Walmer Yard is a discrete and intricately crafted cluster of four interlocking houses arranged around a quiet courtyard in Notting Hill, London. Designed by Peter Salter together with Fenella Collingridge, the development represents the culmination of more than a decade of design exploration, experimentation, and craftsmanship. The houses reflect Salter’s unique approach to the design of spaces for living.
Each of the homes shares a common language, with four key materials. Concrete forms the walls, floors and ceilings, oak provides warmth through cabinetry and shutters, and cork flooring brings softness and comfort underfoot within the kitchens. Our clay plaster was used throughout to soften the impact of the concrete, enriching the atmosphere whilst improving acoustics, air quality and moisture balance.
We worked in close liaison with Peter Salter to produce a selection of custom clay finishes for the scheme. Each yurt-like living space is clad in our charcoal-toned Arakabe plaster, a Japanese technique that incorporates chopped fibres into the raw clay. The hand-rubbed surface reveals glints of straw that catch the light, as though it were gold reflecting against an acute light.
The project won the RIBA National Award in 2017.
Peter Salter and Fenella Collingridge
Guy Valentine and Shaw Building Group
