South of the Thames, behind an Edwardian-style redbrick facade in a row of very similar houses, you will find a surprising project – but no hint of it from the street.
This is the home of Mat Barnes, Cardiff-born architect and founder of Critical Architecture Network (CAN), where he lives with his wife, Laura Dubeck, and young children Aurie and Sidney. When they bought the house, it had been neglected for some time. But perhaps it was the building’s dilapidated condition that attracted Barnes (named by the Royal Institute of British Architects as one of its rising stars), because he saw the possibility of a radical renovation where he could flex his creativity.
