Blue fibre cement weatherboarding and porthole windows give Goldsmith Mews, an infill housing block in Kent by London-based architecture practice Office S&M, a distinct “coastal character”.
Situated in the village of Chalk – known as a holiday and honeymoon spot for Charles Dickens – the new block replaces a site that once held derelict garages with four contemporary homes.
Seeking to move away from what it describes as the “generic suburbia” found in much of Chalk’s recent development, Office S&M looked back to the area’s historic weatherboarded cottages—common during Dickens’ era—for inspiration, which led to the use of pale blue cladding on the new block.
The project is named Goldsmith Mews in honor of Sarah Goldsmith, the first landlady of the Lord Nelson pub, which stood next to the site until the 1920s, further rooting the development in local history.
“The development channels both the memory of the site and Kent’s coastal character, while moving away from the area’s typical brick vernacular,” the studio explained to Dezeen.
“Kentish vernacular was characterized by weatherboarding, which would have been present when Charles Dickens stayed nearby, but much of this local character has now disappeared.”
“We wanted to revive this tradition in a fresh, contemporary way—acknowledging the past while pushing for the highest quality we can achieve today,” they added.
Goldsmith Mews is distinguished by an undercroft at the front, created by raising the first floor on pilotis. The sawtooth profile of the upper floor shades a storage and entrance area, with porthole front doors referencing the work of French modernist Jean Prouvé.
While the fibre cement cladding and metal roof above are finished in a pale blue, the ground floor is painted in a “buttery yellow” hue, which is also used for a horizontal band marking the first floor, creating visual contrast and cohesion.
“The selection of a contemporary dusty blue and buttery yellow palette was intentional, ensuring the materials are not seen as entirely traditional,” said Office S&M.
“This cohesive colour scheme connects the roof and walls, blurring the distinction between
