Imagine completing a renovation and discovering that your architects had installed a system for flooding your living space with light, in a manner worthy of James Turrell? We’d think we got our money’s worth—how about you?
London-based Rundell Associates were tasked with creating a four-bedroom mews house on three levels. Did we mention the total square footage amounted to 1,500 square feet? In order to bring as much light as possible into the house, the architects devised a system for drawing daylight from the top of the house (via a three-story stairwell) to the ground floor. Add to that: ingenious detailing that turns the space into a sculptural light installation. That’s what we call living with art.
Photography by Paul McCarthy and Nicholas Adams.
Above: Behind the existing facade, the architects rationalized the layout with a new internal structure.
Above: A roof light is the source of light for the stairwell.
Above: A view from below where the light from the roof light penetrates through the stair structure down the sides of the light well.
Above: The living spaces have been arranged on the top floor in order take advantage of the light and the views.
Above: The light from above emphasizes the sculptural quality of the stairs.
Above: A simple journey up and down the stairs becomes an experiential journey each step of the way.
Above: Interior finishes are kept light and bright.
Above: Diffused light from a roof light brings a soft light into the bathroom.
Above: The master bedroom is on the ground floor and its privacy from the mews is achieved with a glazed screen and fixed sunshade which allows oblique views of the mews and the sky while preventing direct of views of the interior from the street.
Above: A view of the master bedroom from the mews is obscured by the glazed screen and fixed sunshade.
N.B. See 10 Radical Staircases for Tight Spaces for more small living staircases.