K Bava Architects

A brownfield development of 8 houses in Maidenhead on the site of a car dealership.

Over the years the site has been developed to accommodate the car with multiple additions added to create a large showroom.

The scheme aims to remove low quality constructions to reveal the existing core structures, a detached Edwardian house and a small warehouse building. The remaining space is used for gardens, car parking and new houses.

To the rear of the site a row of unique terraced houses have gardens facing the school fields. The design of the houses avoid the urban box typology to instead look to the sloping angles of nearby architecture.

The walls and structure of the warehouse building are treated as a ruin. 50% of the volume is built into, with the other half forming a private walled garden.

The existing Edwardian house had extensive alternations to the ground floor, however the basic structure is repurposed to create a modern ground floor below a restored upper level.

The two remaining plots have new build detached houses in a lime render finish.

A pair of new houses in Muswell Hill.

The design takes reference from the Edwardian houses on the road and nearby context. The brick base, lighter upper level and a darker top floor maintains visual clarity on the road.

Unlike the historic houses, the form adjusts to the topography with various elements shifting to step down the hill.

The top floor frieze layer avoids overlooking issues whilst creating a temple like space which takes advantage of the exceptional views. The central high window is a feature found of adjacent streets.

The ceramic elements add a decorative layer that enrich the streetscape. The offering to the street defines the importance of the this elevation.

A brownfield development in Muswell Hill that creates a new community of homes whilst still providing a large retail offering. The current big sheds were built in the 1990s and provide storage and retail for a hardware and bathroom store. As the area has developed and the demand for housing has increased the current structures no long make sense.

KBA have made proposals that fit onto the existing footprints of the warehouse buildings with an additional strip of houses to the rear of the site. There are two distinct zones, the road facing and the back-land. The road facing block employs a language of stepped brick piers to form a pair of buildings that evoke a sense of solidity and permanence. The ground floor is a generous retail offering to allow for the continued operation of the hardware store. The scale of this building matches other large suburban blocks on the main road. Two shared roof terraces provide cohesive recreation space in addition to private terraces.

The back-land development consists of a perimeter block with a garden interior and 6 houses. The character of the block employs an intermediate order and stepping roofscape to breakdown the overall scale. A row of mews houses creates a distinctive occupied back wall to the development and helps to create a comfortable urban street experience to the back of the site, a unique feature for a back-land development.

The scheme provides 65 flats and 6 houses ranging from 1 to 4 bedroom.

An extension, loft conversion and interior design for a Victorian terrace house in Walthamstow, London.

The extension design is part of a body of work by the practice which prioritises the experience of spaces over the architectural image of the ‘back elevation’.

The material palate of the project consists of monochrome finishes with softer clay like textures to offset the contrast.

Photography by Emily Marshall

A side infill extension, internal reconfiguring and interior design to a terraced house in Tooting

The architecture and interiors project centred around making the house function for a family with young twins. 

Due to the small garden a side infill extension was the most efficient use of space. The increased width to the kitchen allowed for a better sequence of spaces and a circular route around the ground floor.

The side infill is designed around daylight and the use of the kitchen. The desire to have a light cooking area located the rooflight directly above the cooker. This light is complemented by side light from the window facing the garden. This window creates a visual route from the garden to the middle of the house.

Hand finished oak flooring is used throughout the ground floor to unify the spaces and create a separate, but connected sequence of spaces.

The client is a Geologist and took great interest to select the unique granite worktops and splashbacks. These special elements sit within a more muted calm backdrop to family life.

Photography by Emily Marshall

An interior design project for a Victorian duplex in Clapton.

For the bathrooms the matt clay tiles are original to the age of the property, however they are laid in a well considered sequence of spaces and patterns. We referenced Italian hotels, Dutch museums and English swimming pools.

The result is a joyful home with a design that is well reasoned with the existing context.

"The whole process of working with Kam was a pleasure. He listened to our ideas but brought his own creativity to the project. We have ended up with rooms that we absolutely love. I would not hesitate to recommend Kam. "

Molly (Client)

Photography by Emily Marshall

A conservation and interiors project for the City of London Grade II listed Barbican Centre Theatre.

The Barbican Centre is a performing arts centre in the Barbican Estate of the City of London and the largest of its kind in Europe. It was constructed between 1965 and 1971.

These two unique compact bars are located under the steps of the Barbican Theatre. After years of intensive use, the listed fabric required a comprehensive refurbishment. The existing spaces have been refurbished and upgraded to current technical standards with a minimum of visual compromise to the original design intention.

These spaces are characterised by elements found around the Barbican centre, redeployed into a tight and considered arrangement. The steel bar structure is made from the handrails on the centre, and the ceiling comes from the art gallery. The handling of these pieces together with the use of mirrors creates a very different scale of experience, using very familiar design cues.

We wanted to intensify this interesting play on scale whilst highlighting the forgotten qualities of the spaces. With the use of improved lighting focussing on elements of the bar, key walls and the use of original Barbican colours we have struck a balance between conservation and recognising the intensive and varied use of these spaces in a modern institution.

The furniture was discovered within the Barbican centre and reupholstered in plush velvet fabrics that relate to the theatre seating. Additional new elements also join the family of furniture to allow for flexibility of use.

The functional and technical upgrades include asbestos removal, lighting, security, and visitors’ facilities, such wc, bar operation facilities such as washing, serving and refrigeration, as well as improving storage.

The refurbishment project is both a respectful repair to an element of this landmark complex of buildings, and an interpretation of how these spaces can remain relevant for current use.

Photography by Emily Marshall

A conservation and interiors project for theGrade II listed Guildhall School of Music &Drama.  

The Guildhall School of Music and Drama is part of theCity of London Barbican Estate and has been occupied since 1977. 

The café space forms the epicentre of a grand lobby space acting as the heart of the busy and active university environment. The symmetrical spaces are intimate, yet intrinsically connected to the main space and circulation routes. They are key social spaces that allow for informal gatherings and a more comfortable space to dwell in comparison to the tall and busy lobby space.  

We worked closely with City of London Conservation department to investigate beneath the later interventions to discover the original intention for the space.

The red tiles closely match the originals and help to create a special moment within the overall spatial sequence of the lobby. The gloss finish helps to give depth and reflection to a windowless, and shallow set of spaces. The green colour of the seating is found throughout the School helping to make the space feel part of the overall building again. The strong colour helps to define the bays of seating that wrap around the space. The soft leather seats change in depth to align to architectural details in tile, brick and concrete. 

Photography by Emily Marshall

Construction of ground floor and first floor rear extension to a Warner House in Walthamstow, London.

The house is a unique ‘Sun House’ which is wide and shallow which feels much lighter than a typical Victorian house. The project aimed to maintain this atmosphere throughout.

The rear extension arranges elements of traditional construction in a modern way. The materials stack, shift and sit together in a considered manner.

The bay breaks up the large expanse of glazing to create an intimate relationship with the garden. On the interior the bay connects two reception rooms. The ceiling level continues into the side space and angles around a column. The end result is a blurring of multiple elements to give a layered experience.

The reception room flows from the existing rooms with a beam structure which crosses, bends and folds to define the spaces. A roof light connects these elements to the natural daylight.

The first floor bathroom is a tall and light space with a material palette that helps to emphasise the feeling of the room, rather than the equipment.

To the street the concrete lintels installed in the 1980’s were stripped back and restored. The new timber windows reflect the rhythm of the street elevation, however the wide openings create interiors flooded with daylight.

Photos by Emily Marshall

A capital project for the Victoria and Albert Museum in South Kensington.

The bathrooms are located off the main cafe and therefore receive heavy use. The palette of quarry floor tiles and glazed wall tiles take reference from the Victorian bathroom at the other side of the cafe.

The project was developed in close collaboration with the estates services team and operation teams. This helped build on the successes of previous projects at the museum.

A capital project to update the Conservation Science Laboratory for the Victoria and Albert Museum in South Kensington.

The distinctive floor and historic beams aim to create a memorable space. The strong colours visually cut through the mixture of scientific equipment at desk level. The large windows give an industrial aesthetic which is strengthened by the updated services which are suspended or surface fixed.

The project has created a multipurpose, flexible and highly configurable space within the laboratory that is better to be able to adapt to different project needs. It will thereby strengthen the department’s ability to undertake and host multifaceted collaborative research centred on the V&A’s collection and its preservation.

Extensive refurbishment and extension of a 1960s detached house.

The front extension is a tower like form which sits in dialogue with the heavy tiled gable end roof and protruding front bay. The strange form sits as a partner to the main house; side-by-side.

The kitchen extension is grand is scale and is detailed in an honest and simple manner that bears some relationship to the original house. The two openings relate to the garden level and the terrace level.

Internally the ground floor rooms are accessed from an anteroom, something that we find in the Georgian architecture of William Chambers. The reception rooms are defined but all connected by a room that acts like an internal piazza. From the anteroom there are steps down to the kitchen, which is at garden level. The entire ground floor is polished concrete with a natural aggregate pattern running throughout the space.

The spatial journey ends on the first floor in a tall room which is a secluded space in the house, it is the belvedere room in the tower.

Photography by Nick Dearden - Building Narratives

The extension is a sympathetic addition to a post war terraced house in Peckham. The house is one of 6 houses that replaced the original Victorian houses on the road.

The brick was found by the client following an extensive search to match the original house as closely as possible. The distinctive concrete overhang to the main roof is replicated on the extension in timber. The change in material reveals the different construction method used for the new construction. The overhang is only above the door as its main use is to reduce solar gain alongside being a decorative element.

The new living spaces facing the garden are connected to the kitchen by a modern interpretation of a serving hatch, a typical design for a house of this period. The counter allows interaction between the two spaces, whilst also keeping the areas distinct. As the clients operate restaurants, the practicality of the kitchen was paramount, whilst also being realistic about the process of discovering new recipes. A large rooflight is located close to the kitchen to bring as much light as possible into the windowless space.

The internal materials of the project are true to the period with cork floors and chequerboard tiles that reference an Eric Lyons project nearby. The living space is defined by a softer pink coloured textured clay plaster, that gives a sense of warmth and soft diffused light.

Photography by Emily Marshall

An interiors project for a Victorian terrace house in Walthamstow Village, London.

Careful and well considered interventions were made to create a family home that enhanced the historic nature of the property. Removal of chimneys added space and improved the first floor layout, whilst the addition of a downstairs bathroom improved usability.

By restoring the original floors, doors and fireplaces the calm and characterful nature of the house was revealed. Larger interventions concentrated upon the bathrooms.

The main family bathroom was envisioned as a suite of spaces. The main space characterised by an irregular shape which aligned with the usable space of the room. The two stones are used to create a lighter large space for joint family activities, and darker private space at either end.

The downstairs WC is painted a single colour over all surfaces with tiles and grout to match. The intensity of colour sits in contrast to the other spaces.

Construction by VKS Project London Ltd

Photography by Emily Marshall

A conservation and interiors project for the City of London Grade II listed Barbican Centre Theatre.

The Barbican Centre is a performing arts centre in the Barbican Estate of the City of London and the largest of its kind in Europe. It was constructed between 1965 and 1971.

The Choir Practice Room is located beneath the distinctive Curve Gallery at the Barbican Centre. The shape results in a curved shape with complex ceiling geometries.

The proposed restoration has involved reinstating the original lighting scheme to highlight the curved wall. Additionally the ceiling is painted a dark colour to minimise the historic acoustic ceiling panels.

The red carpet makes some reference to the main centre carpet whilst also adding some much needed warmth to the space.

A replacement for an existing extension built in the 1990s. The scheme retains the foundations and sidewall to minimise waste and cost.

The large Victorian villa has an unusually small but well planted garden that wraps around the extension on three sides. The south-facing garden benefits from good sunlight at all times of the day. The relationship to the garden is to feel engulfed within it, a close connection rather than a view to be admired. On warm days the glazing’ slides back to allow the extension to function as a portico to the garden.

The scheme aims to bring in sunlight from all sides by creating a roof supported on glazing to three sides. The heavy metal box appears to hang over the garden when the glazing is open.

Existing openings to the side elevation were in-filled to allow for a new long slot window at worktop height. The experience when using the kitchen feels less insular and more connected to the outside.

Photos by Emily Marshall

An ensemble of agricultural buildings within the grounds of the Victorian Quorn Hunt stables.

The history of the Quorn Hunt is an important part of the local narrative. The historic significance is related to the equestrian activity as well and the Victorian architecture.

The proposed scheme is designed to be a sensitive regeneration and replacement of the existing buildings already being used for equestrian activities.

The colonnaded frontispiece of the stables is an open colonnade crafted from a grey toned brick and slate roof. The nature of this building is generous with a civic attitude to the rest of the historic development. Its public approach fosters a more noble and uplifting experience to the everyday ritualistic activities associated with horses.

The architecture of the stable block is largely simple and humble in nature, taking reference from the agricultural vernacular buildings that display a solid nature with ease.

A grey brick is chosen to blend into the woodland setting and to give some reference to the Victorian stables without causing any confusion as to the difference in time period and historic significance. The timber will be untreated so allow a natural grey patina to form over time which will then match the brickwork.

Major reconfiguring of a lower ground floor recording studio into a residential property

The project is located on the edge of the South Hampstead conservation area and is distinctive due to the unusually long volume that projects deep into the site.

The tall reception space has been opened up with a double height sliding door opening onto a reconfigured garden.

A perpendicular window gives an extended full length of the garden and timber extension. The height of the window reflects the level change and allows for planting at window height.

The form of the timber extension steps to reduce the impact of the volume and create defined spaces to the interior.

Photography by Emily Marshall

A complete new home with basement behind an original retained Victorian façade.

The project sought to restore the noble proportions and decorative qualities of the original house without creating a pastiche replica.

The details are a modern interpretation of the historic joinery, which gives the house a familiar but distinctly modern feel. The extended rear garden facing rooms are distinctly modern and take full advantage of the views over the unusually long garden and surrounding trees. A series of small panelled spaces in rich colours and materials compliment the large calm rooms.

The overall experience is book-ended with the roof space and the basement, both designed to maximise their position in the house. The top floor is a timber-lined suite that references the idea of a garret level in a historic house, an intimate space with a sloping ceiling.

The basement level is an expansive space of a scale which would be unusual for a house in the Victorian period. The end grain block floor takes the familiar oak used throughout the house but laid in a manner that feels earthy and grounded. The walls are lined with decorative granite at their base to give a feeling of solidity and weight. The details utilise a mixture of sharp precise bronze with shadow gaps, fine plaster and rough granite.

K Bava Architects worked on the interiors as a joint project with Nick Hill Architects. Base build was by Pitman Tozer Architects.

Photography by Emily Marshall

A major renovation of a large Victorian house with the addition of a new basement level. The project bears a strong similarity to the original Victorian architecture on first glance, however details have been refined and adjusted to create a sharper, modern property. Inset flush skirtings work with historic doors and architraves in close dialogue.

The redesigned house's contemporary style and expertly finished interior retains enough historical elements to maintain the spirit of the original house. The restrained palette of oak floors, grey marbles, feel modern yet warm and intimate. Bamboo doors elements designed for the joinery feature throughout the house as a clear modern motif.

The generous property spans 4 levels that include five bedrooms a double reception room, kitchen dining room and garden. A newly constructed basement has a cinema, bathroom and utility room, spaces added to suit the lifestyles of a family of adults.

Photography by Emily Marshall

A crowd funded local Crouch End bakery conceived and opened during the Covid-19 pandemic. The shop is testament to the growing shift toward smaller, local businesses that can revitalise the high street.

The front public area is imagined as a cabinet and gives a sense of intimacy to the small space. The bespoke panelling is constructed of oak, the material used for the bread making worktops. The design is a modern interpretation of the timber lined shops in Crouch End that were originally built in the Victorian era. A pink concrete tiled floor continues through both spaces.

The bakery area is visible for visitors to experience the production of the bread. This was an important part of the overall brand approach, which grew from online classes and videos. The bakery will also be used for classes to teach Sourdough baking skills.

Photography by Emily Marshall

We removed a number of chimneys are increase the floor area of this ground floor Edwardian apartment.

The beams supporting the chimneys are exposed and aligned with the original picture rail detail. A range of colours above this line give vibrancy and a range of moods to the spaces.

All new floor finishes are laid in a herringbone pattern in either oak or marble. We adjusted the existing openings to create a dramatic window and improved kitchen layout. The small window provides cross ventilation to the main living space.

Photography by Emily Marshall

At the end of the garden we designed a small house. The garden house is elemental in its nature and at times it feels like an inhabited ruin in the garden. Materials such as brick, marble, oak and galvanised steel assembled in a precise and considered manner give a sense of luxury and comfort from which to enjoy nature.

The formal arrangement of the house consists of two interlocking brick volumes arranged to align with the existing garden walls. The intersections to the two alignments give the spaces character and a feeling of informality. The small-enclosed courtyard to the rear gives a new type of intimate outdoor space whilst benefitting the main room with a dual aspect.

K Bava Architects worked on the architecture and interior for Nick Hill Architects.

Photography by Emily Marshall

An interior design project with major alterations in Walthamstow, London. This project is an example of how intelligent adjustments to an existing volume can meet the brief of a project. This approach creates less waste and less volume to heat in comparison with new extensions.

The existing loft rooms were unsuitable for a growing family and were an inefficient use of space.

The new layout has added a bedroom whilst bringing more defined experiences and uses to the house.

By removing a Juliet balcony and replacing this with a window, a defined work space is formed. The desk in the window gives a commanding uninterrupted view over neighbouring terraces.

The curved wall becomes a device to help the flow of circulation space, whilst making the bathroom appear generous and joyful. A new rear bedroom has a bespoke bed with bunk capacity using the fold out shelf. The scale of the newly adjusted window feels grand and generous in a small room.

The material palette is influenced by the clients Scandinavian heritage with natural woven carpets and green marble similar to the Stockholm City Hall. The small wall tiles reference Alvar Aalto and allow for the formation of a smooth curve.

The refurbishment and upgrade to the entrance lobby and locker area for three buildings forming part of the listed Marcel Breuer scheme in Flaine, Arâches-la-Frasse, France .

In order to work with the crafted Modernism of the original building, we proposed to re-interpret the original designs in modern materials and colours, whilst solving practical issues such as waterproofing.

In two buildings we removed layers of finishes to reveal the original timber. The central islands were replaced and finished to match the existing wall panelling.

In one building extensive work was required to resolve leaking. The lockers were constructed to the Breuer designs with minor adjustments. The timber is lighter and make a clear distinction between the old and new, without impacting on the atmosphere of these spaces.

Extensive alteration to a Victorian house in Hackney to accommodate multi generational living.

Works included lowering the first floor ceiling to create a loft room with a new staircase. Additional joinery, kitchen and bathrooms were added.

The spirit of the historic house is maintained in some elements of the design, whilst other items have a new sharpness to give a transformative feel to the space. The judgement between these approaches had to be applied over the entire project to create a coherent whole.

The loft space aims to feel honest to its location without resorting to drastically different finishes. Elements such as the chimney forms and historic timber give character whilst avoiding unnecessary demolition.

All images by Emily Marshall

A back land development of 13 apartments in Ruislip West London.

The proposal was conceived as a piece of city enclosed behind private gardens with a mixture of buildings and shared spaces.

The taller building has a formal generous facade facing the larger spared space, whilst the lower building is informal with changes in height and a form which break down to open up a smaller enclosed shared space.

The material treatment of precast concrete, render and painted metal windows reference the ambitious modernist housing of the 1930s in London.

Conversion of a barn for visitors to the Rosmini Centre retreat