A conserved old-city house turned into a café, keeping its timber balconies and courtyard and adding a quiet contemporary layer.
Peshawar’s old city is full of houses whose timber balconies and carved doors deserve a second life.
The brief
The owners wanted to keep the character of a family house they had inherited while turning it into a small café and gathering place.
The design
We repaired the timber jharokhas, opened the ground floor around a central courtyard and inserted a light steel stair that is deliberately different from the old fabric. New services were routed without cutting into original walls.
Materials and climate
Lime plaster, salvaged timber and brick were repaired using traditional methods. Warm, low-level lighting makes the lane glow in the evening.
