SMITH STREET, LONDON SW3

During the war this terrace was bombed, destroying this house and its two neighbours. In the 1950s the three houses were rebuilt, with the demolition materials pushed into the old basements. The plan adopted at the time represents an extraordinary bit of social history. Because there was no longer a basement area for the cook or daily to discreetly enter the premises, a separate door had to be provided beside the front door. This can be clearly seen in the photograph of the house on the left. We reshaped the openings with traditional rubbed brick arches, and stained the remaining brickwork to match. All the Crittall windows were changed to traditional sashes and the basement at the rear was excavated to produce a breakfast room and kitchen.

This project received an Environment Award from the London Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.