Elizabeth Mews

Trewhela Williams

Camden, 2023

Transformations Prize

A garage conversion and ground floor refurbishment of a compact courtyard house on a quiet cobbled mews within the Belsize Park Conservation Area. The former garage door is reimagined as a finely crafted oak-finned composition with integrated glazing. The playful choreography of planes, volumes and edges recalls the wood sculptures of the artist Donald Judd.

This minimalist spirit runs through into a calm, contemplative interior defined by tonal and textural nuances that help the space to read as a uniform whole. The previously under utilised garage was incorporated into a dual-aspect open plan ordered along a 9m galley kitchen spanning the full depth of the property from street to courtyard. Towards the rear, the galley expands into a dining area before contracting into a snug beyond.

The blank panelled garage doors repeating along Elizabeth Mews are a legacy from its origins as stabling and coach accommodation. Internally, the position of the uninsulated garage at the front of the property meant that the cellular rooms to the rear were detached from the street with limited aspect to a small courtyard only. Integration of the garage into the home reclaimed much needed habitable space and enabled the upgrade to thermally efficient construction. The opening of the frontage improves aspect, admits daylight and enables cross-ventilation. The chamfered finned arrangement reconciles the competing considerations around daylight admission and privacy screening of the inhabitants.

“I had always appreciated the warmth and rich grain character of Douglas Fir, and had my heart set on one day having it in my home. I am therefore particularly pleased with how the final combination of supporting finishes has provided the perfect backdrop to its enduring beauty. The project has achieved my primary objective of being able to concentrate family life and entertain all on one level. The limited sq footage has needed to work hard as a hall, kitchen, diner, & snug, but still remains to feel spacious and uncluttered. Key to this has been ample storage in the snug's trunk and central cupboards, which has also been effective in buffering the back of house. This meaningful transformation has enabled me to remain in my home - and in a neighbourhood I love - for many years to come.”

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