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A postmodern exhibition home designed in 1981, Pyramid House has been redesigned and upgraded for energy-efficient, contemporary living.
Originally designed for the 1981 Homeworld Expo in Milton Keynes, which featured 36 exhibition homes that showcased future trends in housing, Pyramid House has gained a new lease at life thanks to award winning architectural practice Khan Bonshek. The London-based practice completed the retrofit and refurbishment project for a young couple, updating the interiors for modern living while implementing a series of energy-efficient systems to make the 1980s house as green as possible.
Khan Bonshek reconfigured the layout of the house while preserving its postmodern character. Maximizing every inch of space, the team created a sequence of open, airy areas and cozy nooks throughout the interiors, from the sunken ground floor to the tapered, sloped roofs. The programs consist of living, working and resting places, arranged around a handcrafted spiral staircase topped with a skylight.
Removed partitions allowed the studio to establish a flowing sense of movement, especially on the open ground floor. At the foot of the staircase there’s a cozy library; this floor also contains the kitchen, dining area and living room, which open to a patio and a garden at the back. The two upper floors house the bedrooms and bathrooms as well as two guest sleeping areas and a bespoke sauna.
The architecture studio chose a restrained material palette for the project, combining warm timber with leather and tactile terrazzo. Apart from using natural materials, the team also implemented a series of eco-friendly systems that ensure a highly efficient energy use throughout Pyramid House. Examples include a ground source heat pumps, efficient ventilation, and a heavily insulated, airtight structure.
Transformed for contemporary living, Pyramid House now holds modern living spaces that optimize both functionality and comfort, without losing any of its postmodern charm. Photography© James Retief.
