Perforated House, South London
Reimagining of an unloved ex-council property
Status - Built

Exterior view of a house with sliding glass doors, brick and terracotta wall details, and garden potted plants on a wooden deck.

Perforated House is a full retrofit of an unloved 1960s ex-local authority home on the Hollies Way Estate in Wandsworth for our client Bramfield Studio. Previously affected by damp, mould, poor ventilation, limited insulation, inefficient services, and lack of natural light, the project sought to revitalise rather than replace the existing structure.

A key intervention is the new street-facing elevation, where layered perforated brickwork and glazing create screened openings that enable secure, continuous ventilation. This establishes a distinctive architectural language, giving the building a dignified new presence while forming a threshold to a newly created private courtyard garden with planting and seating.

The entrance has been relocated to provide direct street access, improving usability and sense of ownership. Internally, the layout has been reconfigured for flexibility, with a contemporary palette referencing the estate’s mid-century origins.

Upgraded insulation, services, and fabric significantly enhance performance, reducing CO₂ emissions by 72% and ensuring a high-quality, sustainable home for the long term.

Photography by Marcus Peel
& The Modern House


Open-concept living room and kitchen with wooden cabinets, green and cream granite countertops, and a leather sofa with orange pillows, large windows allowing natural light, potted plants, a patterned rug, and a sliding door with a wooden lattice.
A beige door with a vertical black window and a metallic handle, set into a pink brick wall with evenly spaced brick patterns and a small plant leaf visible on the left, under a blue sky with some white clouds and green foliage in the background.
Interior of a modern living space with a large green indoor plant, a wooden chair, a textured glass room divider, and a door with decorative vented panels, sunlit through large windows.
View from interior of a door opening to a small backyard patio with wooden flooring, potted plants, a metal table, and chairs, surrounded by a wooden fence with climbing plants, brick buildings, and windows in the background.

Awards

Perforated House has been recognised with the following awards and nominations:

2025 / Surface Design Award for Housing – Shortlisted

2024 / AJ Retrofit and Reuse Awards 2024 - Shortlisted

2024 / Don’t Move, Improve! Awards - Shortlisted

2023 / Brick Awards ‘Innovation’ category - Shortlisted

2023 / Brick Awards ‘Individual Housing Development’ category - Shortlisted

Interior view of a modern bedroom with a large green houseplant near a glass door leading to a balcony, featuring a bed with white and orange pillows, wooden furniture, and natural lighting.

Publications

The project has been published in Elle Decoration, Ideal Home Magazine, Build It Magazine and Living Etc. It has also been featured by The Modern House.

Small outdoor patio with a wooden fence, green plants, a bench, and a white table with two white chairs, surrounded by brick and comic buildings.
Exterior corner with a brick wall, a wooden panel, and a decorative brick screen, with green plants and small white stones at the base of the wall.

Project Team

Architects / Novak Hiles Architects
Client / Bramfiled Studios
Main Contractor / Krzysztof Gorkiewicz
Structural Engineer / Structures Made Easy

Modern bathroom with tiled walls, a wall-mounted toilet, a small vanity with a sink, a large mirror, a window, and decorative items like a vase with flowers and soap dispenser.