Kenwood Lee House is a contemporary four storey home with basement: comprised of an open plan kitchen, living and dining room, seven bedrooms, a swimming pool, cinema, gym and spa. Built on a challenging site set within an area characterised by an Arts and Crafts and ‘Quennellian’ typology, the design approach drew inspiration from the surrounding streetscape and the wider Arts and Craft movement.
Internal spaces are anchored around a board marked concrete core which forms a triple height atrium. Meticulous detailing expresses an excellence of build, solidity of construction and the long-life qualities that are evident in Arts & Crafts houses, whilst highlighting an honest approach to materiality.
Either side of the concrete core, cantilevered oak clad staircases wind their way up through the building. Floating overhead in the atrium above, linking bridges unify the master bedroom on the upper floor, whilst framing views to both sides. The solidity of the concrete walls contrast with the slender and light weight bridges and staircases that move between them. The living area of the house is open plan with a sliding door and marble double sided fireplace to separate the family areas from the stairwell.
The basement occupies more area that the other three storeys combined. Light wells sunken into the garden lawn and forecourt provide natural illumination. A glazed courtyard floods the basement with even more light and its spaces echo the openness of the upper floors.