The Flat Above

Camberwell, London

A sensitive reimagining of a flat shaped by earlier alterations to a Georgian terrace.

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The Flat Above sits directly above the architect Nic Howett’s own award-winning Secret Garden Flat, inspiring its neighbour to commission a transformation of a one-bedroom home that had been poorly converted when the Georgian terrace was subdivided.

The client was inspired by the work we had done to our own home which won New London Architecture’s ‘Home of the Year’ at the 2023 Don’t Move. Improve! awards.

 
 

The project was undertaken as a collaborative self-build, reflecting the practice’s ongoing commitment to small-scale renewal, craftsmanship, and hands-on making. Rather than relying solely on pre-determined details, the architect worked closely with the client throughout construction, using the build process itself as a site of design development. Details were refined in real time, tested, adjusted, and resolved on site, allowing material decisions and proportions to emerge naturally from the conditions of the existing fabric.

This approach not only ensured a high degree of craft and responsiveness but also allowed the client to remain living in the flat throughout the works. The process became a shared exercise in careful adaptation: building with the home, rather than against it, and demonstrating how thoughtful, incremental construction can deliver meaningful transformation without the disruption of a conventional building programme.

 
 
 

A structural survey shaped a strategy of minimal intervention: retaining the roof structure and external openings to reduce cost while introducing targeted adjustments to improve spatial flow and light. A new rooflight above the existing ceiling joists and carefully refined openings create long views through the plan, connecting the interior to the garden below.

 
 
 

Bespoke joinery made on site forms wardrobes, hidden storage, and a compact kitchen with built-in dining seating. The simple material palette - painted plaster, oiled timber floors, and bamboo plywood expresses the honesty of construction and gives the flat a unified, warm character. The result is a modest but finely crafted renewal that extends the ethos of The Secret Garden Flat, showing how thoughtful, economical interventions can enrich London’s existing housing fabric.