Fletcher Court

London’s Camden is home to many postwar estates whose unembellished and rhythmic forms conceal innovative living units.

One new owner of such a unit in the brown brick Ingestre Road Estate was a fan of this kind of European modernism. She commissioned OGA to rework her 80m² cellular, reverse-plan, maisonette to a cheerful, free-flowing, right-way-up apartment.

The heavy, brown brick envelope conveys strength and security, but feels oppressive. A jaunty, fresh interior will counteract this, using fairfaced concrete lintels, yellow concrete elements, mint coloured joinery, and a chalk-coloured, recycled rubber floor. Light will bounce across radiused forms, encouraged throughout the space using mirrored walls. Glass blocks to bathroom clerestories and stairwells will play with privacy and geometry.

Construction is underway with completion this winter. Photos below show state-of-play early November.