Peckham Courtyard is a refurbishment and extension of a Victorian, end of terrace house in Peckham, London. The clients wanted to create a better connection to the sky and garden. Our design brings a new relationship to the internal space, linking the front and rear of the home and connecting the interior space with the garden. The project is another step in our research on space continuity, compression and expansion. We first met the clients several years ago to discuss potential works for the flat they resided in at the time; although that particular project didn’t happen, we established a strong relationship. Since that time they have now moved to a beautiful, traditional end of terrace Victorian house in Camberwell. They still had two cats and one child, but now with a second coming! The house had good bones but needed some adjustments to make it work for the growing family, alongside a contemporary overhaul to deliver a home that suited the owners’ style. The first floor was practical and straightforward, which suited the family, and the top floor was incredibly bright thanks to a recent extension. However, the ground floor was more problematic; the kitchen was constrained by a small side garden and internally dark because of a wide chimney stack on the rear facade. The ceiling was low, the storage was insufficient, and there was hardly any space for even a little dining table. The large chimney breast also negatively affected the relationship with the garden. The rest of the ground floor was likewise fragmented and dank, with two additional rooms and a tight corridor between the entrance and the kitchen. Given their current family situation, the clients stressed the importance of having a utility space, generous storage (among other things, to fit an unfolded buggy!), and an ample, social dining kitchen area on the ground floor. They also wanted the house to feel airy and bright and improve the relationship with the garden. The process At the start of our design journey, we prepared a set of layout options revolving around the balance between storage and an open layout. It soon became clear that the clients and we aligned on the idea of a fluid open space wrapping around a generous service and storage space, placed in the middle and darkest area of the house. The services area would contain a WC, shoes and coat storage, a laundry room, and at least one unfolded buggy with accessories. The project developed into a sequence of spaces (no doors and no corridors was one of our rules) designed by a continuous strip of joinery that guides us from the entrance to the garden. The joinery included the new kitchen, the worktop, the crockery cabinet on the back wall (with a hidden cat flap), the semi-transparent entrance bookshelf and the TV cabinet. Working with joinery allows us to play with colours, transparencies and relations. The clients chose the colour palette to match their preferred wood finish. With a great support and collaboration from the clients, the works were practically complete when their second child was born. The family are now happily settled into their home, which has given them the space to enjoy living in.