitchen sits just above the snug
Living spaces at the front were retained to preserve the building’s original character, while a series of impractical U-PVC extensions at the rear were removed to make way for the new addition.
The extension was lowered approximately 500 millimetres below the main floor to create a defined threshold between the kitchen and an intimate, concrete-lined snug.
Living spaces at the front of the house were retained to preserve the building’s original character
The architects named the project after this “loggia” space, which is lined with large sliding windows that can retract to transform the room into a covered outdoor area.
“By lowering the level, the loggia becomes a distinct zone in its own right, giving it the feeling of a separate room, while still maintaining a strong visual connection to the surrounding family spaces,” Bodie and Sanders told Dezeen.
The reconfigured layout supports social interaction
The reconfigured layout supports social interaction, providing a flexible environment for dining, relaxing and playing that flows seamlessly between indoors and outdoors.
The loggia’s design was informed by the clients’ passion for Scandinavian and Brazilian design, with key references including the work of modernist architects such as Lina Bo Bardi and Paulo Mendes da Rocha.
A spacious bedroom features upstairs
A material palette centred around concrete and timber takes its cues from Brazilian brutalist architecture, balancing the warmth and tactility of stained-oak joinery against the solidity of the concrete structure.
The clients’ request for bright and open living spaces prompted the decision to introduce high ceilings, large openings and skylights that allow natural light to reach deep into the plan.
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On the first floor, a former bedroom and bathroom were combined to create a large family bathroom, while the rear bedroom’s ceiling was raised to the eaves to lend this space a more generous feel.
According to the architects, the project represents an experimental take on the typical London extension, with surprising material choices and a tailored spatial layout contributing to a cohesive, contemporary solution.
A former bedroom and bathroom were combined to create a large family bathroom
“Bold and unusual for a London extension, particularly in Kensal Rise, the design responds directly to the client’s brief and vision,” they added.
“Together, these elements create a flow of interiors that feel truly unique, considered and unexpected.”
The architects called the design “bold and unusual for a London extension”
Bodie and Sanders founded House of EM in 2020, having collaborated for several years during their time with architecture firm Michaelis Boyd.
The studio focuses on delivering bold and grounded residential and commercial projects, including a leaf-shaped home in the Cotswolds and a Moxy hotel in New York City.
The photography is by Henry Woide.