Skinny House In London Occupies An Old Carriage Parking Slot

What may initially look like a very narrow house squeezed between two other buildings actually turns up to be a surprisingly spacious and open home. We’re talking about the Coach House which is located in New Cross, London. The site used to be a parking space for carriages in the past but architecture studio Selencky Parsons found a really cool way to transform it. They designed and built a three-story house which fills a 3.5 meter wide gap. It fits quite naturally into the neighborhood and attempts to mimic some of the architectural details of the surrounding structures without completely replicating the same Victorian style.

The house occupies a very narrow plot between two buildings and borrows design elements from its neighbors
The house occupies a very narrow plot between two buildings and borrows design elements from its neighbors
The facade takes inspiration from the local architectural style but reinvents it
The facade takes inspiration from the local architectural style but reinvents it

Although it looks very skinny and tiny from the street, the site actually opens up towards the back and becomes surprisingly spacious. As such, the house forms an L-shaped living area overlooking the garden. It has full-height windows and sliding doors which ensure a strong bond between it and the outdoors and a similar design strategy also defined the street facade, with the necessary adjustments in order to also ensure the privacy of the inhabitants.

The site opens up towards the back and allows the house to extend into the garden
The site opens up towards the back and allows the house to extend into the garden
The three floors are connected through a staircase that forms a light well at the center of the house
The three floors are connected through a staircase that forms a light well at the center of the house
The open plan kitchen and the dining room are connected and they occupy the rear section of the house
The open plan kitchen and the dining room are connected and they occupy the rear section of the house
The architects found ways to distinguish the different zones within an open plan space through different floor levels
The architects found ways to distinguish the different zones within an open plan space through different floor levels
Full-height windows and glass doors bring in lots of natural light and expose the living area to the garden
Full-height windows and glass doors bring in lots of natural light and expose the living area to the garden
The sunken living room is positioned lower than the rest of the spaces which helps it stand out and give it a very cozy feel
The sunken living room is positioned lower than the rest of the spaces which helps it stand out and give it a very cozy feel
Different materials and finishes were also used throughout this build to highlight and distinguish different zones
Different materials and finishes were also used throughout this build to highlight and distinguish different zones
The first and second floors house the four bedrooms, placed on either side of the staircase
The first and second floors house the four bedrooms, placed on either side of the staircase
The bedrooms get to enjoy views of the garden as well as the street
The bedrooms get to enjoy views of the garden as well as the street
As you can see, the tiny narrow site is actually quite spacious on this side
As you can see, the tiny narrow site is actually quite spacious on this side