Dudden Hill Lane

Autor Architecture has created a mixed-use development on a small backland site in Willesden that was once the home of an early twentieth century dairy. Since that time, the area has played host to a range of different functions but this new proposal will unite the work and home elements into one cohesive design that draws upon the local warehouse typology.

Other attempts to build on this plot have been rejected but this scheme has been successful, in part, due to a sensitive appraoch to its neighbours. Nine dwellings and a 173m² commercial unit have been incorporated into a low-slung building that complements the rich, mixed character of the area. On the street-facing façade, a series of pitched roofs clearly draw inspiration from the nearby properties but reinterpret the forms into something boldly contemporary that signals the business activity below.

Light is drawn into the residences via a number of courtyards, rooflights and clerestory windows. Inside, traditional room arrangements have been flipped upside down, with raised terraces that extend straight out of the living rooms. The internal and external walls align which dissolves the barriers inside and outside, creating a seamless spatial experience. A green roof adds to the sensation of living within a landscape while at the same time privacy is retained for all the occupants.