London, UK.

2024

Sustainable retrofit and extension in Ealing

Photography: Jim Stephenson

London-based architecture practice Atelier Baulier has completed the deep retrofit and extension of a previously underperforming and shabby Edwardian house in Ealing. Twin Pitches now stands as a joyful, light-filled four-bedroom, highly energy-efficient family home.

The clients had a clear ambition to improve the spatial quality and comfort of the house, making thoughtful gestures to optimise and enhance the existing footprint. Setting out to build their forever home, the clients worked with Atelier Baulier to reimagine and extend the house, prioritising a low-impact, future-forward approach while creating a space full of personality and heart.

Functionality was central to the brief. The new layout was designed to suit the everyday rhythms of a four-person household with teenage children, balancing communal and private spaces, incorporating generous storage, and ensuring the home could comfortably host friends and family.

Twin Pitches favours careful spatial and zonal planning. On the ground floor, previously compartmentalised rooms were opened up to form a flowing sequence of living spaces, anchored by a new 22.5 square metre rear extension housing the kitchen and sun room. A separate sitting room and snug provide quieter zones for retreat, while a new utility room and guest WC add convenience.

Upstairs, the first floor was reconfigured to include a generous master bedroom with en-suite bathroom and walk-in wardrobe, alongside a guest room, study and family bathroom. The loft accommodates two additional bedrooms for the children and ample storage, making the most of the existing volume and natural light. 

Atelier Baulier’s commitment to low-impact construction and regenerative design shines through every layer of Twin Pitches; the project underwent a deep retrofit to improve its energy efficiency. Atelier Baulier ensured every part of the building envelope was addressed. All suspended timber floors were insulated, internal and external walls were fitted with wood fibre insulation, and the original roof was addressed from beneath, improving overall insulation and airtightness. Double-glazed windows and underfloor heating maintain the overall comfort and air quality. A highly efficient air source heat pump now supplies heating and hot water.

Throughout the build, construction choices were made with carbon reduction in mind; an approach driven by the clients and supported by Atelier Baulier’s deep knowledge of sustainable design. Rather than standard concrete foundations, the rear extension sits on screw piles - a faster, more cost-effective and low-impact solution. Reuse and resourcefulness played a role throughout. A fireplace salvaged from the original middle bedroom was relocated to the sitting room downstairs, and timber was used in place of steel in structural areas to reduce embodied carbon.

London, UK.

2023

Dental Practice Refurbishment

Photography: Brenna Duncan

London, UK.

2023

Loft extension in Brockley Conservation Area.

Photography: French + Tye

The brief was to add a third bedroom in the loft of this Victorian cottage in Brockley conservation area. The planning constrains limited the size of the dormer and prevented alterations to the street elevation. Flipping the existing stairs and adding a flight above allowed to optimise floor space and head-height in the loft. This brought the opportunity to improve the layout of the small dining area downstairs, insulate the suspended timber floor and lay a cork flooring.

A simple zinc-clad dormer with chamfered reveals was added on the garden roof slope to provide an adequate volume to the loft. A planter was integrated to the external window sill, the vegetation is used to screen the views through and compensates for a very small garden.

This project was design with materiality and sustainability in mind. No steelwork was used, the new roof and dormer structures rely exclusively on existing and new timbers to minimise the carbon footprint of the project. Wood fibre insulation was used throughout including as bonded to the existing brickwork to insulate the gables.

To minimise costs and speed-up the works on site, lime plaster was directly applied to the wood fibre boards on the gables. Lime plaster is hygroscopic, it contributes to the regulation of the humidity levels and the overall indoor air quality.

The other surfaces have been lined with a poplar plywood which is made with a formaldehyde-free soy-based glue. White linseed oil  protects the panels. The cork flooring is used at this level too, while the poplar plywood dresses the storage under the stairs in the dining room. The materials bring a visual continuity between the levels, the grey painted stairs  with their simple white balustrade are a ribbon connecting the levels and filtering light down.

London, UK.

2021

Full house refurbishment and extension in Camden Square Conservation Area.

Photography: Pierce Scourfield

London, UK.

2022

Atelier Baulier has remodelled and extended a semi-detached Victorian house in Battersea, South-West London.

Having rented a similar house on the same street for a couple of years, the clients appointed the practice when they purchased their new home. The aim was to increase the size of the kitchen, create a dining space directly opening onto the garden and add a loft extension to suit the needs of this young family of four. Flexible storage was high on their list, it had to cater for bikes, prams and scooters as much as for the client’s creative business run from the house and all the usual overlapping activities of a modern family. The brief also called for the entire refurbishment of the house to optimise thermal performance of the shell using natural materials.

Located in the Three Sisters Conservation area in Battersea, the project resulted in a 40 square metre ground floor extension including stores for the bikes at the front and garden tools at the back. Two bedrooms and a shower-room have been added in the former loft volume bringing an extra 30 square metre of floor space.

Photography: Andrew Meredith

London, UK.

2021

Atelier Baulier has remodelled and extended the lower-ground floor flat of an early Victorian house in North-East London.

Having lived in this compact one-bedroom flat for several years, the clients appointed the practice to increase the size of the kitchen and create a living space directly opening onto the garden. The brief also called for the entire refurbishment of the existing flat to optimise storage and circulation.

Located in the Canonbury East Conservation area, the project resulted in a 20 square metre single storey extension spanning the full width of the rear elevation.

Photography: Henry Woide

London, UK.

2021

Longlisted for the NLA Don’t Move Improve 2022 Awards

Vulcan Terrace is a 2 storey side extension to a modest Victorian house located in the Brockley conservation area in South London. It provides a studio space and a bathroom at ground floor level, future-proofing the house for the new owner Wendy, who moved to be closer to her grand-children, and a writing room on a mezzanine overlooking a double height volume.

The new extension reuses the footprint of a former lean-to garage just under 2 metres in width by 8 meters long. The volume reaches up for daylight, channelling it down into the existing house through a central opening connecting the rooms.

The programme has been gathered into a double-height space capped by a skylight running along the full length of the roof. Exposed rafters filter the light whilst casting ever-evolving shadows on the brick-clad wall below.

Photography: French + Tye

London, UK

2022

77 + 52 m2

Project in collaboration with Irenie Studio.

Atelier Baulier teamed up with interior designer Irenie Studio to reconfigure an appartement on the upper ground floor of a complex in Chelsea. The brief was to consolidate the existing 2 bedroom flat and the adjacent lockdown-purchased 1 bedroom one into a single dwelling, and refurbish to a high specification.

The brief called for a new home office space, whilst the entertainment & hospitality spaces could increase in footprint. The new layout features a clever zoning design which allows all the main areas to be naturally lit from the six large windows at the front of the property. The service rooms run along the party wall on the access corridor side, which gives space back to the floor plan.

The project was approached by treating every view as a picture frame. A key consideration was that the backdrops and reflections are always interesting whatever the viewpoint. Colour has been used to stitch the spaces together in subtle manner. A calm and neutral colour palette is interspersed with pops of brighter colours, to create an element of surprise and bring each space to life. The backdrop to the space is the natural oak flooring which runs throughout.

Photography: Jim Stephenson

London, UK.

2019

Following the opening of their two new shops earlier in the year, Kova called back ATELIER BAULIER to refurbish the original Japanese patisserie branch in Soho. 

Anchoring the shop in its surrounding, the new spacial design takes cue from the local music industry. The walls have been dressed with a unifying pattern reminiscent of sound waves, whilst light fittings playfully hint at musical instruments. The calming colour palette is inspired by the leafy green Japanese gardens, and compliments the bright green tone of the matcha cakes.

Materials have been chosen for their functional, aesthetic and sustainable properties. The new cork floor and the textured wall covering improve the acoustics of this small shop, whilst a material made of 99% recycled ceramics has been selected for the countertop.

Photos: Dan Dennison

London, UK.
2019

Kova South Kensington is the second shop designed by ATELIER BAULIER for the London-based Japanese Patisserie brand. 

Located on a main street in South Kensington, the shop is a welcome haven of calm in the bustling museums neighbourhood. Drawing inspiration from traditional Japanese gardens the space has meticulously been curated to enhance the customer’s experience. 

A long bespoke counter takes centre stage displaying an array of colourful cakes contrasting with the subtle texture of its flint terrazzo cladding. It is set against a backdrop of lime render, which cloudy texture brings depth to the space. 

The rich pink colour running through the scheme has been selected to complement the vibrant green of the matcha millecrêpe, Kova’s signature cake.

Echoing the pink render behind the counter and stretching along the opposite wall, a 6 meters long banquette boasts a strawberry pink kid mohair velvet upholstery, inviting the customer to sit down and savour. Its backrest made of 3 continuous bolsters hints at the regular patterns of the typical raked gravel of Japanese gardens. Along the same vein, a curtain concealing the back of house adds its soft vertical lines to the shop backdrop. 

Above the banquette, the wall is lined with recycled PET acoustic panels. The seemingly random yet regular perforation pattern is reminiscent of rain droplets hitting the surface of a pond. As well as providing a poetic backdrop, the panelling contributes to the good acoustics of the shop. The circular shape is present throughout the space, from the 3 circular light fixtures above the counter to the chairs, the table pendant lights and the prints by Tom Pigeon. 

The simple layout and the careful distribution of fixtures contribute to the calm, luxurious yet relaxed aesthetics of the patisserie. Polished copper details dotted around the shop catch the light bringing the space to life. 

Sustainability is at the core of the design process. Durable, recycled and natural materials have been selected. The floor and the walls feature a natural clay based render. The counter is clad with a flint terrazzo, a by-product of the flint industry further ground and bound with a solvent-free resin by Resilica in Hastings. Natural wool used for the banquette and the curtain, a renewable and durable material. The PET felt acoustic panels by ReFelt are made of recycled bottles and are recyclable. Materials have been carefully selected on their sustainability credentials without compromising the aesthetics of the project. 

Photography: French + Tye

London, UK.
2019

Atelier Baulier designed the second shop for the Japanese fusion desserts brand Kova Patisserie in Chinatown. Playing with a strong contrast between the architectural shell and patisseries display unit, focus is brought onto the products.

The dark interiors feature charred wood, a dark clay render and natural marmoleum. The solid counter is cladded with a recycled glass material which has been routed with a bespoke pattern hinting at the famous millecrêpes cake Kova are famous for.

The minimalist palette, shapes and lighting are balanced by the use of naturally textured materials bringing depth to this small space. The bright shopfront provides a striking contrast with the interiors, bringing clarity and drawing the eye to the cake display.

London, UK.
2018

New open plan kitchen & living-room in a traditional victorian maisonette. Taking down the partition between the 2 former rooms allowed to reconfigure the space and create a dedicated dining area which was previously missing. A new kitchen was designed to suit the new layout and optimise countertop area.

The decommissioned living-room door has been replaced by an internal window bringing daylight to the stairwell.

The project also included the design of 2 wardrobes for the small bedroom alcoves and cat-friendly joinery units for the living room.

London, UK.
2018

28 sqm Loft Conversion

Garden roof slope extension housing a new master bedroom with a walk in wardrobe and an en-suite bathroom. A new staircase has been inserted above the small bedroom below without compromising its volume.

London, UK.
2018

26 sqm

Atelier Baulier designed a corner shop for Drop Wine App, an online wine delivery service operating in London. This Drury Lane wine shop is their first physical space which turns into a wine bar by night. 

The former Covent Garden ballet wear shop has been refurbished into a colourful yet timeless wine gallery. The new layout aims to bring depth to the space by splitting a client facing area at the front and the counters at the rear. Each area featuring dedicated colours.

The colour palette is inspired by the bloom of the grapes and the young vine leaves. The stripes pattern reflects the vineyards patchworks seen on the hilly terrains.

Made of reclaimed scaffold boards, the plinths and the display shelves are hinting at the traditional trays into which the grapes are stored before being pressed. The blue and green underlying backdrops bring freshness the the scheme.

The highlighted window reveals draw the eye into the shop whilst a reflected version of them frames the dense display on the adjacent wall. This blurred line between the street ant the shop is an invitation to come in.

The overall material palette plays up the duality between the tradition and the contemporary notes reflecting the Drop Wine App ethos. 

London, UK.
2017

35 sqm

Atelier Baulier designed Sans Pere second location in East London. This time the coffee shop turns into a cocktail bar at night.

A large marble counter takes centre stage, emerging from a sea of matching mosaic tiles. The light pink facade stands out, giving a unique identity to the shop.

London, UK.
2017

150 sqm

The first shop of the lifestyle brand Sans Pere. 

Organised around a vibrant patisserie kitchen, the space is structured into rooms reflecting an archetypal house plan. The volumes and shapes are on a domestic scale feeling personal, warm and inviting. Blurred boundaries entice the customer to take a journey with a seamless experience and allow long vistas across the space.  

The architecture is taking cues from the French Riviera landscape. The silvery greens and fresh yellows of the colour palette are inspired by the mimosa, an iconic mediterranean tree. Deep window reveals bring sharp shadows into the room while framing the views by cutting through the existing facade. The monochrome backdrop unifies the space, reflective volumes and green marble terrazzo animate the landscape and bring depth to the rooms. Lush planting on the terrace and colourful outdoor furniture are hinting the busy cafes under the hot sun of the French South coast. 

Port-Blanc, France.
2015 – 2017

160 sqm (Self-built)

For their new family home, the clients wanted to focus on sustainability and light. The design of the house is inspired by the traditional Breton farm houses, implemented with contemporary materials. A timber frame, strawbales insulation and a Sedum green roof ensure the excellent energy performance of the building, while the untreated Douglas cladding will weather to take a silver coat, similar to those of the local vernacular granite houses. 

Port-Blanc, France.
2009 – 2010

120 sqm (self-built)

The clients’ brief called for a low budget, eco-friendly house for a young family of four. The answer came in designing a simple volume, maximising the floor area while minimizing the material consumption. A careful choice of materials, timber for the structure and cladding, strawbales for the insulation, and a rational detailing of the design, ensured it meet the clients’ small budget. It also provided the required simplicity for the owners to be able to build their new home themselves.