Garden walls conceal compact London house by Inglis Badrashi Loddo

Brick garden walls conceal the Walled Courtyard house, which local architecture studio Inglis Badrashi Loddo has completed on a historic square in Kennington, south London.

The single-storey home occupies a 63-square-metre infill site that originally formed part of the garden of a Grade-II listed Georgian townhouse, located on the south-east corner of the 18th-century Cleaver Square in Kennington.

IBLA Walled Courtyard external brick wall — IBLA has hidden a south London house behind garden walls

Commissioned by the owners of the Georgian townhouse, the brief was to create a compact and accessible dwelling filled with natural light, separate from the original property.

According to Inglis Badrashi Loddo (IBLA), it is the first new house to be built on the square in over 175 years, meaning it had to meet strict planning conditions.

IBLA Walled Courtyard behind Georgian house — The site was originally part of the walled garden of a Georgian townhouse

IBLA hid the structure behind brick boundary walls, which are reconstructions of the original home's walled garden.

"The site is very compact, completely enclosed and inward-looking – our main goal was to create a bright and light-filled home that felt expansive and generous, despite the constraints," IBLA director Kim Loddo told Dezeen.

"While the site had recently been used as a car parking area, historically the land was enclosed by brick walls, and our decision to reinstate this perimeter was driven by a desire to maintain a connection with the history of the site as a walled garden," Loddo said.

IBLA Walled Courtyard brick wall entrance — Walled Courtyard is the first new house built on Cleaver Square in over 175 years

A combination of reclaimed and new London stock brick was used to reconstruct the perimeter walls.

The walls were completed without any windows in order for the site to read as a continuous garden wall from the street.

From the outside, the bricks are left untreated, while from the inside, the courtyard walls have been lightened with a lime-mortar paint.

Entry to the home is through a painted timber gate that opens onto a courtyard, creating a transitional space between the street and the interior, while also accommodating an air-source heat pump, bike storage and space for bins.

IBLA Walled Courtyard house interior — The home is organised around a central courtyard garden

Inside, the home comprises a series of interconnected rooms arranged around a central courtyard garden, which is accessed via full-height sliding glass doors on all sides.

Designed to draw plenty of natural light into the home's interior, the floor-to-ceiling doors overlooking the courtyard were combined with a series of skylights.

From the entrance, the main bedroom and ensuite sit to the west of the plan, with long sightlines throughout the rest of the house.

IBLA Walled Courtyard house plywood kitchen — A plywood kitchen sits at the centre of the house

At the centre of the plan, the open-plan kitchen-dining space is fitted with custom-made plywood cabinetry, illuminated by a skylight above.

A neutral palette combining white wall finishes, whitewashed exposed timber roof joists and the same grey porcelain flooring features throughout the home. Pocket doors slide away into wall recesses to expand the sense of space.

IBLA Walled Courtyard house kitchen-dining space — Exposed timber roof joists were whitewashed

"The exposed roof joists are a good example of an attempt to integrate a key structural element while introducing character to the building," said Loddo.

"The regular rhythm of these joists sweeps through the main spaces and changes direction around the courtyard in harmony with the layout, giving interest to the ceilings while supporting the sedum roof above," she described.

IBLA Walled Courtyard house bathroom — Skylights draw natural light into the interior

To the east of the plan, there is an adaptable space that serves either as a second bedroom or a snug. The main bathroom is tucked into the curved corner of the site, fitted with a circular skylight to draw light inside.

Moves to improve the home's environmental performance include the addition of the air-source heat pump, high levels of insulation, underfloor heating and a green roof.

Other south London projects recently featured on Dezeen include a timber-framed house extension that creates space for gardening and a pale limestone brick extension designed to evoke a sense of calm.

The photography is by Brotherton Lock.

Project credits:

Architect: Inglis Badrashi Loddo
Structural engineer: DTS1
Main contractor: CB Design & Build
M&E consultant: Will Potter Partnership
Energy consultant: BuildPass UK

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