nnU House by Studio Jayga Architects in Loughton, UK

Project: nnU House
Architects: Studio Jayga Architects
Location: Loughton, UK
Area: 441 sq ft
Year: 2021
Photos by: Marcus Peel

nnU House by Studio Jayga Architects

Studio Jayga Architects designed the nnU House in Loughton, Essex. The unusual name comes from the design of the extension, especially around the windows that really look like the letters nn and U.

The new kitchen extension was designed by Studio Jayga Architects for a young family with ambitious urban careers in Loughton, Essex, UK. The first floor of the 1930s semi-detached house was completely reconfigured, including a new kitchen extension. The challenge was to create a space for modern open-plan living with strong connection to the 300-foot beautiful garden.

The original first floor of the house consisted of three rooms at the back, including an outdated narrow kitchen, a small windowless room and a 1980s extension used as a dining room. All rooms were on the same level, almost one meter above the garden, with only a set of steep steps to access the garden. There was also an impressive garage located very close to the house, which blocked the view of the garden and reduced natural light inside.

We proposed to demolish the garage and reconfigure the three back rooms with a new rear extension to create a two-level design linked by internal steps. This allowed the new kitchen level to be at ground level. A pair of metal arched doors provides a direct physical and visual connection with the garden without changing levels. A linear skylight was designed between the existing house and new extension, connecting two internal spaces and allowing natural light to penetrate into the center of the home.

The frameless glass field was designed as a unique curved window seat. It projects out and provides an uninterrupted view into the garden and up to the sky. This is a great spot for year-round relaxation, as well as allowing natural light to reach the dining table below. Individual kitchen modules and an island were designed by Studio Jayga Architects to reflect the gentle curves of the arched doors and curved glass field. The elliptical island is wrapped with curved fascias and finished with a colored terrazzo countertop. Wall modules are full height to maximize storage space. Natural tones were used to complement and bring the garden's colors into the home.

The exterior cladding of the extension was covered with wooden finishes, which were burnished on-site using the traditional Japanese technique 'shou-sugi-ban'. The nnU House is named according to the geometric forms of two arched doors ('nn') and a vertical glass field ('U'), when viewed from the garden.

–Studio Jayga Architects