Vaulting Loft | MATA Architects

Vaulting loft occupies the second/ top floor of a detached, Victorian era, house in Hampstead, London. Our clients are a family who are based abroad but spend a lot of time vsiting London for periods spanning a few days to a few weeks at a time. This flat is their London base.

We obtained planning consent in May 2023 for a large roof extension. The scheme infills a valley that existed between two parallel roof ridges, creating an expansive new flat roof and a grand 4.8m floor to ceiling height below. The extension allowed us to reconfigure what was previously a two bedroom top floor flat into three bedrooms. In addition, the epic height created an opportunity to insert a mezzanine floor.

In September 2023, we started on-site by fully demolishing the existing roof, making way for an entirely new roof which allowed us to expose and express the roof structure. It also enabled us to maximise floor to ceiling height whilst making substantial improvement to the roof’s thermal performance (that will have a hugely positive effect on future energy consumtion and bills). Moving through the flat, the new dynamic roof form moves with you, at times soaring high creating a grand and expansive sense of space, whilst at others it drops down low, creating moments of more human scale and intimacy.

The volume below the mezzanine is conceived as a solid timber block, out of which space is ‘carved’ for circulation to the three bedrooms, storage and a guest WC. This sculptural block is articulated in warm Oak, inside and out, contrasting with the wider, white space from which it emerges.

PROJECT TEAM
Architect MATA Architects
Structural engineer Float Structures
Approved inspector London building control
Main contractor: K.M Constructions Ltd
Joinery K.M Constructions Ltd

Photography: Felix Speller