Clay House | bureau de change architects

Bureau de Change has completed a unique house extension in north London characterised by ornamental red clay tile cladding.

Informed by the materiality and architectural craftsmanship of the existing Victorian semi- detached house, this unconventionally shaped rear extension in East Finchley, North London is contextual in its design and environmentally sustainable in its choice of material, a UK-sourced clay tile.

Housing a new sunken living room off an open-plan kitchen and dining area, it acts as an enclosed suntrap with direct access to the rear garden.

The unorthodox geometry of the extension is a strategic manoeuvring response to the planning laws that call for a 45-degree angle between neighbouring properties, ensuring minimal impact on adjacent properties’ daylighting, privacy, and overlooking. To maximise internal space, the extension utilises the existing party wall of the neighbour’s rear extension, with the lowest height of the wall determining the eave height. The result is a skewed faceted volume that attentively responds to its immediate surroundings.

The cladding of the extension echoes the red clay roof tiles and the ornamental detailing of the house’s original front porch and window. Each tile shape is of a traditional profile, carefully crafted by Keymer Tiles, one of the oldest established roofing brands in the UK, crafting handmade tiles since 1588. There are a variety of shapes in the envelope, ranging from clubs and fish-scale profiles at the peak of the roof, overlapping onto angular arrowheads, and finally to a plain square cut at the base of the extension. Special bespoke edge and corner pieces along the roofer create a seamless textural shift across the surface.

Natural daylight is brought into the building with glazing on the south elevation, minimised to reduce solar gain and overheating. Internally, the design of the sunken living room was informed by the typology of historical Victorian boxing rings of the area, reimagined as an intimate space and conversational pit. It offers a unique transitioning threshold between the kitchen and the garden, a social and reflective space which can be used in all seasons.