The Grove, Carshalton, Sutton, London

If there’s one thing we’ve learned makes better buildings, it’s empathy. Architecture never happens in isolation—and simply by being interested and engaged, we’ve found it’s possible to open up the conversations that connect a scheme to its clients and community.

We believe that the more constraints there are, the better the architecture. If there aren’t any constraints, we create them. Challenging sites, existing buildings and complex briefs almost always present incredible opportunities for great design.

To limit our environmental impact, we start with what is already there. By manipulating the form and fabric of a building—whether new or existing—we can work with the existing conditions of topography, light and orientation, and harness the natural energy sources offered by air, ground and water.

If a site’s constraints guide the bigger design decisions, then it’s empathy that informs the smaller, social details. These details frame the human narratives that aren’t included in the brief, anticipating specific moments in the users’ lives.

Good architecture is as much about what happens on the building site as it is about what’s on the drawing board. By working alongside contractors as well as clients we can ring-fence the ideas and details that matter, championing quality and sustainability throughout construction.

The Grove

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Work

 The Grove
Carshalton, Sutton, London

Client

Sutton Living

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> Housing brochure

The Grove is a former rectory considered to be one of the ‘Three Great Houses of Carshalton’. The original buildings date from the 1820s and were set in large grounds overlooking the Wandle River at the centre of what is now Carshalton Village Conservation Area.

Curl la Tourelle Head are adapting this locally listed structure into 10 new homes on behalf of Sutton Living. The proposal has developed through carefully unpicking multiple layers of construction to celebrate the historic features of the house, whilst creating new additions complementary to the original Victorian aesthetic.