Cullinan Studio transforms Hampstead house with glazed garden room
Behind the Georgian facade of a historic London property, architecture office Cullinan Studio has overhauled living spaces to create an oak-framed family room that opens out to the garden (+ movie).
![House in Hampstead by Cullinan Studio](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/01/House-in-Hampstead-by-Cullinan-Studio_dezeen_468_0.jpg)
House in Hampstead is a Grade-II listed end terrace in a row of Georgian residences, but has undergone many alterations over the years that have complicated its layout. London-based Cullinan Studio was tasked with transforming the building back into a well-planned family home.
"Much of the original integrity had been lost through a series of clumsy interventions. The house was poorly planned – with no real central living space or easy flow from one part to another," said the design team.
![House in Hampstead by Cullinan Studio](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/01/House-in-Hampstead-by-Cullinan-Studio_dezeen_468_7.jpg)
"We did not want to simply add on more living space but rather improve the upper and lower ground floors of the house in a way that worked with the existing building, both internally and externally."
![House in Hampstead by Cullinan Studio](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/01/House-in-Hampstead-by-Cullinan-Studio_dezeen_468_8.jpg)
The main intervention was the creation of a generous square living space, nicknamed "the cube". This south-facing room extends beyond the original fabric of the building, and features floor-to-ceiling glazing that connects it with the garden.
![House in Hampstead by Cullinan Studio](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/01/House-in-Hampstead-by-Cullinan-Studio_dezeen_468_2.jpg)
This room is framed by a combination of steel and timber that create a clear distinction between the new and old parts of the structure. To complement this, the internal materials palette includes birch plywood and oak, alongside white-painted walls.
![House in Hampstead by Cullinan Studio](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/01/House-in-Hampstead-by-Cullinan-Studio_dezeen_468_3.jpg)
"Extensions to similar houses close by had aimed for a contrast to the existing style. We took a different approach and started with what was already there," explained the team, whose past projects include a storage facility for the British Film Institute.
![House in Hampstead by Cullinan Studio](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/01/House-in-Hampstead-by-Cullinan-Studio_dezeen_468_4.jpg)
"We chose materials that were the same or similar to the original house: timber; glass; neutral-coloured fenestration; and off-white coloured rendered masonry panels."
![House in Hampstead by Cullinan Studio](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/01/House-in-Hampstead-by-Cullinan-Studio_dezeen_468_1.jpg)
Bookshelves have been built into most of the non-glazed walls that surround the living space. In between these, doorways lead through to a series of smaller rooms and spaces that include a study, a snug and a kitchen and breakfast space.
![House in Hampstead by Cullinan Studio](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/01/House-in-Hampstead-by-Cullinan-Studio_dezeen_468_5.jpg)
A wooden staircase leading up to the floor above is located in one corner of the living room. There is no handrail, but a row of vertical wooden posts create a tactile surface around the adjacent wall.
"We worked closely with craftsmen to ensure an immaculate finish," added Cullinan Studio.
![House in Hampstead by Cullinan Studio](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/01/House-in-Hampstead-by-Cullinan-Studio_dezeen_468_6.jpg)
There are also clerestory windows set back from the walls, to bring light right through the space.
Externally, the roof of the extension is covered with sedum to create a pleasant outlook for neighbours, but there's also a small balcony terrace.
![House in Hampstead by Cullinan Studio](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/01/House-in-Hampstead-by-Cullinan-Studio_dezeen_468_9.jpg)
House in Hampstead is the latest in a series of modern residences to complete in the leafy London borough. Stanton Williams recently completed a new house nearby, while Duggan Morris received the Manser Medal for its sensitive adaption of a 1960s residence.
Photography and movie are by Paul Raftery.
Project credits:
Architect: Cullinan Studio
Project director: Carol Costello
Project architect: Kevin Goh
Structural engineer: Cullinan Studio (John Romer)
Main contractor: Cape Construction
Services engineer: Synergy Consulting
![House in Hampstead by Cullinan Studio](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/01/House-in-Hampstead-by-Cullinan-Studio_dezeen_1.gif)
![House in Hampstead by Cullinan Studio](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/01/House-in-Hampstead-by-Cullinan-Studio_dezeen_2.gif)
![House in Hampstead by Cullinan Studio](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/01/House-in-Hampstead-by-Cullinan-Studio_dezeen_3.gif)
![House in Hampstead by Cullinan Studio](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/01/House-in-Hampstead-by-Cullinan-Studio_dezeen_4.gif)