Slide and Slot House

The terrace is within the Enfield Lock conservation area and is situated on a narrow strip of land between the River Lea and Lee Navigation. The form of the adjacent deep plan terrace was extended to form a new volume within the void and creates a transition between the deep and shallow plan. The principal new material, anthracite zinc, was selected to make reference to the industrial heritage of the small arms factory whereby materials were typically transported via the adjacent canal to the factory.

The striking juxtaposition of zinc to the existing materials is emphasised through the use of slots of black brick and frameless glass to either side to complement the existing building. The existing house was disconnected from the rear garden and the proposal creates a new relationship to the garden with viewing slots and framed views from both the new ground floor living spaces and first floor bedrooms.

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"The original modest workers cottage was unmodernised as its single room deep plan could not be easily developed using conventional vernacular language and has been transformed by the use of an innovative contemporary design approach.

"The combination of contemporary materials, form and light which interweave intricately with the existing vernacular domestic language to make a cohesive and elegant family home." - Nick Pocock, Associate, Ashton Porter Architects