Bendat House is a four-storey Grade II listed townhouse, part of a mid-19th century terrace in the heart of Islington. Like many properties of its era, it came with inherent charm and proportion, but had suffered from unsympathetic alterations over time, most notably a poorly constructed 1980s rear extension that lacked coherence with the original building and disrupted both spatial flow and the relationship to the garden. Our brief was to sensitively rework the house for modern living, addressing both spatial and material integrity while navigating the complexities of listed building consent.
Our intervention included the replacement of the rear extension with a two-storey brick outrigger, incorporating a glass infill at lower ground level. The new volume is modest in scale and consistent with adjacent typologies, but materially robust and formally disciplined. At lower ground, a light-filled seating area and snug now activate the rear of the house, creating a stronger visual and physical connection to the garden. Above, the upper portion accommodates a compact bathroom, neatly integrated into the new massing. The glazed roof section was designed to ensure the solid brick piers pass through unbroken, reinforcing the rhythm and solidity of the terrace architecture.
Internally, we adopted a reductive strategy, removing incongruous additions to allow the original fabric to reassert itself. Sash windows, shutters and panelled doors were restored using traditional joinery techniques, ensuring their longevity while preserving the tactile quality of the building. Original floorboards and the main staircase were carefully cleaned and retained, with imperfections left intentionally exposed.
Materials were selected to bridge past and present with sensitivity. A soft green-veined marble was introduced in threshold linings and joinery details, offering a consistent visual language across new interventions while echoing the building’s original palette. This careful material continuity allowed us to embed the new elements seamlessly within the historic context, rather than mimic it. At the garden level, the new extension creates a clear zoning of functions: beneath the glazed roof, a quiet corner for reading or coffee; under the brick massing, a snug and TV area offering enclosure and intimacy.
Externally, a bespoke cast in-situ concrete table and bench form the garden’s centrepiece. The single central support was developed to maximise flexibility in a constrained space, allowing more generous circulation within the tight footprint. The tone of the concrete was matched to the surrounding stock brickwork, which was carefully repaired and reclaimed bricks in matching bond to preserve the wall.
Throughout the project, our approach was grounded in reclaiming the spatial logic of the original plan form, introducing new elements with a quiet confidence, and enhancing the performance, longevity, and livability of a listed home.