House For Sale £925,000
Designed by architectural developers Fraher & Findlay, this exceptional three-bedroom house is located on a quiet residential street a short walk from Nunhead and the expansive green spaces of Peckham Rye. Sustainability, flow and natural light are the organising principles of the configuration and aesthetic; the finest contemporary materials including terrazzo, engineered oak and perforated steel have been used. These are combined with super-insulation, a mechanical heat recovery system and extensive sections of glazing to create a home fit for contemporary life, which looks out over a beautiful private garden.
The Architect
Fraher & Findlay was founded in 2009 and quickly gained a reputation for cleverly conceived, award-winning residential projects across London. More recently, the architectural practice has grown into the realm of design and build, joining forces with Findlay Construction to create beautiful contemporary housing in challenging sites all around the UK. The Ghost Houses are their latest residential project in London. They were completed in spring 2021 as a terrace of three; one of the houses has already been sold.
The Building
The houses draw inspiration from the Japanese architectural model of a Pencil House, a building configured on a narrow plot. The Ghost House scheme develops this notion to create a set of flowing spaces that capitalise on their surroundings in a truly modern approach to living.
The Tour
The row of houses presents a striking façade to the street. Formed of white brick, with exaggerated zinc-clad pitched roofs, the elevations lend a contemporary twist to the traditional Victorian terraces that characterise the area.
Upon entry, a long hallway leads past a guest WC, through to the heart of the home: A split-level, open-plan kitchen, living and dining room, bathed in natural light care of full-height glazed windows to the garden. These spaces are incredibly bright, with high ceilings, terrazzo floors with underfloor heating and large skylights overhead.
The bespoke contemporary kitchen sits to one side, with an L-shaped counter with Corian worktops and integrated Bosch appliances, including an induction hob. There is an adjoining larder and utility room, plus built-in oak shelving. Just beyond the kitchen is the dining and living area. It is here that the exceptional light and volume of this house becomes most apparent. Light pours into the room across a custom-made oak window seat, while a set of steps leads up and out to the garden.
The environment of these spaces has been meticulously considered. The house is super-insulated, all windows are triple-glazed and the Mechanical Heat Ventilation Recovery system ensures that the air is regularly filtered and refreshed even with the windows closed. These features, combined with an innovative heat pump system, ensure that the air is cool in the summer and that the house remains warm in the colder months.
The first floor comprises a large main bedroom with built-in oak-fronted wardrobes at the front of the plan. There is also a second, slightly smaller bedroom on this floor, which is currently configured as a study and guest bedroom. There is a family bathroom with white tiles and striking black taps. Perforated steel panels on each of the landings allow natural light to cascade across the plan, which enters via a large skylight at the top of the house.
A third large bedroom with a skylight occupies the second floor, with a study area positioned at the back of the house overlooking the house’s wildflower roof and the garden below. There are significant amounts of storage space on this level within the eaves.
Outdoor Space
The house has a large private garden at the rear. A beautiful patio area, accessed via glazed doors from the living room, creates a wonderful extension of the internal living spaces in the warmer months, while a raised lawn with raised beds filled with plants and shrubs offers a low-maintenance outdoor space.
The house has a private bin and bike store at the front.
The Area
The Ghost Houses occupy a wonderful position on a quiet residential street a short walk from Nunhead and Peckham Rye. The area is peaceful yet has easy connections to the shops, cafes and restaurants of nearby Crofton Park, Brockley, Nunhead and Peckham. The shops of Nunhead Lane are a short walk away and include the now-famous fishmongers F. C. Soper. More recent arrivals include Babette, El Vermut, Four Hundred Rabbits, and coffee shop Goodcup. The Ivy House, one of London’s only cooperative-run pubs, is positioned just around the corner, as is the Waverly Arms, popular for its beer garden.
Peckham has become known for its restaurant and arts scene and is within walking distance of the house. The southern end of Rye Lane is home to excellent restaurants and pubs including Mr Bao, Bánh Bánh and Pedler, as well as The White Horse and Taco Queen. Bellenden Village is a few minutes’ walk away, where The General Store has the finest seasonal produce including Neal’s Yard cheese and a selection of natural wines. Excellent neighbourhood restaurants include Levan (recently featured in our My Modern Menu series), Artusi and The Begging Bowl. Review Bookshop is a fantastic local independent bookshop
Nunhead Station is a 15-minute walk from the house, running Thameslink and Southern Rail service to London Bridge in under half an hour. Peckham Rye and Brockley stations run direct services to central London and connect via the London Overground citywide.
The Architect
Fraher & Findlay was founded in 2009 and quickly gained a reputation for cleverly conceived, award-winning residential projects across London. More recently, the architectural practice has grown into the realm of design and build, joining forces with Findlay Construction to create beautiful contemporary housing in challenging sites all around the UK. The Ghost Houses are their latest residential project in London. They were completed in spring 2021 as a terrace of three; one of the houses has already been sold.
The Building
The houses draw inspiration from the Japanese architectural model of a Pencil House, a building configured on a narrow plot. The Ghost House scheme develops this notion to create a set of flowing spaces that capitalise on their surroundings in a truly modern approach to living.
The Tour
The row of houses presents a striking façade to the street. Formed of white brick, with exaggerated zinc-clad pitched roofs, the elevations lend a contemporary twist to the traditional Victorian terraces that characterise the area.
Upon entry, a long hallway leads past a guest WC, through to the heart of the home: A split-level, open-plan kitchen, living and dining room, bathed in natural light care of full-height glazed windows to the garden. These spaces are incredibly bright, with high ceilings, terrazzo floors with underfloor heating and large skylights overhead.
The bespoke contemporary kitchen sits to one side, with an L-shaped counter with Corian worktops and integrated Bosch appliances, including an induction hob. There is an adjoining larder and utility room, plus built-in oak shelving. Just beyond the kitchen is the dining and living area. It is here that the exceptional light and volume of this house becomes most apparent. Light pours into the room across a custom-made oak window seat, while a set of steps leads up and out to the garden.
The environment of these spaces has been meticulously considered. The house is super-insulated, all windows are triple-glazed and the Mechanical Heat Ventilation Recovery system ensures that the air is regularly filtered and refreshed even with the windows closed. These features, combined with an innovative heat pump system, ensure that the air is cool in the summer and that the house remains warm in the colder months.
The first floor comprises a large main bedroom with built-in oak-fronted wardrobes at the front of the plan. There is also a second, slightly smaller bedroom on this floor, which is currently configured as a study and guest bedroom. There is a family bathroom with white tiles and striking black taps. Perforated steel panels on each of the landings allow natural light to cascade across the plan, which enters via a large skylight at the top of the house.
A third large bedroom with a skylight occupies the second floor, with a study area positioned at the back of the house overlooking the house’s wildflower roof and the garden below. There are significant amounts of storage space on this level within the eaves.
Outdoor Space
The house has a large private garden at the rear. A beautiful patio area, accessed via glazed doors from the living room, creates a wonderful extension of the internal living spaces in the warmer months, while a raised lawn with raised beds filled with plants and shrubs offers a low-maintenance outdoor space.
The house has a private bin and bike store at the front.
The Area
The Ghost Houses occupy a wonderful position on a quiet residential street a short walk from Nunhead and Peckham Rye. The area is peaceful yet has easy connections to the shops, cafes and restaurants of nearby Crofton Park, Brockley, Nunhead and Peckham. The shops of Nunhead Lane are a short walk away and include the now-famous fishmongers F. C. Soper. More recent arrivals include Babette, El Vermut, Four Hundred Rabbits, and coffee shop Goodcup. The Ivy House, one of London’s only cooperative-run pubs, is positioned just around the corner, as is the Waverly Arms, popular for its beer garden.
Peckham has become known for its restaurant and arts scene and is within walking distance of the house. The southern end of Rye Lane is home to excellent restaurants and pubs including Mr Bao, Bánh Bánh and Pedler, as well as The White Horse and Taco Queen. Bellenden Village is a few minutes’ walk away, where The General Store has the finest seasonal produce including Neal’s Yard cheese and a selection of natural wines. Excellent neighbourhood restaurants include Levan (recently featured in our My Modern Menu series), Artusi and The Begging Bowl. Review Bookshop is a fantastic local independent bookshop
Nunhead Station is a 15-minute walk from the house, running Thameslink and Southern Rail service to London Bridge in under half an hour. Peckham Rye and Brockley stations run direct services to central London and connect via the London Overground citywide.
