Allotment Cottage is a London home drawing on its garden and home-grown produce
Allotment Cottage by Pensaer is a project that takes its cues from its garden, blending textures and materials into the design of this London home

Allotment Cottage Is a project with an unusual premise. The renovation and extension of an existing property in London, its brief was centred on its owners' love for their garden – and its environmental and food-producing benefits. The architects appointed to head the redesign, Pensaer, took their cues from there, crafting a textural, sensitive home that celebrates its relationship with the outdoors and nods to the materials and qualities of its leafy section and its home-grown produce.
Explore Allotment Cottage by Pensaer
The internal arrangement was designed to focus on a central hearth. Around it, four distinct areas emerge – a kitchen, a dining area, a pantry and storage space. They were created to be flexible but also individual, serving different purposes, from daily functions and private moments to larger gatherings and entertaining.
A lot of thought went into the external volume too. The rear extension is anchored to its site with a stone plinth – courtesy of one of the clients, a stone mason. Then oak panelling, steel windows and a continuation of the existing cottage’s lead roof complete the structure ensuring a smooth connection between old and new elements in the house. The addition is timber-framed, adding to the project's sustainable architecture credentials.
Rhys Owen, founder and director at Pensaer, says: 'With the wellbeing of our clients, Kevin and Will, at the heart of our vision, we took the time to carefully consider their day-to-day lives. The importance of retaining and enhancing the existing cottage has led to a gentle, sensitive intervention with the design being driven around rainwater harvesting, home-grown produce and crafted materials, resulting in a highly personal and unique home.'
Solar panels support the home's energy needs, while dedicated covered outdoor seating space makes sure the owners and their guests can enjoy the outdoors regardless of weather conditions – a goal supported equally by the extension’s generous openings towards the garden and additional, top-lit areas that flood the interior with sunshine.
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).
-
ICON 4x4 goes EV, giving their classic Bronco-based restomod an electric twist
The EV Bronco is ICON 4x4’s first foray into electrifying its range of bespoke vintage off-roaders and SUVs
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
‘Dressed to Impress’ captures the vivid world of everyday fashion in the 1950s and 1960s
A new photography book from The Anonymous Project showcases its subjects when they’re dressed for best, posing for events and celebrations unknown
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Inside Camperlab’s Harry Nuriev-designed Paris store, a dramatic exercise in contrast
The Crosby Studios founder tells Wallpaper* the story behind his new store design for Mallorcan shoe brand Camperlab, which centres on an interplay between ‘crushed concrete’ and gleaming industrial design
By Jack Moss Published
-
Are Derwent London's new lounges the future of workspace?
Property developer Derwent London’s new lounges – created for tenants of its offices – work harder to promote community and connection for their users
By Emily Wright Published
-
Showing off its gargoyles and curves, The Gradel Quadrangles opens in Oxford
The Gradel Quadrangles, designed by David Kohn Architects, brings a touch of playfulness to Oxford through a modern interpretation of historical architecture
By Shawn Adams Published
-
A Norfolk bungalow has been transformed through a deft sculptural remodelling
North Sea East Wood is the radical overhaul of a Norfolk bungalow, designed to open up the property to sea and garden views
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
A new concrete extension opens up this Stoke Newington house to its garden
Architects Bindloss Dawes' concrete extension has brought a considered material palette to this elegant Victorian family house
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
A former garage is transformed into a compact but multifunctional space
A multifunctional, compact house by Francesco Pierazzi is created through a unique spatial arrangement in the heart of the Surrey countryside
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
A 1960s North London townhouse deftly makes the transition to the 21st Century
Thanks to a sensitive redesign by Studio Hagen Hall, this midcentury gem in Hampstead is now a sustainable powerhouse.
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Manchester United and Foster + Partners to build a new stadium: ‘Arguably the largest public space in the world’
The football club will spend £2 billion on the ambitious project, which co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has described as the ‘world's greatest football stadium’
By Anna Solomon Published
-
'Bold and unapologetic', this contemporary Wimbledon home replaces a 1970s house on site
This grey-brick Wimbledon home by McLaren Excell is a pairing of brick and concrete, designed to be mysterious
By Tianna Williams Published