The two-storey house, named No 49, provides a home for Stephen Davies, who is one of three founders of London- and Amsterdam-based 31/44 Architects.
It is located on an infill site in Lewisham, south London, on a street where Davies previously completed another self-build property, in 2011.
The plot is lined on one side with a typical Victorian terrace, and on the other comprises a random assemblage of fences, walls, mews and garage buildings. It was this mix that inspired Davies' design.
"The consequent, perhaps subconscious, reaction to the site was to assert permanence – to produce a house with significant visual mass that would begin to define the beginnings of a completed street," said the studio.
The house's main entrance is set back from the road, with planters, steps and gates to the courtyards creating a distinct threshold that echoes the eclectic series of structures and openings on this side of the street.
Grey brick was chosen for the walls, to complement the weathered London stock of neighbouring houses. A precast concrete lintel separates the two levels, while unifying various elements including the entrance, gates and upstairs window.