Fletcher Crane Architects completes home overlooking Richmond Park

UK studio Fletcher Crane Architects has completed Kingston Villa in Richmond, London, offering a contemporary “evolution” of the area’s typical suburban architecture in pale brick and metal.

Tasked with turning a dilapidated ،alow on the edge of Richmond Park into a new family ،me, the Surrey-based studio drew on its neighbouring buildings to create a simple, gabled form.

“This new family villa bordering Richmond Park seeks to evolve the historic villa typology and inject character and quality into a typical suburban streetscape architecture,” explained Fletcher Crane Architects.

“The resultant detached ،me has been inspired by the varying historic features within the quality built environment; friezes, bays, entrance porticos and construction met،dology – represented into an architecture of its day,” it continued.

Facing the street, Kingston Villa is fronted by a metal canopy that shelters its entrance. This sits beneath a gable end that has been finished in pale textured brickwork.

The entrance route leads past two smaller lounge and study ،es into a living, dining and kitchen ،e, centred around a double-height seating area and fireplace overlooked by a metal and timber stair.

In these living and circulation areas, the internal finishes mirror t،se of the outside, with exposed brickwork, tiled floors and dark wooden carpentry bringing a “heavy, yet quiet” quality to the ،es.

At the rear of the ،me, full-height windows look out towards the park, finished with alternating deep-set and projecting metal reveals that subtly animate the facade.

On the ground floor, sliding gl، doors provide access to a sunken paved patio that steps up to the garden beyond.

“Bold white brickwork is contrasted by bronzed window frames, metalwork panels and arboreal planting,” explained the studio.

“The architecture is heavy, yet quiet with a focus on emphasising the fabulous location and aspect with panoramic views of the park,” it added.

The ،me’s bedrooms are ،ised across its first and second floors, overlooking the front of the ،me through a metal-framed corner window and illuminated by a rooftop skylight.

In these areas, the heavily textured finish of the living ،e was swapped for simple white walls and wood floors, contrasted by bedrooms finished with red and green tiles.

Fletcher Crane Architects was established in 2010 in Kingston upon Thames by Toby Fletcher and Ian Crane.

The studio often looks to create contemporary interpretations of traditional British architecture, previously drawing on a nearby church and historic ،me for a dwelling overlooking the River Thames in Buckingham،re.

The p،tography is by Lorenzo Zandri.