ARCHITECTURE - CONSTRUCTION - INTERIOR DESIGN Total project integration and management
Wandsworth Basement, SW18 | |
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OLBC were selected for a substantial basement design and build in one of Wandsworth's most prestigious streets. Our clients required an experienced basement company to undertake the basement conversion on their London home. The clients were very decisive and therefore basement construction went very smoothly and importantly the basement conversion costs were exactly to budget. The basement design was totally executed by the OLBC design team. The end result is a spectacular cutting edge basement, flooded with light, that feels cosy and at the same time spacious. |
Kensington, W8 | |
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OLBC undertook a complete architectural re-design of this large, semi-detached, Regency villa in West London. OLBC developed the client’s brief to create a spacious family home whilst returning elements of the building’s original charm, stripped out in a 1970’s property refurbishment. The back corner of the house was removed allowing kitchen ceiling to run at a unified level into the conservatory, which was re-built, flooding the ground floor with light. A basement conversion to the lower ground floor containing a media room, nanny suite, custom wine cellar and gym was carried out as a part of the house refurbishment. Awkward alterations to the staircase were removed and the elegant flow of the original, thin profile, Regency staircase was returned thanks to a complex steel frame made by our craftsmen. Floor levels assimilated throughout the house, giving back to the building its elegant proportions, and finished to a high interior specification with digitally controlled, gas fired under-floor heating throughout. |
Brompton, SW3 | |
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OLBC undertook an end-to-end design and build package to this impressive double fronted Georgian house in south-west London. OLBC is one of the most experienced builders in London at delivering complete boutique refurbishments for private clients. The relatively small footprint of the original house sat on a large plot of over 100m2. This was exploited by excavating a basement over a large proportion of the footprint, almost doubling the internal floor area. Basement conversions/excavations such as this, coupled with a whole-house refurbishment are increasingly common and provide one of the only ways of creating substantial family houses in central London. In this case the basement extension contained two bedrooms, two bathrooms, media room, wine cellars and utility room. Designing and waterproofing a basement under a garden is always a challenge and calls for excellent craftsmanship and understanding of basement systems, all of which OLBC can deliver in-house. A two-storey structural glass extension on the rear elevation allows natural basement lighting and a visual connection with the basement - you do not feel that you are in a basement at all. Another benefit of choosing an experienced basement company such as OLBC is that we know how to design basement conversions that do not feel like basements. With the landscaped garden restored over the front garden it is impossible to tell from the street that the home has benefitted from a substantial basement extension: it’s beautiful Georgian façade is completely preserved. With digitally controlled, gas fired under-floor heating throughout; digitally networked lighting and sound - all controllable from an iPad or iPhone - this is a truly modern, luxurious family home. |
Henderson Road, SW18 | |
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OLBC were engaged by a private client who needed an experienced basement construction company to deliver a design and build basement project on a demanding site of wet sands. The challenge was to construct and waterproof a basement very close to the water table. The client selected OLBC as they had confidence in our ability in waterproofing basements and delivering an exceptional standard of design and finish. As the basement was close to the water table the basement systems that OLBC selected included double capacity basement sump pumps with two independent sumps connected by a balance pipe. This huge pumping capacity has never been called into action, thanks to the skill of OLBC’s expert underpinning team who constructed the concrete shell, but it is good to know it is there just in case! |
Wandsworth Common, SW18 | |
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As an experienced London basement company who could also carry out the very high specification full house refurbishment, OLBC were asked to transform this large family house in south west London. The house was fully underpinned and excavated by one of our expert, in-house underpinning teams, creating 105m2 of new basement living space, comprised of a spectacular cinema room, generous utility, shower room and playroom. On the ground floor, a massive steel frame was inserted which formed part of the construction of the basement, to allow for a kitchen running the full length of the rear extension, and leading on to an elegant open plan TV / snug area. A front reception room resonant of boutique hotels was created by the appointed interior designer to give the owners a glamorous area to entertain their guests with a drink before dinner. On the first floor is a spacious and deliciously cool master suite embellished with walnut trim over marble. The guest suite holds the surprise of the house with a generous shower room hidden within curved walnut wardrobes, producing an effortless flow of space and highly effective guest quarters. Three further large kids bedrooms and two bathrooms on the top floor make an amazing home conversion. Rounded off with and integrated building management system and throughout-house sound system it is a truly luxurious and comfortable family home. |
Belgravia, SW1 | |
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As one of the leading boutique building contractors in London, OLBC were called into update a tired but prestigious mews house behind Belgrave Square. Our wide experience of period refurbishment projects in London, combined with an established and economical design and build department, made OLBC the clear choice for this project. Whilst not the largest of houses, its location meant that the detailing had to be to the very highest standards. Together with the appointed interior designer, our craftsmen produced an outstanding finished article for a private client of great discernment and taste.
This small but wonderfully inviting house makes all who visit want to settle into the couch and read a book in front of the fire. |
Brownswood Park N7 | |
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OLBC was appointed by a private client to convert a substantial but dilapidated Victorian house in north London. A Basement excavation was carried out; the floor level of the existing semi basement was lowered; and a full waterproofing package undertaken to make the area suitable for modern living. An extensive home refurbishment and architectural restoration was then carried out, including period stained glass and plaster cornices, ironwork and sash window restoration, to produce an amazing reinvigoration of a tired Victorian villa back into a comfortable modern dwelling. |
Kensington, W8 | |
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OLBC were engaged to develop a fully-costed design and build scheme, including full interior re-design, of a substantial, listed regency home in Chelsea for a former private client. OLBC worked to the constraints of the substantial Grade II listed core of the house whilst developing the client’s brief to create a spectacular yet refined entertaining space whilst respecting the character of the property. The scheme included stripping away layers of early 1900’s rear additions, all in a parlous structural state, to reveal the beauty of the original structure. The scheme also involved excavating a double layer basement extension in the rear garden including a gym and swimming pool at the lower level, and a guest annex to the upper level. Whilst double layer basements are increasingly common, achieving acceptable natural light to them is not. With their engineering partners, OLBC came up with a unique solution that allowed for connectivity of light and space despite the restrictions of containing substantial lateral soil pressures at these depths. The connectivity of the exiting floors and the basement floors was critical to this project, giving back to the building a natural flow of space. Internal specifications were to the highest standard including bespoke commissioned furniture and an extensive data system and digitally controlled, gas fired under-floor heating throughout. Environmental credentials are strengthened with a ground source heat pumping system and a grey water recycling system. |
