A Victorian townhouse perhaps isn’t the obvious place to start a discussion on the future of design. But Hollie Bowden’s thoughtful transformation of this London family home is a masterclass in tailoring a historic house to suit contemporary ways of living.
The designer’s vision of tomorrow is elegantly simple: open spaces filled with organic materials and quality craftsmanship that will stand the test of time. No gimmicks, no trends, just good quality design with a clear sense of purpose.
The brief for the project was to bring together opposing ideals: old and new, minimalist and sensuous, wide-open and cocooning. ‘I think people live very differently now compared to how they used to,’ says Bowden. ‘We want to open these houses up as much as we can.’
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The challenge is to combine this ease of flow with a sense of intimacy. It’s no easy task, but one Bowden shows can be achieved through a focus on atmosphere. Here, the subterranean living space, though vast and airy, feels deeply comforting, like a sort of den. That’s largely thanks to a judicious palette of tactile materials that lend depth and softness.
Walls are finished in polished plaster with a cloud-like effect, a rustic wooden coffee table and generous linen sofa contrast the microcement floors, and a monolithic island, carved from dark green porphyry stone, creates a ‘wow moment’ in the kitchen.
A similar-but-different fossil stone is used in the primary bathroom upstairs, cladding the bath, vanity and shower. It makes for interesting family bath times: ‘Their little boy lies in the bath and says, “Mommy, look at that fossil!”’
Bowden says that, along with materiality, lighting is key to creating the right atmosphere. ‘The subtle spotlights and the wash of light downstairs feels a lot more architectural.’ It gives a very different feeling to the upstairs, which is more formal; period details have been sensitively restored and accented with decorative lighting.
A human centric philosophy
These same principles – of creating ambience through a carefully curated materials palette, thoughtful architecture and strategic lighting – can be applied to the other spaces we occupy, especially our cars. Leading the charge is Audi, which like Bowden has taken the old, its long heritage of sleek, progressive design, and combined it with the new, a refined design philosophy that focuses on the idea of ‘human centricity’.
This means approaching the car in the same way a designer like Bowden would a home: imbuing beautiful design with rich functionality, and basing every decision on the comfort and experience of those who inhabit it. Looking at its flagship SUVs – the Q6 SUV e-tron and SQ6 SUV e-tron – we see how Audi has tailored the cockpit layout to the occupants, while creating ambience through customisable lighting and a tight edit of tactile materials. In the SQ6 SUV e-tron, there’s also a generous flow of light through the panoramic sunroof, which can be controlled at the press of a button, echoing the feeling created by the large Sky-Frame windows installed by Bowden in the London house. On the exterior, the front and rear lights allow for digital light signatures, to further make the car feel like an extension of the owner.
Efficient use of energy and materials is a major factor driving change in all arenas. Audi takes a holistic view, pushing for innovation in every element of its business, to enact a cultural shift. As the car industry at large begins to phase out combustion engines, Audi hopes the transformation will encourage broader change, for example by inspiring home-owners to seek ways to generate renewable electricity at home to power their cars.
Navigating towards this new reality doesn’t come without challenges. In design, perhaps the biggest conundrum is how to become more efficient without trading off on other important qualities, like creativity, quality and comfort.
The opportunity
For architect Ben Ridley, director of Architecture for London, the answer is simple. He believes we can see this moment not as a challenge, but as a jumping off point for new design thinking. Ridley works to Passivhaus principles, an international set of standards for energy efficiency and thermal performance, and his own home serves as proof of concept for his no-compromise philosophy.
‘The idea was to build a low-energy house that doesn’t necessarily look like an eco home, he says. ‘It’s a normal house with nice spaces and nice materials – and actually, there’s no downside to having all of the sustainability thinking behind it. There’s only benefit in terms of comfort and lower bills and all those things.’
A typical north London Edwardian terrace, extensive refurbishment has transformed what was a series of small, dark rooms into a bright, open-plan space. ‘Calm and peaceful’ are the words Ridley often returns to when describing it. That’s in large part due to the Passivhaus interventions: triple-glazed windows, which block out much of the sound from the busy London road beyond while retaining heat; an unpainted lime plaster wall treatment which creates an airtight seal, eliminating drafts and giving a subtle wabi-sabi feel; and mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR), which creates a comfortable climate and improves air quality.
Ridley was also led by a desire to use materials with low-embodied energy (in the process of their manufacturing), which ruled out things like concrete and steel. Instead, stone was used for the downstairs flooring, and timber for structure. ‘In some ways, you are limited. But equally, it opens up opportunities for new design solutions,’ Ridley says.
Ridley, Bowden and Audi are united in their belief that the future of design is one where every detail is filled with purpose, whether it’s subtle lighting that transforms a room from stark to inviting, or integrated technology that makes driving that extra bit enjoyable. Design must become even harder-working, with a clear purpose, to fulfil our needs for better energy efficiency and usability. But we can choose to see this not as a limitation, but an opportunity for creativity and innovation.
Discover the Audi Q6 SUV e-tron and the SQ6 SUV e-tron today
Models feature optional equipment. The appearance of paint colours may vary depending on the lighting of the vehicle in the image.
The Audi S6 Sportback e-tron featured is not UK specification.
In the first video, Ben Spriggs wears: suit, Gant; knitted polo, Dunst; loafers, Grenson. In the second, he wears:jacket, Mr P; grey jumper, Studio Nicholson; trousers, Nanushka; shoes, Russell & Bromley
Hollie Bowden wears: shirt and trousers, Studio Nicholson; shoes, Yume Yume
Ben Ridley wears: overshirt, Studio Nicholson; trousers, YMC; shoes, Grenson
