When it comes to designing homes, there are many important factors that architects need to consider. Openness, space and natural light are all crucial for achieving harmonious homes that are a pleasure to use, but these elements can sometimes conflict with the equally vital need for privacy and solitude. We use our homes for interaction, socialising and connecting with others, but they are also our sanctuaries where we should be able to retreat from the world when we need to. As architects, it is our job to fulfil both of these requirements as fully as possible with our work.

Our Urban Loft demanded an appropriate balance between the two elements of openness and privacy. The project involved altering an existing two-storey penthouse apartment in London’s Covent Garden. Originally, the apartment had a dark, cluttered and confusing layout, and we needed to work out a way to enhance the feeling of spaciousness while still ensuring the residents had the privacy they needed.

We decided to include a long rooflight and a vertical “slice” through the middle of the apartment to let light flood down from the roof into the previously dark and gloomy lower storey. The glass kitchen floor and staircase help to visually open up the entire space. The upper and lower floors are connected by a double-height wall, removing the confined feeling of the previous traditionally separated floors. All of these elements ensured that the layout of the apartment now made much more sense and that each room had a feeling of connection and flow.

We overcame the privacy issue by including full width bi-fold doors throughout the apartment. When opened, these doors provide full access to every space in the loft and offer unobstructed views across London from the terrace, but they can be easily closed when greater privacy is required. Combined with the glass elements and beautiful bespoke walnut joinery, these doors provided the perfect finishing touch and allowed us to achieve a finished apartment that offers residents the best of both worlds.