The idea of communal living as an adult might fill you with dread. But with property prices still on the rise, South London architect, David Money has shown how it can be a great investment. By co-buying he has been able to create his dream home with an abundance of space to make sure each housemate has plenty of privacy. 

In September 2014, along with his friend Kane Chan, David's property search began. "We were looking for 1600-2000 square foot houses in the SE5 area in poor condition requiring a lot of work. This one had been on the market a long time due to severe structural problems, and the price had been substantially reduced," says David.

David and Kane bought 23 Calais Street, a 19th-century, mid-terrace, two-storey house for £750,000 in February 2015. "After planning permission and technical design work, the construction phase started in October 2015, with completion in September 2016," explains David.

When the friends first bought the house it was in a poor state. "The floors weren't level, walls were cracking and windows were rotten," says David. However, they saw the potential straight away to change the house to suit their tastes rather than putting up with what was already there. Overall the renovations cost £420,000.

David has transformed a string of old properties before, each time sharing the costs with co-buyers. "I do it for sociability and economics, as you can get a big house for the price of two small flats," says David. The architect designed Calais Street so that Kane and his partner, Donald, got their own self-contained section. Their mutual friend, Thein Win, rents the converted attic which has an ensuite bathroom.

Apart from the front facade, the pair decided to demolish the whole house and rebuild it using some of the salvaged bricks as seen in the hallway. "This was partly due to structural defects, but also to ease construction of the new open plan ground floor," explains David. A large span steel frame at ground level was installed so that they could remove the walls. The upper floor walls were then rebuilt from the top of the new frame.

"For four adults co-living we needed three generous bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms, plus a large open plan kitchen, dining and living space. A study for home working which can double as a guest bedroom was also key," says David.

From the communal living space, the sliding doors open up into the garden, which also brings light into the back of the long and narrow house. 

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One of the most important elements of the house was communal eating, and at the heart of this idea is the plywood kitchen with integrated appliances.

Plywood is used throughout the house. Its natural wood finish and raw-end grain gives the contemporary design a slight edge of imperfection and a lived-in quality. "We were looking for inexpensive materials that helped to reveal how the house was constructed. Structure can be a beautiful thing and we wanted to celebrate that," says David.

In the kitchen, a long concrete dining table is supported by a central steel beam. "Cooking for family and friends is a major part of our social lives, and so a big table capable of seating 16 people occupies the centre of the house. It's symbolic of our home and is constructed from a cantilevered steel welded to the building foundations. On quieter days half of the table reverts to a kitchen work surface," explains David.

The elongated layout of the house means that the central space could lack daylight, so the side return extension roof is fully glazed to bring in daylight to the darkest corners.

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A large window roof also sits above the first floor landing, meaning that more daylight can reach into the centre of the new plan, filtering down the stairs to the kitchen, and also through the glazed floor into the dining area.

A modern plywood staircase with vertical slats, which is David's favourite part of the house, leads to the first floor where there is a separate living area for his three flatmates. "It's the intricate spine of the house," says David. 

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The existing loft space above the front of the house has been converted into a bedroom with a separate shower room. which David and Kane's mutual friend, Thein rents. It has a stylish double bedroom and bathroom with a sandblasted glass pocket door, as well as views through a huge skylight.

Kane and his partner, Donald, share the first-floor bedroom, which has a private living space and shower room to work as a self-contained flat.

Even though the communal areas in the house have been kept neutral, the bedrooms and separate living spaces have standout palettes, inspired by Charles Eames' favourite colours of mustard, sky blue and pink.

At the rear of the house, another bedroom with a large single bathroom overlooks the garden. This is David's private living space and also has access to the mezzanine gym.

The house is full of quirky design ideas, including this unique multi-purpose plywood ladder and bookshelf which leads to a mezzanine gym in the rear room.

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The mezzanine level is illuminated via roof glazing and an internal window into the main stair space.

Original finishes are used in the house where possible. The brickwork has been left exposed and the existing floors have been reinstated, sanded and lime washed. The ground floor is in a polished concrete screed with underfloor heating and the kitchen worktops and dining table are in a matching concrete finish.

To secure the project, the friends have decided to stay in the house for a fixed period of time. "We've agreed to live here for a minimum of three years, and then if either of us wants to sell, then we'll do so," explains David. With the house now worth £1.6 million after the renovation, it's worth holding onto for a little while. All pictures courtesy of Taran Wikhu.