Discover this architect’s creative brick extension in north London

Architect James Beazer tells how he created the distinctive brickwork of Twist House – his home’s eccentric extension.

Image: Juliet Murphy

James Beazer had a grand idea to build an extension with a difference. This extension to his north London home is used as a garden room and references brick expressionism of the 1920s and 1930s. It has four twisting self-supporting columns, which give the exterior the feeling of movement.

Grand Design magazine’s Lee Gale spoke to him about how his creative concept became a reality.

Your extension looks like the punk offspring of the main Georgian building, was this the intention?

It’s a mix of things. The aim was trying to get the brickwork to do more. I wanted to design something sculptural.

Are architects not being creative enough with bricks?

There’s a resurgence of techniques but at the more sculptural end, there’s less of it. In previous eras, London was full of buildings with incredible brickwork.

The Fitzrovia area is a good place for this. You walk down streets and look up at buildings and it’s all around. The joy of more decorative buildings has been lost in recent times.