Mata Architects expands London flat with cathedral-like roof

Soaring wooden ceilings frame the interiors of Vaulting Loft, a flat in Hampstead, London, renovated and extended by local studio Mata Architects.

The flat occupies the top floor of a detached Victorian property in a conservation area of Hampstead in north London, which required that any interventions were invisible from the street.

Using the "valley" created between the roofs of the two neighbouring properties to its advantage, Mata Architects worked with engineers Float Structures to create an entirely new roof that would transform the flat's interior while maintaining a discreet profile externally.

Reaching a maximum height of 4.8 metres, the revamped roof created space for a third bedroom and a mezzanine level, with a form that rises and falls to create a changing atmosphere throughout the interior.

"We saw that by infilling the valley between two parallel roof ridges, we could add substantial space and volume," studio founder Dan Marks told Dezeen.

"The new roof sits entirely within the building's existing footprint when viewed from ground level, respecting the conservation area while transforming the interior experience completely," he continued.

"We envisioned the apartment as a white, cathedral-like space defined by the ever-present dynamic roof form – at times soaring to nearly five metres, at others dropping to waist height to create more intimate, human-scale moments."

The interior of Vaulting Loft has been organised around an oak block at its centre, which contains storage and a bathroom while supporting the skylit mezzanine level above.

This block also separates the plan's three bedrooms from the living, dining and kitchen area, where a set of sliding glass doors framed by an arch-like pitch in the ceiling lead out onto a balcony.

White finishes were used throughout the interiors of Vaulting Loft to emphasise the geometry of the roof, with both the ceiling beams and Douglas fir floorboards treated with white oil.

This is contrasted by the exposed oak of the central block, as well as darker timber used in the bedroom areas and Taj Mahal Quartzite stone used for the kitchen counters and splashbacks.

"We wanted a restrained palette that would let the architecture speak. The white-painted surfaces throughout emphasise the roof structure and the volume it creates," Marks said.

"We treated the exposed roof beams with a strong white oil," he added. "Ii their natural stat,e they felt too chalet-like, but the oil preserves the timber's texture while keeping the space light and unified."

Marks founded Mata Architects in 2015, having previously been director of the eponymous Dan Marks Studio. Previous projects include the expansion of his own self-designed home in London and a timber-clad extension with windows concealed behind large shutters.

The photography is by Felix Speller.

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