closer look
Sunken lounge
Stepping into the view
This feature is undoubtedly one of the most striking elements within Darren’s home. Architect Chris Axon admits that the design was inspired
by
watching old movies. “I’d wanted to introduce a distinctive feature like this
into the right
project,” he says. Since creating long sightlines to the garden was an important part of Darren’s brief – helping to make the interior feel more spacious and inviting – the sunken space was ideal for this home. However, the unique element ended up being one of the biggest challenges of the project. “The ground in this part of London is clay-heavy, so water doesn’t drain away quickly,” says Darren. “If it rained excessively, the garden would become waterlogged, so the sunken lounge had to be protected from water ingress.” The floor in this area of the living space was
lowered by 0.5m, before waterproof concrete and a protective membrane were installed. French drains were also added around the perimeter, to redirect subsoil and surface water away from the house, with the help of gravity.