Catching Sun house

: London

Nested within a Victorian context, this new-build house is a green oasis and a calm retreat which maximises sun exposure and connection with nature, while being entirely contextual to the site.

Architect Mark Shaw, founding director of Studioshaw, embarked on building his own home after a chance discovery of a disused MOT garage in East London. Studioshaw entirely reconfigured previous planning consents to create a contemporary, light-filled home that responds to the site's unique character. The studio navigated a complex planning and consents process, including 27 party wall agreements. The result is a carefully crafted retreat, designed to maximise natural light and sun exposure, embrace nature and create a connection between indoor and outdoor areas. The 100sqm home is organised around three courtyards, each with a distinct purpose. The main courtyard is oriented to capture maximum winter sunlight, while the other two are thoughtfully designed to enhance biodiversity and ecological variety. The neighbouring Victorian houses and gardens influenced the form of the building, with its layout optimised to bring in daylight, particularly during winter months. Accessed via a shared driveway and enclosed by the rear gardens of neighbouring properties, the house remains private while feeling open and airy. Internally, the space is highly zoned, providing dedicated areas for cooking, relaxing, and entertaining, all while framing curated views—including those overlooking the nearby natural reserve of Walthamstow Marshes. A restrained material and texture palette, comprising fairfaced concrete blocks, timber, and anodized aluminium windows, was chosen to minimise construction complexity and long-term maintenance.