Ashby Mews: Q&A with Russian For Fish

Russian for Fish first formulated its design for 101 Ashby Mews in 2014. Just over three years later, following an impressive amount of hurdle jumping (and, while in the process, being shortlisted for the New London Architecture Award 2015), the Brockley-based project has finally been granted planning permission by the local council. 

The project will see the transformation of a former engineering workshop on an unmade service road in South London into a two-storey live/work unit. 101 Ashby Mews was initially built as a stables, later a roofing company moved in, and then an engineering firm. In 2013, an artist, and Russian for Fish’s client, adopted it as his workshop and storage space. 

With the existing brick walls remaining in place, the roof and rear extension will be removed, and in their place Russian for Fish is creating two timber-clad structures – one adding a second-storey to the existing main building to create a ground-floor workshop and first-floor studio/reading room; the other introducing a single-storey two-bedroom living space at the rear of the site. Between them, a small courtyard area will be created – a transitional zone between the live and work dimensions of the unit.

Below Pereen d'Avoine, founding director of Russian for Fish, discusses the project. 

The client is an artist and builder. He has owned the site for several years using it as a workshop and storage space, with the vision of it one day becoming a home for him and his family. He has two young children, so the lure of being able to work from home was a driving factor of the project. We had to ensure that a large studio space was provided, with a two bedroom living space adjacent. 

At times it has been frustrating, but we always knew it was a long game. We came up with the proposal fairly early on, but Lewisham Council were not fully on board when we went for pre-planning advice, despite the Conservation Team calling it a “sensitive and thoughtful scheme”. As a result we split the project into multiple planning applications, gaining permission for raising the roof, for change of use and eventually for the whole scheme. We are so happy that the scheme has finally received planning permission, that much of the planning pain has been forgotten!

The materiality of the scheme has remained a constant, but we played with the layout following conversations with Lewisham Council and the client. The Council was keen that the studio space opened directly off the mews. Changes to the layout allowed for a additional first floor terrace, which is a really fantastic outcome!

The studio had to be large enough so that the client could house his tools and also have space to grow into as time went on. It would defeat the point if his business or his work grew to a point that he had to move out. The local authority wanted to ensure that only the person that owned the property could work there, so the living quarters are accessed via the studio. We played with storage walls and void to create a sense of separation, while allowing for a visual connection. The first floor studio is accessed through the living unit which allows for it to be multi functioning: it’s an office turned reading room turned homework space! 

The courtyard will act as a transitional zone between spaces for living and the spaces for working. Why was it important to create a physical distinction between the two spaces?  

Live and work spaces are great but sometimes you don't want to wake up in the same space as your desk. A spatial separation allows the mind to shift a gear as you step into the fresh air before entering your front door. The courtyard also provides some space for the client's children to play. The living space has folding doors allowing it to open onto the courtyard and the studio can open onto the mews. The courtyard becomes the front garden to the “house”.

We form close relationships with our clients in order to understand how they want to live in their home. The desire to work in one's home is just an extension of this, so in many respects I think our approach was similar to our purely residential projects.