Pimlico 167

There is a grid of Victorian Streets in Pimlico that the frantic pace of change in London seems to have overlooked and this project was to restore one of these gems. A secluded area by the river Thames, Pimlico was developed by Thomas Cubitt from the 1830’s with classical stucco-fronted houses in the same style that had been so successful in his neighbouring development in Belgravia, albeit in a less grand way.

By the 1890’s the area had subsided into a genteel decline which was to last for a hundred years. This house like many others suffered from years of neglect, damp and lack of heating so that it was in need of a complete restoration. Almost every piece of timber and plaster had to be painstakingly restored or replaced.

The roof was removed and permission was obtained from Westminster Council for a new mansard extension which houses two guest bedrooms and a bathroom. The interior was finished in a comfortable modern style that provides a frame for the owners’ collection of original Art Deco furniture and artwork.

These houses can be tall and narrow, so at the rear HEAT created a double height glazed extension housing a new staircase to give a sense of space and bring in natural light. The balustrade uses innovative technology to cut raw aluminium sheet in a Voronoi pattern.