Seven houses in Chadwell Mews, Islington, recognised as a feat of architectural excellence in housing project category
Tasou Associates, the Islington-based award-winning architectural firm, has today announced its seven-house mews development, Chadwell Mews, has been shortlisted for the prestigious Architect’s Journal Housing Project award for projects with a value of up to £10 million. This follows Chadwell Mews’ longlisting for the Dezeen awards earlier this month, in which the project was selected from a pool of over 5,400 schemes from 90 countries, alongside 30 other housing projects.
Tucked away in a green refuge just a three-minute walk from Angel tube station in central London, the new development marries the design language of the surrounding Georgian Terrace houses with modern sensibilities. These new mews houses are a masterclass in the use of space and natural light, and no more so than the subterranean “Sunken House”. Seemingly pulled from the set of a James Bond film, this unique and discreet home hides below the urban oasis of the mews, subtly hidden by clever communal landscaping.
Perfect for entertaining, the triple aspect courtyard of the “Sunken House” is located at the base of a private stair, with a high retaining wall preventing any exposure to surrounding buildings. The courtyard acts as a lightwell and is bordered by expansive sliding doors which lead to both bedrooms and a generous living space looking on to lush planting. This, and the floor to ceiling glazing, blurs the line between the internal and external spaces, extending the living area in the warmer months. Light is further drawn into the space with cleverly incorporated reflective surfaces and a hidden roof light reaching the deepest part of the house, where the material palette is tastefully minimal.
The former brownfield site was a derelict carpark before works began (completed in February this year). Few traces remain of the challenging site, however history has not been entirely erased with some of the original carpark markings visible on the rear brick retaining wall as a playful nod to the past.
Environmental sustainability and particularly biodiversity were primary concerns for Tasou Associates, who implemented a planting scheme in the Mews to positively contribute to local ecosystems. Trees and plants were carefully selected to ensure year-round blooming and biodiverse green roofing to cover most roof area of the houses. In tandem with permeable paving, such green infrastructure aides in the distribution of water across the site, with an attenuation tank also located on site, designed to help combat the future extremes of climate change. Photovoltaic panels have also been strategically placed in the Mews, to supplement renewable energy to the houses.
The sunken house is on the market and currently listed with The Modern House for £1,650,000.
Tom Tasou, Director and founder of Tasou Associates and Chadwell Mews project lead, said: “We’re immensely proud to have our Chadwell Mews development recognised by Architect’s Journal. Plots like this former car park require unique design solutions and we enjoyed rising to the challenge – it’s not on every project that you have the chance to design and execute a luxury, James Bond-esque subterranean lair.”
