Wave Residence represents fourteen a.m.’s core philosophy of creating restorative sanctuaries for city dwellers.
This debut project—a two-storey Edwardian maisonette in London’s Islington exemplifies how urban homes can be transformed into calm, peaceful retreats that reconnect residents with nature and promote wellbeing.
The project involved a complete reconfiguration of a typical London terraced flat that previously suffered from narrow corridors, limited light in the basement, and disconnection from the garden.
Through thoughtful intervention, the space was transformed into a warm, tranquil sanctuary that combats the stress of urban living. Wave Residence sets the atmosphere for its residents to pause, take a breath, and enjoy each moment encouraging a slower pace of living and gratitude toward ourselves and nature. Visitors consistently remark on the “intense calm” they feel upon entering, a testament to the success of the design approach.
At fourteen a.m., we guide our clients on an architectural journey to create personal sanctuaries as our way of contributing happiness & mental well-being to the world. The Wave Residence embodies five key principles from Eastern philosophy, developed for our City Sanctuaries:
The Entry (玄關 - Sanctuary Portal): A choreographed entrance sequence that helps transition from the external world into a restorative space, with thoughtful compression and release of space, material transitions that ground in the present moment, and considered sightlines that reveal the sanctuary gradually.
The Living Space (和室 - The Room of Harmony): Flexible seating arrangements that encourage natural conversation flows that maintains clarity of speech while softening harsh sounds, and layered lighting that adapts to different social situations.
The Study (智域 - The Realm of Wisdom): Clean, light-colored walls for focus, desk positioned for optimal side lighting, and dedicated pause points (the tea-room) for contemplation—all designed to support both focused work and spontaneous insight.
The Bedroom (夢谷 - Chamber of Restoration): A thoughtfully designed floating ceiling creates warmer, dimmer lighting for restful ambiance, complemented by targeted reading lights for bedtime reading. Extensive use of curtains provides not only privacy but excellent acoustic properties, transforming street noise into distant rhythm. Concealed storage for daily items allows the mind to rest from visual decisions in this tranquil space.
The design intentionally limits the variety of materials to reduce visual stimulation, creating a cohesive and calming environment. Walls: Clayworks’ clay plaster in soft warm neutral tones; Joinery and Framing: Iroko timber, chosen for its natural variation in colour; Flooring: Jute carpet (lower floor) and stained pine flooring (upper floor); Bathrooms: Handmade terracotta tiles and tadelakt walls & ceiling; Custom Elements: Bespoke travertine moon light in stairwell.
Strategic reconfiguration of space, including relocating bathrooms to the centre of the home; Custom staircase with louvred iroko balustrade and open treads to filter light to lower levels; Seven-square-meter extension that maximizes function within conservation area constraints; Implementation of passive design principles to enhance natural light and connection to nature.
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