We recently talked about how proud we were that our Hidden House project was included on the shortlist of projects for the RIBA London Regional Awards 2017. The home was also the focus of an article on the Dezeen website earlier in April.

Hidden House is surprising because of the incredible location and the thoughtful design. The site was previously home to Clerkenwell House of Detention, a prison dating back to 1847. The building was demolished in 1890 and replaced by a school. This itself closed in 1960 and was converted into flats.

The only remaining part of the prison is the vaults. These were re-opened as air raid shelters in WWII and have also spent time as a tourist attraction and filming location. The Hidden House is situated directly above them on a secluded part of the site.

The 72 square metre, single storey home is designed to blend into its surroundings whilst also featuring a modern interior. Reclaimed London stone was used to create the exterior walls. This references the other buildings in the area.

Inside, the property is bright and airy. Floating ocular rooflights allow a huge amount of light to enter the property and mean that residents have a view of the sky regardless of where they are in the property. The ceilings are like a chessboard, with oak panelling and skylights sitting side by side.

Although the property is relatively small it feels spacious due to the open plan design and concealed, integrated storage. Radiators have been replaced with underfloor heating, keeping the concrete surfaces warm and pleasant. This also saves wall and floor space.

The home is designed to be sustainable. The skylights and full-height sliding glazing allow a lot of light to enter the property. Both can be opened to provide passive cooling, reducing energy consumption even further. In addition many of the materials used are reclaimed or recyclable, resulting in a smaller carbon footprint.

We feel Hidden House is a beautiful addition to the residential architecture in London. The design showcases what can be achieved on smaller plots with such a wide array of constraints in place. Creativity and using the right materials found the perfect solutions to all of the challenges.