Pinzauer Concrete-Framed Pavilion Transforms Hampstead Home

This blog post examines Pinzauer’s sensitive and contemporary conversion of a Victorian townhouse in Hampstead into four apartments, known as the Maresfield Gardens project. It explains how the practice restored the building’s original residential function after its time as the Anna Freud Centre and introduced a concrete-framed extension that opens the interiors to the garden while respecting the Fitzjohns/Netherhall Conservation Area.

Design approach and conservation context

The project finds a balance between conservation and modern intervention. It reinstates the historic room layout and adds a new rear extension that stands out as a contemporary element.

The work involved removing later additions and bringing back craftsmanship and clarity to a building whose original character had been lost. Studio director Gonçalo Baptista described the addition as a “pavilion in the park,” expressing the aim to create a calm, geometric structure that complements the Victorian building.

The design reference to minimalist artist Sol LeWitt shaped the logic of form, repetition, and proportion in the new extension.

Material strategy and the concrete frame

At the heart of Maresfield Gardens is an exposed cast-masonry frame that serves structural and atmospheric roles. The architects chose to highlight the concrete frame, which brings rhythm to the rear elevation and channels daylight into the interior.

Exposed concrete helps to soften light and create a sense of calm. Its regular geometry contrasts with the irregularities of the Victorian structure, which is a deliberate part of the design.

Interior organisation and garden integration

Inside, the conversion restores the building’s residential logic around a central timber staircase. The historic room layout has been mostly reinstated, which is important when adapting former institutional buildings for domestic use.

The new rear extension turns the apartments toward the garden. Full-height timber-framed windows and sliding doors create direct connections to the landscape.

An elegant spiral concrete staircase links the garden level to a first-floor terrace. The terrace is protected by a slim steel balustrade, keeping the focus on views and material contrast.

Sunken studio and courtyard sequencing

At the lower end of the garden sits a sunken brick studio. It features exposed masonry and full-height glazing that frames views into two distinctive courtyards—one planted, one gravelled.

This arrangement extends the spatial experience of each apartment. It offers private outdoor rooms and a layered sequence from house to garden.

The studio’s materiality—brick and glass—creates a respectful dialogue with the parent Victorian building. The sunken position provides privacy and a sense of retreat.

This approach amplifies the notion of the site as a series of connected pavilions in a park-like setting.

Key takeaways for architects and clients:

 
Here is the source article for this story: Pinzauer transforms Hampstead home with concrete-framed pavilion