Three Townhouses

Repairing the riverside streetscape with crafted new homes.

Barnes, London

Wooden staircase with black metal railing next to a textured wall, leading to an upper floor with a small landing area.
A modern brick house entrance with a gray door, gray stone steps, green bushes and a tall tree on the right side.

Repairing the Riverside Rhythm

On Lonsdale Road in Barnes, overlooking the Thames with views west toward Dukes Meadows, our project replaced an oversized warehouse building with three new townhouses that reconnect the site to its domestic-scaled neighbours.

A mostly grayscale map of a neighborhood with streets, houses, trees, a river on the left, and some dark-colored buildings.
A river with a small boat carrying two people, and a backdrop of residential houses under a partly cloudy sky.

The previous building, De Worde House, was an outlier in scale and massing. Our design sought to repair this rupture by introducing a terrace typology more in keeping with the rhythm of the street and the character of the riverside. The three new homes take their defining form from the gabled ends that characterise neighbouring properties, orienting them purposefully towards the water.

Interior staircase viewed through a black-framed glass door, featuring beige and dark brown wooden panels and a light-colored handrail.

A restrained material palette of handmade linear bricks defines openings and projections, shaping deep reveals and soffits that frame views. On the end houses, projecting first-floor bays mark the full-width living arrangement within. Internally, the layout is spread across four floors, with primary living spaces opening to the river and gardens beyond. A crafted timber stair, aligned along the boundary, allows for uninterrupted full-width rooms front and back, maximising natural light and views.

Modern living room with large windows overlooking a water view, featuring a beige sofa, green armchair, coffee tables, a wooden ottoman, and a glass partition with a spiral staircase behind it.

Together, the trio of townhouses establishes a thoughtful balance: bold in their bookend expressions, more subtle at the centre, and ultimately in tune with the larger and smaller rhythms of the Barnes riverside.

Interior wooden staircase with black railing and glass partition by large window in a modern minimalist home.

Completed 2020
Photography by Jason Good