Design Buy Build Issue 16 2015 | Page 18

The Gables hese existing buildings have been radically transformed by completely rethinking the internal configuration, punching larger openings through the building envelope and introducing private courtyards. This draws natural light deep into the floor plates and enriches the new residential use. T and remodel a run-down industrial compound from the 1950’s into contemporary residential accommodation. The buildings, once a mechanic’s garage and office, today comprise a generous open-plan three-bedroom house and two one-bedroom apartments. Located in a north-west London courtyard tucked between a Victorian terrace and main railway lines, this landlocked site presented a great design challenge. Our task was to convert Externally the buildings were re-faced, providing on the one hand the opportunity to create cavity walls and hence substantially upgrade the thermal performance; on the other 018