Revolutionary Design: The Whirlwind Home

Constructed in the 1980s, Islington's Grove Estate is a collection of unassuming single-aspect houses, accessed through a maze of narrow passageways lined with blank brick walls. However, the interior of Pirouette House reveals a spatial drama that is hidden from the adjacent passage. A timber cloister extends in two directions around a new courtyard, while the kitchen, dining, and living spaces revolve around a triangular blue column that marks the transition between the old and the new. The secret courtyard garden is designed as an outdoor room, featuring rhythmic red timber piers that give the exterior a striking presence. Low cost and low carbon, the house has transformed the living environment for a young family.