Project Details:
Year Completed: 2007
Architects: Pitman Tozer
Location: London
I visited Gap House in September 2019 and through the Open House program I was able to look around a structure which conforms to site constraints unlike any other building. The project won the RIBA Manser Medal in 2009, a prestigious award that recognises innovative housing designs.
The house is located in Bayswater, London, and was designed by Pitman Tozer architects as a family house for the founding partner Luke Tozer. Gap House has a frontage that only measures 2.3 metres wide and the design slotted a four storey house into what previously was an alley and back garden of the neighbouring houses. Fitted between two listed houses, it was imperative that the project was mindful of its context in order to gain the required planning permissions. The white painted façade does a wonderful job of creating a seemingly seamless transition between the houses and the minimalistic façade displays three windows each with wooden louvered slats which provide a modern update to the sash rails that feature on the adjacent properties. The aesthetic combination of the white paint and wooden slats is a complementary and refined one that simultaneously echoes existing design styles and updates the architectural landscape of the road.
The goal of the project was to prove sustainable architecture that maximises light and space is attainable, even with the tightest of site restrictions. For the rear rooms to receive more natural light, the floors are stacked on top of each other in a cascading fashion to bring in light to rooms with no previous light sources. As such, rooms on both sides of the house receive ample amounts of light that create the illusion of a bigger, more open space. A central, twisting stairwell which provides access to all four levels is located in the centre of the plan and via a skylight, the architects were able to bring daylight down into the heart of the property. Looking at Gap House, I feel the specific constraints of the site could actually have aided creative and innovative thinking. The design team had to come up with solutions that would not have been thought of if the site was more open. Although they are only small components in the design, elements such as the central skylight and twisting stairwell accentuate the creativity of the project as well as having a big impact on the feel and atmosphere of the property.
Walking through to the back of the ground floor you enter an airy, bright open plan living space that features a kitchen, dining room and garden patio. I have always been an advocate for indoor/outdoor spaces that allow for a seamless transition between the two – a transition that makes the space appear bigger and lighter. The removal of physical boundaries allows nature to flow into the house as well as letting the home spill out into the garden. At Gap House, with both areas having a form of red feature wall the spaces feel like one, yet the difference in red hue offers a fit specific to the function of the space. A lighter, verging on terracotta, red is used on the garden patio walls, providing a more muted colour upon which the vibrant green foliage can stand out. Inside, a richer red is used for kitchen units; the deep colour juxtaposing the light hues elsewhere and adding warmth to the space. The continuous stone flooring used in both the kitchen/living space and the patio results in a unified appearance that encourages the eye to be drawn to the outside natural light. These clever design tricks used by Pitman Tozer architects and the interior team all aid in making the small space feel lighter, bigger and more like a home.
The aim for Gap House was to weave sustainability, experimental design and functionality – something they have brilliantly achieved. Walking through the property I saw a multitude of environmentally-green and energy efficient systems that demonstrate the hugely conscious and aware architectural approach used by Pitman Tozer. The high levels of insulation used for the walls provides resistance to heat flow, negating the need for artificial heating and cooling products. This financial saving is an efficient way of building as the insulating layers minimises the escape and entry of heat energy and this the property isn’t constantly having to re-heat/cool itself. The project also features rainwater harvesting, a strategy that is rightfully experiencing a greater popularity in developments, as well as a ground-coupled heat pump. What would have been previously unused, wasted surface run-off water is now being used in project like Gap House for both outdoor and indoor uses. By decentralising the water systems, Pitman Tozer were able to create more control over how the property chooses to utilise its water – allowing Tozer family to both save money on bills and minimise their environmental impact. With all these energy-efficient strategies implemented, the estimated energy consumption of Gap House is ‘approximately 30% of the energy of a typical house built to current building regulations – with a predicted reduction in heating bills of around £500-800 per annum.’ [1]
The phrase I touched upon regarding the architectural approach used by Pitman Tozer earlier was conscious design. Visiting the project allowed me to see first-hand how each component of the design adheres to a holistic, contextually aware method. The façade is mindful to the existing architectural fabric of the road, yet simultaneously providing a beautifully aesthetic and sleek frontage. The cascading back of the house paired with the indoor/outdoor planning and central stairway are a responsive solution to the lighting and spatial limitations of the site. A truly spectacular little project, Gap House offered a fascinating experience to me and with the plethora of innovative and informed design choices on show the property is going to receive a high rating. The only reason it doesn’t reach 10/10 for me is because of its future inflexibility. The house has everything required at the current point in time, but should the needs be altered I would envisage it being particularly difficult to make amendments or reconfigurations of the property. However, that is only a minor detail and thus I still thoroughly admire the design, creative solutions and aesthetic of a house unlike anything I’ve ever seen before.
