#PR-92/2
Common areas · One series for the whole development
Design project for London House common areas, 1,260 m²
Common areas · 1260 m² · Completed
About the project
Common area design for a business-class residential complex: lobby, gallery, hall, lift landings, typical floors and the car park, each space in the character of London House.
Client request
Every building in the complex is named after a major world city, and its interiors are a direct reference to that city. The studio was asked to design common areas that shared one concept yet carried distinct elements for each of the two buildings, London House and Milan House.
Challenge
Several buildings in the complex needed one design system for their common areas, and each still had to be recognisable in its own right. London House had to convey the reserve and rigour of its namesake city without turning cold, and to link the car park, lobby, typical floors and gallery into a single sequence.
Concept
The interior of London House is built on reserve and rigour, like the city itself. The lobby has a layered furniture structure with lighting that works on several planes; a graphite mirror the width of the wall opens the space up. The main hall is anchored by a living wall. The gallery on level 2 works as a multifunctional space for residents. Typical floors stay minimal, with the emphasis on clear wayfinding. The car park was designed with the same care as the formal entrance.
Result
The common areas of London House read as one measured business-class interior: a warm beige palette, graphite and copper lines, considered wayfinding and light that works on several planes. The attention given to the car park entrances and the washrooms raised residents' comfort there to the standard of the formal lobby.
Trust metrics
1,260 m²
Floor area
Zones of the project “Design project for London House common areas, 1,260 m²”
01
Lobby, level 1
Each building was designed as a whole: car park, lobby, typical floor and the gallery that links the two buildings. We begin with the level 1 lobby of London House: like the city, the interior is reserved and rigorous, and every detail recalls the standing of its namesake. For the lobby we designed a complex furniture structure with lighting that works on several planes at once, and a graphite mirror the width of the wall makes the space feel larger.
02
Gallery, level 2
The gallery joins the two buildings of the development into one sequence. Warm finishes, slatted timber and soft light give the space an intimate yet formal character. Terracotta armchairs and a note of greenery turn a transit route into a place to pause.
03
Washrooms
Both washrooms follow the language of the interior as a whole.
04
Lift landings
The lift landings keep to the graphic language of the floor: beige panels with copper lines, graphite portals and contrasting floor markings for wayfinding. Finding your way from floor to floor becomes intuitive, and the strict, recognisable character of London House is maintained.
05
Typical floor
We chose minimalism and concentrated on how the common areas work: clear wayfinding, and a great many small details that make the service rooms markedly easier to use.
06
Car park
We paid particular attention to the entrances from the car park, because the formal lobby should not be the only handsome part of a building. Good lighting, soft light on the decorative elements and a place to sit were all designed for the residents.
07
Car park corridors and waiting areas
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FAQ
Frequently asked questions about the project
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about the project
What zones are included in the common area design?
The 1,260 m² project covers the level 1 lobby, the level 2 gallery, the washrooms, a lift landing, a typical floor, the car park and its corridors with waiting areas. Here the common areas were thought through as carefully below ground as above it.
Why design the car park in full if it is a service area?
The car park is part of the route a resident takes from the car to the apartment, and the first thing they see after the street. In London House it was given the same principles of contemporary minimalism as the lobby: clean lines, considered light, waiting areas by the lifts instead of bare concrete.
What does a gallery on level 2 add to common areas of this size?
Across 1,260 m², the gallery works as the link between the lobby and the residential part, a transition that holds the scale and manner of the entrance. Without it, the step from a formal lobby to an ordinary corridor would be too abrupt.
How does contemporary minimalism in common areas affect the perception of a building’s class?
Minimalism reads as restrained quality rather than display, which is closer to what a business-class buyer expects. Plain surfaces and the same materials across every floor and the lobby give the sense of a considered product rather than a set of separately approved decisions.
How is the cost of common area design for 1,260 m² with a car park and a lobby worked out?
The budget is drawn up after the brief, taking in the floor area, the number of storeys and whether the car park comes into the project as a separate scope. London House shows that the underground and above-ground parts are costed together, but at different levels of detail.
Is the common area design done separately for each house in the complex?
Yes. London House and Milan House, in the same complex, have their own common area projects, although both cover 1,260 m² and share one style, contemporary minimalism. That gives the developer a single identity for the complex without copying one solution across every building.