A beautiful Primrose Hill house that we refurbished a few years ago is featured in the recent Paddington film. Referred to as Windsor Gardens in the film, the filming location was actually Chalcot Crescent in Primrose Hill.

The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea has today won its battle to further tighten its control over basement development in the Borough. Following a hearing by The Planning Inspector on the 16th, 17th, 18th, 23rd and 24th September 2014 the submission documents from both sides were subject to a 6 week consultation starting on Thursday 2nd October 2014 through to Thursday 13th November 2014. The report published today by the Planning Inspectorate has found that the Council's proposals for a tougher basement regime to be sound. Basements will still be permitted but the rules will now be considerably stricter than those previously in force (based on the Subterranean Development SPD from May 2009). Here are some of the key areas where the basement policy will now be tightened: 1. A restriction to single storey (the exception only being for large, comprehensive developments). 2. A reduction in the extent that basements can extend into the…

For fear of being rather boring, we don't normally post our regular birthday celebrations at Rodic Davidson. But this one is special. It only happens every 10 years. Happy Birthday to Stephanie!

At Rodic Davidson Architects, the majority of our projects are located within the densely built fabric of central London. Designing within this context comes with the constraints of adhering to specific planning policies and legislation pertaining to light. A ‘Right to Light’ is a legal matter and is therefore distinct from planning considerations such as Sunlight, Daylight & Overshadowing assessments. A development may therefore be granted permission by planning authorities but halted by an injunction if the rights of a landowner or leaseholder were breached. A right to light may be defined as a form of “easement that gives landowners the right to receive light through defined apertures in buildings on their land” (Law Commission: Rights to Light). In defining the extent of the aperture, the amount of sunlight is irrelevant; it is instead measured in relation to the amount of sky visible from the working plane. A right to…

The scaffold has come down and our apartment building is complete. Here are some photos. See main post: Apartment Scheme, Southwark, SE1 PDF Brochure Download

Prior Approval in the Countryside Changes to the planning laws in March 2014 have allowed us to explore converting redundant farm buildings into residential use. Here is an example of a redundant concrete agricultural building that we are proposing to retain but re-use for a different use (albeit with some radical changes!). The idea is a simple one: remove the hay, cut the roof to bring in light, sandblast the concrete and install a swimming pool. What could be easier?

We often use perspective images to present our ideas, particularly to planners. The choice of presentational medium is important. Here is the same proposal (for a roof top extension to a property in north London) presented by Computer Generated Image (CGI) and also by water colour.

RDA invited local residents and business owners to their offices for a preview of the exhibition 'The Case Against Destruction, A Case for Celebration'. The exhibition features a series of drawings by Artist and local resident Albany Wiseman, who forty years ago documented the streets opposite the British Museum in drawings, when their destruction was threatened. Alongside Albany’s original drawings, photographer Jonathan Spencer produced a responsive photographic series depicting the streets as they are today. RDA opened its doors to people in the local area and were very pleased to be joined by key residents who had campaigned to save this part of London forty years ago, including long-standing local MP, Right Honorable Frank Dobson. RDA keeps its doors open to the public until Friday 25th July. For more information, please see; www.rodicdavidson.co.uk/news/celebration/

Rodic Davidson Architects have been successful in securing a planning consent from Southwark Borough Council for the conversion of ground and basement floors of the former Prince of Wales public house to form 4x flats, together with the provision of a contemporary new build dwelling house within the former yard area.

The longest day of the year. A brand new Webber. Some big German sausages. Lovely weather. Lovely house. Even lovelier hosts.  All thanks to Ian, Chloe, Ebenezer and the New Towns Act 1946.

A Case Against Destruction, A Case for Celebration Exhibition Opening Hours Monday 14th July - Saturday 19th July 1pm - 6pm Monday 21st July - Saturday 26th July 1pm - 6pm at Rodic Davidson Architects, 1 Pied Bull Yard, WC1A 2JR Since moving to Pied Bull Yard on Great Russell Street, Rodic Davidson Architects has been learning more about the area's recent history. The historic area of London where RDA is now based, opposite to the British Museum, forty years ago faced the prospect of total demolition. In the late 1960s the Government announced plans to demolish these streets, now known as 'Llttle Bloomsbury', 'Bloomsbury Village', or 'The 7.5 acres', to create a site for the new British Library building. A creative and passionate protest began to protect the interests of more than 600 residents, the many independent retailers and businesses within the area. Bloomsbury celebrated it's way out of…

Our detailed proposals are almost complete for the contemporary refurbishment of a beautiful listed town house in Notting Hill. We have secured planning and listed building consents for a new basement under the garden along with the contemporary refurbishment of the listed town house and its associated artist studio in RBKC. The client's brief was to add value to their unmodernised home.  Our response is to sensitively restore the listed property and discretely integrate modern services with additional accommodation providing an open-plan living arrangement and new amenities. The proposed swimming pool, cinema and games room are accommodated within a new basement under the rebuilt artist's studio and new garden. The basement roof lights and a light well are carefully incorporated within a new landscape design thereby bringing ample of daylight and allowing natural ventilation at the basement level whilst preserving the intimacy of the secluded rear garden. The re-built artist studio opens…

The painting is called 'The Uncanny' and dates from 1905 when Hammershøi was visiting London (he lived on the first floor of what is, now, our office at 67 Great Russell Street). Of 67 Great Russell Street, Vilhelm Hammershøi said: ‘Today I have found a place I like and where I believe I can get something done.’ The original painting is now held by the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek in Copenhagen. In their exhibition, Vilhelm Hammershøi: The Poetry of Silence,  28th June - 7th September 2008, The Royal Academy exhibited the painting. The RA Exhibition Guide discussion of the 'The Uncanny' is reproduced here: "In this painting we see the view down the side of the British Museum, along Montague Street. The perspective is only slightly raised, as though the artist were standing with his easel in the road. The road, however, is deserted; there is no trace of humanity. Our gaze is also barred in several ways. Our eye follows the high railings,…

Our new-build project in St John's Wood is taking shape. Led by Ian and assisted by Stephanie, the detailed design is progressing rapidly. In late 2013, working alongside Savills Planning, we achieved a very advantageous planning consent for our client. Our consented scheme has a GEA of 545.6 sqm. This replaces the original house which had a GEA of 213.7 sqm. This represents an increase in floor area of 155%. Despite this significant increase, our proposal is also very sustainable and is designed to meet Code of Sustainable Homes Level 4. An air-source heat pump will be incorporated and this, alongside high levels of insulation will result in running costs 51.9% less than the original house despite the increase in floor area. Here is some imagery of the interior.

Another update on progress from Dungeness...

Rodic Davidson Architects work on many projects involving basement extensions within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC), and so we follow the Local Authority’s views on subterranean development with real interest.  RBKC is in the process of revising their basement policy, and their current draft proposal is outlined below: ‘The Council, [RBKC], will require all basements to be designed, constructed and completed to the highest standard and quality.  To achieve this basement development should: a. not exceed a maximum of 50% of each garden or open part of the site. The unaffected garden must be in a single area and where relevant should form a continuous area with other neighbouring gardens.  Exceptions may be made on large sites; b. not comprise more than one storey. Exceptions may be made on large sites; c. not add further basement floors where there is an extant or implemented planning permission for…

Rodic Davidson Architects, working with Savills The London Planning Practice, have been successful in reversing a decision by The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC) to refuse planning permission for a mansard roof extension to a listed mews house in the Hans Town Conservation Area, Knightsbridge. In allowing the appeal, the Planning Inspector stated, 'I consider it is a well designed scheme that would be attractive and an appropriate addition to the host building' where ‘the new roof would serve to give a better balance between [the appeal property and its immediate neighbour]’. This Appeal decision comes a few months after Rodic Davidson Architects, again together with Savills The London Planning Practice, secured Planning and Listed Building consents for a two-storey basement extension at the same property (see our previous news post).  

Rodic Davidson Architects have submitted a detailed Planning Application for a contemporary two-bedroom house that will sit adjacent to a former public house in Southwark. In addition to the new building, the proposal also involves the conversion of the public house into four new residential units.  The design of the new house is influenced by the height, proportion and arrangement of its surrounding buildings and uses crisp, contemporary materials. Its external envelope consists of two complementary façade systems; vertical timber cladding encloses the living areas to promote privacy and provide solar shading, whilst grey cement fibre cement board panels wrap around the house to emphasise the defragmentation of the building’s mass.

In 1952 it was agreed, after a public enquiry, that the network of little streets in front of the British Museum should be pulled down to make room for the British Library. In 1962 the minister of Works (as he then was) appointed Sir Leslie Martin and Colin St John Wilson as architects. The proposals became detailed in the early 1970s and the February 1974 edition of the Architectural Review was scathing of the emerging scheme design, "St George's is hemmed in a narrow, chillingly unsuitable gulch. The British Museum is faced, much too close, with an unbroken front of building which is much larger than itself; and the north/south route through the site has been extinguished altogether." "This may, conceivably, be the way to build a library. Emphatically it is not the way to rebuild a central piece of city." A campaign was mounted by Camden Council and presented in a booklet; Bloomsbury:…

Here are some links to photos of the journey Bloomsbury to Belgrade and the surprise arrival (for Sinisa) of the others in the office on Saturday night: RDA Facebook page

Sinisa was born in Belgrade 40 years ago today (alright, actually he was born in Zrenjanin which is 70 kms north of Belgrade).  Ben was born in Bloomsbury slightly longer than 40 years ago. To celebrate Sinisa's 40th, the two of them will be driving from Bloomsbury to Belgrade, leaving on Monday 7th from WC1 and arriving in Belgrade (hopefully) on Saturday 12th in time for supper. Some things are planned for the journey which we will be posting on: RDA Road Trip

Here are some more images from our project on the shingle in Dungeness.

Here's another update from our new build project in Dungeness - the weather is improving, the windows are in and the house is water-tight.

Having achieved Planning permission in late 2013, RDA have entered into the detailed design phase of a new build house project in St. John’s Wood.  The project involves the replacement of the existing house with a  new contemporary property of almost double the size of its predecessor.  The footprint has only been marginally increased. The significant additional increase in area comes from a new basement and rear and side extensions. The design seeks to provide a unique contemporary response to the character of the existing street scene by echoing the proportions of neighbouring houses using high quality handmade brick.  Through the introduction of a basement and a single storey extension at ground level, the new house will offer double the floor space whilst retaining the existing massing at first floor and roof level.  Demolition and construction is due to commence this summer.    

Work is progressing on the site of our exciting new build house project in Dungeness.  Here are some images recently taken by the client and Ben. An earlier news post gave a glimpse of what is to come...

RDA recently gained Planning and Listed Building Consent for a two-storey basement to a mews house in the heart of Kensington. Despite a challenging site, and heavy policy constraints, the proposals were approved at Committee last week.  The house is conceived as a composition of interlocking volumes which connect the different levels spatially, and allow natural light to penetrate deep into the building.

As we have grown, we have been looking with increasing urgency for a larger office. A deadline was also set by the expiry of our 5 year lease in our former office in Staple Inn Buildings, Holborn. In early 2013 we found the perfect premises for sale - the former Jessops vintage camera store in Pied Bull Yard, Bloomsbury. The property forms part of a listed terrace of 6 houses (66-71 Great Russell Street) built by John Nash in 1777. It has dual frontage - with one aspect fronting the East Wing of the British Museum on Great Russell Street and the other 'shopfront' opening into Pied Bull Yard at the rear. The camera store had closed several years previously and the property had been empty for many years.  It was unloved, dark, gloomy and completely sealed by security shutters. Before closure, the shop had previously contributed to the eclectic and boutique…