13m House
London | 2016
13m House in North London
Rethinking how we live
The brief was to turn a former minicab office building in the heart of north London – only 13m in footprint – into a liveable house. Working within the fabric of the existing space, we defined five ‘zones’ for the house, which provided for relaxing, eating, cooking, working, sleeping and personal hygiene.
Minimal Living
Taking cues from boat and caravan interiors and working on a scale of 1:1 within the space itself, we created a scheme that packed the accoutrements of a comfortable life into the 13m single-storey space. We designed custom-built plywood architectural units to slot around the triangular perimeter, each serving a different function.
Eating is provided for with a micro-kitchen that includes bespoke storage for everything from wine bottles to spice jars and a dining table – positioned underneath one of two large windows flanked by extendable benches. Behind this wall is a bathroom – the only separate room in the house.
Sliding doors are used throughout the structure to maximise space, and one such door opens to reveal a pull-out standing desk, with storage for a laptop above and technical equipment below. Further cabinets are carefully sized for specific items such as a sewing machine and books.
A sofa is integrated into an alcove in the wall unit, and a pull-out ottoman underneath adds flexibility, comfort and extra storage. All the seating includes built-in storage and discreet yet intuitive dual functions or extensions to create additional space for working or relaxing. At night, a generous double bed folds down from the narrowest end of the house, revealing a bedside table and a tall, narrow bookshelf on either side.
The use of oiled plywood as a consistent material throughout and the limited pastel colour palette, combined with the clever use of mirrors, connect the different zones seamlessly, extending sightlines and creating a surprising sense of space.
DESIGN: Studiomama
CARPENTER: CBY London
PHOTOGRAPHY: Rei Moon
London Design Festival
The Key elements of the 13m house were exhibited at the Viaduct Furniture showroom during the London Design Festival as part of an exhibition called Minimal.
We took the opportunity to ask visitors, ‘What is it you cannot live without?’
13m house has been widely published and was Dezeen’s most viewed story. Architectural Digest called it a ‘pastel dream’ and, ‘Studiomama did what we would have earlier deemed impossible: they created a fully functional, all-year-round home within just 140 square feet’. The space was showcased in Viewpoint Magazine.
VIDEO: THE 13M HOUSE