Church Walk by David Mikhail and Annalie Riches

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In this movie by producers Living Projects, architects David Mikhail and Annalie Riches discuss how the close proximity of neighbours influenced the design of their Church Walk housing project in north London.
Mikhail and Riches live in the Church Walk scheme they designed and developed themselves, which has been shortlisted for this year's RIBA Stirling Prize and recently triumphed at the Housing Design Awards.
The terraced brick building contains three houses spilt over different levels and one apartment, each with access to outdoor space.
In the movie, Mikhail talks about the issues of building on a tight plot: "The proximity of the site to our neighbours meant that the building stepped down to be only two metres high."
He also explains how the zig-zagging geometry of the plan prevents overlooking from a nearby building that sits at a 45-degree angle to the site.
Riches discusses how they maximised the amount of accommodation on the small area of land by varying ceiling heights. "Whilst there are some low spaces where you sit down like living rooms and bedrooms, those are contrasted with having spaces like kitchens and dining rooms with very tall ceilings."
"The scheme is about trying to grab light and views where you can find them," she also remarks.
The homes are built on a brownfield site in Stoke Newington, the north London neighbourhood where Dezeen's office is based.