Haydon Finch Studio (HFS) are a RIBA Chartered architecture and interior design practice who specialise in designing and making beautiful, responsive, and enduring homes. The team produce projects with unique feeling and identity, from the historic to the contemporary.
Led by Henry Harker (ARB, RIBA) and Francis Keane (ARB, RIBA), the architecture and interior design team merge a wealth of experiences from a range of design-led practices in London, Dublin, and Los Angeles.
To produce design solutions that are both meaningful and viable, HFS carefully mediate between the client's brief, the qualities of a specific place and the complexities of the construction process.
HFS has an excellent track record for navigating complex planning challenges and working sensitively within Listed buildings. Haydon Finch Studio works with a core team of exceptional and experienced professional consultants to offer their clients intelligent and coordinated design responses.
To alleviate some of the typical project stresses for their clients, the Haydon Finch Studio team can offer a fully integrated architecture and construction service, alongside their sister contracting company, Haydon Finch Construction (HFC). The company's versatility and experience in the construction process also allows us to work in collaboration with external contractors.
Haydon Finch Studio believe that their passionate approach to design and their commitment towards healthier buildings and a greener future can yield lasting value and comfort for their clients and the way in which they inhabit their homes.
Architecture, construction, interior design, furniture design and project management
"We are not governed by a single style, instead our architectural response begins by listening carefully to our clients and looking for clues within a project setting. Our work is unified by a desire to make homes that are highly personalised, atmospheric, functional and built to last. We are a contemporary architecture practice with a deep knowledge of historic buildings and an exacting eye for detail."
"In the summer of 2020, Haydon Finch was appointed to renovate a wonderful 3-storey double-fronted Victorian terraced house in North London.
The client's project brief was to renovate the entire house, which was in a state of considerable disrepair, as well as providing additional bedroom spaces in the loft. Most significantly, however, they wished to unify the living room and kitchen spaces and to connect both rooms to a newly landscaped south-facing garden.
The concept was to open a double-height space from the rear living room, which offered a physical connection to the kitchen below. Haydon Finch Studio developed the design to create an articulated brick facade which offers a modern counterpoint to the Victorian facade, whilst respecting the stringent planning restrictions of the Crouch End Conservation Area. The key garden- facing rooms benefited further from the dropping of the lower-ground floor slab by half a meter.
A key challenge for the design team was to carve out the dramatic double-height space from the lightweight Victorian timber structure, whilst lowering the floor level below. The large expanse of glass to the rear was achieved using a slimline glazing system with solar-controlled glass to limit heat gains.
The interior design response was to respect the elegant proportions and detailing of the well-preserved primary rooms at the ground floor. The decorative Victorian entrance hall tiling was restored, and a modern oak-lined stair was added to provide direct access to the open-plan dining and kitchen area below. The new staircase landing incorporates a picture window to the garden, reinforcing the house's connection to the outside.
The resulting home is a light-filled haven in the city for the Client their young family. The bright voluminous spaces stand in contrast to the warmth and texture of the smaller living rooms and bedrooms, while the glow of carefully chosen architectural lighting creates intimacy and atmosphere as daylight fades. The combination balances moments of quiet drama with an abundant sense of calm.
The client chose to appoint our sister contracting company, so we are very proud to have designed, managed, and built this project as a fully integrated team."
Banner and images 3,5 and 8: Paul Highnam; Images 1,2,4 and 6: Taran Wilkhu
