Open Practice Architecture

When Rupert Scott and Leo Wood took on the development of an old garage site in southeast London, they had no intention of making the house their own. As the founder of Open Practice Architecture (@openpracticearch ), Rupert was well placed to take on design responsibilities. His plan was to tuck a modern, L-shaped home into the left-hand corner of the site. Utilising a palette of iroko timber and reclaimed London stock bricks, the new house would be set back from the road and situated around a courtyard garden. Sliding glass doors and large windows would connect the interior, both physically and visually, to the garden. “To help mitigate any planning issues, Rupert chose to stick to the original footprint of the garage,” says Leo. “We designed the home to the exact height and volume.” Rupert also took on management duties and Leo, founder of Kinder Design (@leo_kinderdesign ) assisted with admin, before tackling the interior design. Covid delays gave Rupert and Leo the chance to buy the 25m2 site next door. We decided to turn it into an annex, connected to the house but with its own exterior entrance,” says Leo. The annexe, which can only be accessed from the ground floor or the courtyard garden, is an integral part of the overall design. The timber-lined space houses a living area downstairs with a staircase leading up to an ensuite bedroom above. “The annexe is definitely the most interesting part of the house,” says Leo. After seven years and three build phases, Rupert and Leo’s contemporary new home was finished. Situated at the end of a gravel driveway, tucked away behind a set of gates, the residence is bold and beautiful with extensive glazing, modern yet perfectly in-keeping with its setting. Click the link in our bio to find out more about this stunning transformation. Words: Jen Grimble (@j_grimbley ) 📷: Ellen Christina Hancock (@ellen.christina.hancock ) & Lewis Gregory (@lewisgregoryphotography ) #selfbuild #renovation #conversion #extension #homerenovation #newhome #homeextension #homeimprovement #conversionproject #renovationproject #homereno #newbuild #homeinspiration

The Coach House by @leo_kinderdesign using our Ash floor planks and stair treads for floating stairs creating a calm interior for this light filled family home #ashflooring #ashengineeredflooring #ashengineeredwood #engineeredflooring #floatingstairs

Our next speaker is Rupert Scott - 12 years practical lessons in property development. Get your tickets now through the link in bio - or if you can't make it in person grab an online ticket so you can join via zoom (link to be sent out the day before the talk). The event is hosted and supported by @societybuilding Hopefully see you there! #developercollective #howtobeanarchitectdeveloper

We've just received these stunning photos from @openarchitecture , a talented architectural firm we've recently had the pleasure of collaborating with . Feature in the images are our signature oversized glass sliders, showcasing expansive, elegant panels that highlight their bold design

Last week, @openpracticearch and I opened up our home for two long days to a lovely film crew. We can’t say much about what is being filmed but there’s a design show landing stateside later this year and our home, that was once an old garage, is being featured. This was our first experience in front of the camera since we shot an episode of Grand Designs at the previous home we built (a former Gin Distillery), over five years ago. It is a great privilege to be able to talk about our work as designers and to open up our doors to the camera and crew, and share the place we call home. I can’t wait to see our home come to life on the telly in due course…! #designtv #granddesigns #homesonthetelly #openpracticearch #kinderdesign #homereno #selfbuild #architectdesigned #eastdulwich #southeastlondon #interiordesignsouthlondon

@houseandgarden had a chat with us about “what it’s really like to build your house from scratch” and @openpracticearch and I spilled the beans on all the things you need to be thinking about if you really do want to have a go building your own home. We discussed how long a project like this often takes, and how if a site doesn’t yet have planning, getting the advice of an architect, planning consultant or solicitor BEFORE you make a purchase is essential to minimise the risk. We also talked about how important it is to go and say hello to your future neighbours and tell them about your plans, particularly if you think your project might impact them, even if that feels a bit frightening. Have a read if you want to know more about the home we built for our family, and what our recommendations are for any potential self-builders out there. My brilliant husband Ru Scott @openpracticearch also specialises in helping clients that are looking to find and build a new home so do reach out if you have a project in mind. We always love sharing our experience and knowledge with people looking to do something similar. /article/what-its-really-like-to-build-your-own-house Have a great bank holiday everyone! Photo credit @ellen.christina.hancock #howtobuildahome #selfbuilders #kinderdesign #openpracticearchitecture #newbuildfamilyhome #eastdulwicharchitect #diyhomebuilder #architectdeveloper

Stainless steel, WOOD-E and MATT-E HOLTE Bespoke at Coach House, Dulwich! 💚 As both designer & architect and clients, the owners of this unique property were closely involved in bringing their vision to life. Achieving a ‘perfect’ fit with minimal use of fillers was a key consideration in the detailing and alignment. HØLTE supplied joinery beyond the kitchen in the living area, utility room and understairs study to create a cohesive ground floor. Get in touch via the link in bio. 📷: @ellen.christina.hancock @lewisgregoryphotography

Here are some nice shots of the outside of our home that make the Coach House look gorgeous in the sun, thanks to @ellen.christina.hancock who is an exceptionally talented photographer and very lovely person. @openpracticearch and I built the original house back in 2020-21, and it sits on two sides around a hidden courtyard. The house facade has been built using reclaimed London Stock bricks, and has large sliding windows on both sides. We built an annexe to one side of the house in 2023, and this has Iroko cladding along the top floor, to match the large Iroko door and window frames and shutters already on the main house. We wanted the annexe to sit in sympathy with the main house but also to be set apart by its use of different materials - being timber-lined on the inside and outside. Finding the right site for our home, getting planning to convert it from an old garage, and then building it has taken us nearly 8 years. And there’s still loads more that we would like to do to improve our home. So I would always say to anyone looking to build their own home (which may or may not need change of use planning permission prior to the build), is to make sure you’re prepared to be in it for the long-ish haul! #homebuild #himerenovation #diyhomebuilder #kinderdesign #openpracticearchitecture #eastdulwich #buildingproject #annexedesign #irokocladding

We thought we would share a slightly older project but one of our favourites. Enjoy! A conversion of an Old Gin Distillery in Whitechapel into a family home. Project Team Contractor: @evoke.projectslondon Architect @openpracticearchitecture Interior Design @leo_kinderdesign Photography: @dnbutler #oldgindistillerylondon #homesfeature #architecture #renovation #luxurydesign #builderslondon #constructionlondon #decorhome #design #interiordesign #londonarchitecture #londonbuilders #londonconstruction #londondesignandbuild #londonhome #lovetohome #modernhome #propertydevelopment #londonjoinery #bespokelondonjoinery #bespokejoinery #contemporaryhomes #modernhomes #commercialtoresidentialconversion #londonconversioncommercialtoresidential #londonconversion #designandbuildlondon

One thing that Ru @openpracticearch has always been brilliant at is finding clever ways to bring light down, through and into the homes that he designs. When we had the pleasure of filming Grand Designs at our last home (the Gin Distillery) Kevin McCloud famously called Ru the “master of illumination”, and I tend to agree! Beautiful and bright light is always such a tonic and we are so lucky to see so much of it throughout the many aspects of our home (not so much on a crappy dark day like today, mind). These photos are of the staircase and hallway which runs right through the middle of the Coach House. I love the view up to the white tongue and groove ceiling on the top floor, which is such a lovely detail for all the bedrooms to enjoy too. Photos by @ellen.christina.hancock and @lewisgregoryphotography #openpracticearchitecture #kinderdesign #husbandandwifeteam #coachhouseeastdulwich #microdeveloper #architectdeveloper #homerenovation #foresthill #eastdulwich #honoroakpark #southeastlondon #kevinmccloud #architecture #diyhomebuilder #londoninteriordesigner #homesweethome

We are proud to share images of our project "The Coach House" in East Dulwich. An amazing gem of a house, which transformed a former M.O.T. garage into a contemporary 3 bedroom home situated around a beautiful courtyard garden. This is the second project we have done with the super talented Architect-Rupert Scott & Interior Designer-Leo Kinder whose projects are always truly unique. Project Team Contractor: @evoke.projectslondon Architect @openpracticearchitecture Interior Design @leo_kinderdesign Photography @ellen.christina.hancock Stylist @dsweetstudio #homesfeature #architecture #interiordesign #renovation #luxurydesign #builderslondon #constructionlondon #decorhome #design #interiordesign #london #londonarchitecture #londonbuilders #londonconstruction #londondesignandbuild #londonhome #lovetohome #modern #modernhome #propertydevelopment #londonjoinery #bespokelondonjoinery #bespokejoinery #contemporaryhomes #modernhomes

Slow out of hibernation but Happy 2025 to all! Lots still under warps from 2024 but a few highlights working with wonderful, creative, kind clients and collaborators ❤️