Chalcot Yard, a conversion of dilapidated industrial buildings into a large private house, with a substantial new basement constructed underneath.

Chalcot Yard is a large site in Primrose Hill, entirely hidden and accessed through a small opening in the surrounding terraces. It previously contained a collection of fragile old industrial buildings in various states of disrepair, including a large timber-framed structure built for drying fibrous plaster mouldings.

The existing buildings were retained and restored, while a substantial new basement was constructed across most of the site’s footprint.

A temporary contiguous piled wall was bored inside the existing perimeter of the site to enable the large excavation to be carried out while minimising movement of the many surrounding properties.

A permanent reinforced concrete basement structure was then built inside this. A combination of waterproof concrete and external tanking is used to keep the basement dry.

A new steel frame is supported on the concrete box, which is then used to stabilise the existing buildings.

The end result is a spectacular private house with office accommodation, including a swimming pool, car lift, cinema and gym, surrounding a secluded courtyard garden, also known as Chalcot Yard.

Location
London, UK

Client
Private

Architect
Michaelis Boyd Associates