Gianni Botsford建筑事务所在伦敦设计了一栋别墅,该别墅与norman foster建筑事务所设计的扩建工程工业风格相呼应
gianni botsford revitalizes london cottage, echoing its industrial norman foster extension
Gianni Botsford Architects tucks the Reciprocal House behind a Victorian pub in a quiet Hampstead mews. The London family home replaces a dilapidated 1860s cottage while restoring a single-story 1969 extension by Foster Associates (now Foster + Partners), complementing its industrial character with a reciprocal new volume. Defined by a steel truss structure, concrete blocks, and large-span aluminum-framed glazing, the original extension informs the new intervention’s minimalist language, materiality, and form.
The new addition reimagines the cottage’s roof profile through sharp, geometric elevations, while a perforated aluminum mesh cloaks the facade. Its soft copper-brown tone evokes the memory of the demolished structure while providing shade, privacy, and a visual connection to the surrounding trees.‘Our response to this sensitive and overlooked context is led by the notion of local adaptation,’ explains Gianni Botsford. Throughout, passive strategies have also been implemented to ensure that the house has minimal environmental impact.
▲ 建筑表面覆盖有一层穿孔铝网|除另外说明外,所有图片均由Schnepp Renou提供
a perforated aluminum mesh cloaks the facade | all images by Schnepp Renou unless stated otherwise
The project’s name, Reciprocal House, reflects its conceptual approach establishing a continuous dialogue between old and new. Gianni Botsford Architects’ intervention equalizes the architectural stature of the 1960s extension and the contemporary addition, creating a unified yet distinct composition that embraces natural views and a raw industrial aesthetic. Landscaping also embraces recycled bricks from the demolished cottage, emphasizing embodied memory while rooting the project in its past. Above, a vast roof terrace complements the volume’s transparency and immerses residents in the surrounding canopy of mature trees, connecting architecture and nature.
Inside the four-story house, the London-based architects introduce a series of locally fabricated aluminum elements, including a striking spiral staircase — a sculptural focal point — kitchen units, wardrobes, and bathroom fittings. A 2-meter-wide circular rooflight above the staircase floods the levels of the space with natural light while doubling as a ventilation shaft to enhance the home’s passive cooling strategy. Openness and flexibility are further prioritized with the layout, with the ground floor featuring a connected kitchen, dining, and living space. These flow seamlessly into the restored Foster + Partners extension, originally designed for entertaining and housing a grand piano. The upper floors, meanwhile, host three bedrooms and a roof terrace, and a basement studio benefits from tall, light-filled wells that draw daylight into the underground space.
▲ Reciprocal住宅由Gianni Botsford建筑事务所设计
Gianni Botsford Architects completes Reciprocal House
From form to function, sustainability drives Gianni Botsford Architects approach. Materials with high thermal mass, such as exposed concrete, temper indoor temperatures naturally, while enhanced insulation and airtight construction reduce heating needs. The design eliminates gas reliance entirely, with an air-source heat pump providing underfloor heating and an EV charger installed in the front lightwell. Rainwater and greywater recycling systems further minimize water use, while green roofs reduce runoff and enhance biopersity. The spiral staircase and opening rooflight work in tandem to create a stack effect, allowing warm air to escape in summer and promoting natural ventilation throughout.
▲ 该住宅是在19世纪60年代的原始小屋场地上重建的,与1969年由Foster建筑事务所设计的扩建部分风格相统一
the family home replaces a dilapidated 1860s cottage while restoring a 1969 extension by Foster Associates
▲ 建筑采用新的干预措施来实现功能合理化、形式多样化
the original extension informs the new intervention’s minimalist materiality and form
▲ 伦敦建筑师在四层小楼中加入了许多本地制作的铝元素
inside the four-story house, the London-based architects introduce a series of locally fabricated aluminum elements
▲ 雕塑般的螺旋楼梯成为室内视觉焦点
a sculptural spiral staircase becomes a focal point
▲ 建筑师在屋顶上设计有圆形天窗,可为室内引进自然光线,还可兼做通风井
the circular rooflight floods three levels with natural light while doubling as a ventilation shaft
▲ 露台的设计使得建筑立面的虚实对比更加强烈
the terrace complements the volume’s transparency
▲ 建筑四周被高大乔木包围,使得建筑与自然环境互为融合
immersing residents in the surrounding canopy of mature trees, connecting architecture and nature
▲ 房屋的扩建部分采用了钢桁架结构、混凝土砌块和大跨度铝框架玻璃
the extension is defined by a steel truss structure, concrete blocks, and large-span aluminum-framed glazing