The main building dates back to 1910. The dwelling originally consisted of a ground floor and an upper floor. Later, an additional structure was built within the plot at garden level. It is a terraced house with a gabled roof. This typology is characterised by a construction system that spans the distance between the two party walls using single-span beams, resulting in a narrow living space with limited façade, which hinders the entry of natural light and ventilation into all rooms.

The project proposes a ventilation and lighting “well” that interconnects the main spaces of the dwelling. Through large motorised skylights, the habitability conditions of the spaces furthest from the façade are improved, increasing natural light permeability and enhancing natural cross-ventilation via this bioclimatic feature.

The layout of the house is reorganised around this new interior courtyard. Communal spaces such as the kitchen and living area are located on the ground floor, with a large window enhancing their connection to the courtyard. The bedrooms are situated on the first floor, while the attic space—accessible via a ship’s ladder—serves as a final opportunity space. Access to the house is through a small entrance hall that acts as a buffer between the street and the home.

Performance Improvements
The section of the wooden mezzanine that coincides with the existing staircase opening is dismantled to allow natural light to pass from the roof level down to the ground floor. Existing openings in the façade walls are widened, and any affected window and door frames are replaced to improve thermal performance and reduce thermal bridging.

A radiant floor heating system is proposed for the ground floor slab to help equalise indoor temperature, reducing the impact of air stratification in this high-ceilinged space. Interior finishes, kitchen installations, and ground floor bathrooms are also renewed, with the original materiality of the party walls being recovered. The existing masonry staircase at the rear of the plot is removed to free up the interior courtyard space, enhancing its quality and reclaiming it as a functional and usable area.

To maximise light penetration and spatial openness on the ground floor, the walls and existing bathroom adjacent to the courtyard are removed, with structural propping implemented where needed. This enables the full width of the plot to be utilised, enhancing the cross-connection between the various spaces and the courtyard.

The new bathroom is placed along the main façade; designed not to block incoming light, it also functions as a buffer between the street and the interior. The kitchen is located along the façade adjacent to the interior courtyard, while the space between the staircase and the kitchen is conceived as a study or lounge area, complete with a fireplace.

Habitability and Accessibility
The reorganisation of the ground floor to accommodate communal-use spaces, and the upper floor for the residential programme, enables better stratification of daily and high-frequency activities within the home. The attic mezzanine space is reserved for a more flexible programme intended for occasional use.

Locating the communal spaces on the ground floor improves the overall accessibility of the dwelling.