Riverdale, Richmond

Riverdale is the refurbishment and extension of a 1920s Art Deco house in south-west London. The existing building has a strong character, with curved walls, streamlined windows and decorative details that were important to retain rather than erase. The proposal works with these elements, repairing and adapting the house while introducing new spaces that make it better suited to contemporary family life. New additions are deliberately clean-lined but pick up on the geometry and proportions of the original building, creating a clear relationship between old and new without resorting to imitation.

Internally, the changes improve daylight, circulation and the connection between the principal rooms and garden. Retaining the existing structure was also an important part of the approach, reducing unnecessary demolition and the embodied carbon associated with replacement. The result is intended to feel like a natural evolution of the house: recognisably Art Deco, but adapted for another generation of use.