Brockley's "Invisible House"

The architects behind a planned "invisible eco house" on the corner of Geoffrey Road and Manor Avenue have written about their design here. The Jak Studio team say:

Last year Kevin and Mac approached us to look into the possibility of realising their dream to build upon a small plot of land with derelict garages they jointed owned in leafy Brockley. The site historically occupied by a coach house for the grandiose homes of the local dock owners was certainly challenging. Positioned on a prominent corner within a conservation area and Flanked on either side by communal gardens full of mature trees the scheme required some lateral thinking! 

The scheme proposes a subterranean basement complete with sunken garden and contextual brickwork storey at street level house the bedrooms. At first floor a high reflective glass ‘mirror box’ camouflages the living accommodation and a roof terrace completes the scheme.

The scheme itself has been designed with Sustainability in mind from the outset, a ‘super insulated’ air tight structure will aspire to meet the principles of ‘passivhaus’, whereas a wood chip burner and photovoltiacs will seek to utilise renewable energy sources for heat and power.

Located opposite the nearly-finished Cedar Mews development, it offers a similarly sensitive approach to building modern, ambitious high-density housing in the middle of a conservation area, without resorting to pastiche. They hope to secure planning permission by the summer.