Air House is a project that transformed a dark Victorian London home into a contemporary space defined by elegant minimalist architecture and optimised functionality. The design, by emerging Soho-based architecture studio Szczepaniak Teh, headed by Nicholas Szczepaniak and Wen Ying Teh, draws on the building’s history; at the same time, it makes the most of the existing space, tailoring the interior to 21st-century life and opening the space to become a modern urban sanctuary.
Air House by Szczepaniak Teh
In developing the Air House's design, the architecture team was inspired ‘by the neighbourhood’s history of being owned by the Clothworkers’ Company’, as well as ‘the fabric architectural installations of artist Do Ho Suh.' Off the back of this mood board, the studio commissioned a centrepiece for the home: a staircase made from one sheet of metal, punctured with 3mm-diameter holes and folded 'like a piece of cloth'. This structure is minimally supported by 20 slim metal rods with a thickness of just 2 sq cm.
Clean detailing, a relatively monochrome colour palette and modern, sleek materials support the overall approach, which aims for a space that feels weightless and effortless – framing the centrepiece staircase. ‘[The client] asked for a more seamless layout, and a sense of connection between different storeys,’ the architects explain, and the new design certainly does that, uniting vistas and levels through openness and design consistency.
‘We design spaces that can shift people’s mood and enliven their senses. Even overlooked areas, such as staircases and corridors, can be transformed into an experience. When climbing the stairs at the Air House, you feel as if you are floating in mid-air. The smallest shift in weather transforms the light qualities in the house, so that the inhabitants always feel connected to the outdoors,’ says Szczepaniak.
-
Audi launches AUDI, a China-only sub-brand, with a handsome new EV conceptThe AUDI E previews a new range of China-specific electric vehicles from the German carmaker’s new local sub-brand
-
Inside Izza Marrakech: A new riad where art and bohemian luxury meetHonouring the late Bill Willis’ hedonistic style, Izza Marrakech fuses traditional Moroccan craftsmanship with the best of contemporary art
-
Clocking on: the bedside analogue timepieces that won’t alarm your aestheticWe track down the only tick-tocks that matter, nine traditional alarm clocks that tell the time with minimum fuss and maximum visual impact
-
Capability House blends contemporary architecture and historical landscape in rural EnglandCapability House is a modern retreat by Dedraft set in the historical landscape of green, Capability Brown-designed grounds in rural England's Aynhoe Park Estate
-
A Peckham house design unlocks a spatial puzzle in south LondonAudacious details, subtle colours and a product designer for a client make this Peckham house conversion a unique spatial experience
-
Squire & Partners' radical restructure: 'There are a lot of different ways up the firm to partnership'Squire & Partners announces a radical restructure; we talk to the late founder Michael Squire's son, senior partner Henry Squire, about the practice's new senior leadership group, its next steps and how architecture can move on from 'single leader culture'
-
Meet the 2024 Royal Academy Dorfman Prize winner: Livyj Bereh from UkraineThe 2024 Royal Academy Dorfman Prize winner has been crowned: congratulations to architecture collective Livyj Bereh from Ukraine, praised for its rebuilding efforts during the ongoing war in the country
-
RIBA House of the Year 2024: browse the shortlist and pick your favouriteThe RIBA House of the Year 2024 shortlist is out, celebrating homes across the UK: it's time to place your bets. Which will win the top gong?
-
The new Canada Water boardwalk is an experience designed to ‘unfold slowly’A new Canada Water bridge by Asif Khan acts as a feature boardwalk for the London area's town centre, currently under development, embracing nature and wildlife along the way
-
The Museum of Shakespeare set to open in east LondonThe Museum of Shakespeare puts the remains of the ancient Curtain Playhouse at the centre of 'The Stage', a new urban development in the heart of Shoreditch
-
Paddington Square transforms its patch of central London with its 'elevated cube'Paddington Square by Renzo Piano Building Workshop has been completed, elevating a busy London site through sustainability, modern workspace and a plaza
