Tikari Works’ Pocket House in London is a successful example of design of a (relatively) small-sized home. On a site previously occupied by a domestic car garage, a footprint of less than 100 sqm proves enough to accommodate a single-family house, featuring cleverly laid out spaces and well-thought-out aesthetics.
Here as in many other circumstances, Nicola and Ty Tikari embody three roles simultaneously: they act as clients, architects and main contractors, in accordance with their aim to reconnect their profession to the actual building practice.
The sleeping area, which a sliding partition might eventually subdivide into two separate bedrooms, is located in the basement. This placement ensures the highest level of privacy, while a small underground patio provides ideal light conditions to the entire floor. On the ground level, the dining room, including the open kitchen and directly opening on a tiny private courtyard, is a space for gathering and welcoming guests. Thirdly, the living area on the first floor functions as an intimate nest while providing a panoramic view on the city.
Despite the low budget available, Nicola and Ty Tikari “reject traditional white plasterboard walls”, and come up with a more diverse set of finishes: on the inside, cement resin floors, exposed bricks walls and large surfaces of light wood; on the outside, the façade overlooking the public road is entirely coated with a timber screen, a clearly contemporary insertion standing out from the uniform landscape of its Victorian neighborhood.
- Project:
- Pocket House
- Program:
- single-family house
- Location:
- London, United Kingdom
- Architects:
- Tikari Works
- Structural Engineer:
- Built Engineers
- Mechanical & Electrical Engineer:
- SGA
- Area:
- 100 sqm
- Completion:
- 2018