An ash-wood staircase perforated with circular holes connects the two storeys of an Edwardian house in Lewisham, London, which has been extended by architects R2 Studio.
Ash House, which overlooks the River Quaggy, is surrounded by gardens mature trees along the river bank.

The extension creates more space for the living, kitchen and dining area at ground floor level, and provides new bedrooms above.
Vertical timber batons cover the exterior of the new structure, with a thin gap of shadow defining the horizontal split between the two storeys.

A full-height bannister of ash wood with circular holes punched through it lines the open side of the stairway connecting these two floor.
On the wall side a groove has been cut into the wood to create an inset handrail.
"The stairs are treated as a piece of habitable furniture, with partial views in and out," said R2 Studio.
The hole pattern follows the stair profile and includes larger holes along the eye level of both small children and adults," described the studio.

Floors, kitchen units, a large window seat in Ash House are also lined with solid ash and ash-veneered plywood, to contrast with the white walls of the rest of the house.

At the entrance a bold painted stripe of red cuts across the doorway, giving colour to the carpet and even a sideboard to define the threshold.

Built on an awkwardly-shaped triangular site, R2 Studio deliberately created "surprising sight-lines" from each room out to Ash ...