Victorian townhouse in Hackney transformed by Dedraft
A late Victorian townhouse in East London's Hackney is transformed by Dedraft into a modern home with an emphasis on light, materials, minimalism and quality of space
![AC Residence by dedraft](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/6HkMWjY9A6JZdrDLSzRWiM-415-80.jpg)
This radical transformation of a late Victorian house in Hackney, elevates a standard period property into a modern home with an emphasis on minimalist architecture, light, use of materials and quality of space. The architecture studio behind it, East London based Dedraft, took on the challenge to redesign the building's interior and add an extension to the structure that was previously divided into two apartments.
The clients – an investor and a singer – bought the property to create their dream family home, so the focus of the commission was not about ‘simply gaining more' in terms of square footage, stress the architects. The four level interior was therefore modernised and thoroughly rethought, highlighting a sense of space, natural light and design and material quality.
The clients were keen on textured, tactile materials that feel natural and functional. Corten steel and exposed concrete were on their list, so the architects obliged. The new build extension now is fully clad in weathered steel, which wraps around large openings that flood the tall ceilinged spaces inside with sunlight. A sculptural cast-in-situ concrete staircase becomes a monolithic centrepiece of the extension's interior.
‘To permit light across the floors internal openings were punched, enhancing the quality and volume of space, opening up spatial connections and directing the passage of natural light, inspired by the interiors of La Corbusier’s ‘La Roche House',' add the architects.
Clever level adjustments and a sunken sun terrace create a pleasant, light-filled basement level, where the kitchen and a family room are located. Main living spaces (including a reception and formal dinning area) are placed on the raise ground floor, while the upper two levels house the bedrooms.
The minimalist interior becomes a gently lit backdrop where the owners' art can be displayed. While a lush green garden space with a separate studio outbuilding to the rear ensures visual and physical connection with nature and the outdoors - even within the urban environment of East London.
INFORMATION
Wallpaper* Newsletter + Free Download
For a free digital copy of August Wallpaper*, celebrating Creative America, sign up today to receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories
Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).
-
‘Hedonistic and avant-garde’: Rabanne’s Julian Dossena on the legacy of the chainmail 1969 bag
Paco Rabanne’s 1969 chainmail handbag encapsulates the late designer’s futuristic, space-age style. Current creative director Julien Dossena tells Wallpaper* about the bag’s particular pleasures
By Jack Moss Published
-
Postcard from Paris: Olympic fever takes over the streets
On the eve of the opening ceremony of Paris 2024, our correspondent shares her views from the streets of the capital about how the event is impacting the urban landscape.
By Minako Norimatsu Published
-
The Mercury Prize nominees for 2024 have been revealed
Charli XCX, The Last Dinner Party and Beth Gibbons are amongst this year's nominees
By Charlotte Gunn Published
-
Tour the Natural History Museum’s new gardens, a Jurassic lark in London
The Natural History Museum in London has unveiled two new gardens, with resident dinosaurs, after a transformation led by architects Feilden Fowles
By Bridget Downing Published
-
Drama Republic moves into a colourful, handcrafted workspace in London
For the new creative HQ of production company Drama Republic, Emil Eve Architects remodels a warehouse into office space in London’s Holborn
By Léa Teuscher Published
-
Hideaway House in London features timber panelling inspired by the New York hospitality scene
The elegantly refurbished Hideaway House by Studio McW in London features timber panelling inspired by Philip Johnson’s The Four Seasons Restaurant
By Léa Teuscher Published
-
An Uxbridge annexe by Bureau de Change is a design for effortless intergenerational living
Uxbridge Bower, a residential annexe in west London, is a contemporary addition offering both privacy and connection for the needs of a family
By Tianna Williams Published
-
‘Modern Buildings’ tours south-east London through a guide to post-war Blackheath and Greenwich
‘Modern Buildings: Blackheath and Greenwich’ is a detailed survey of a London borough’s rich trove of new modernist architecture
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Triangle House invites you to its inner world of colourful surprises
Triangle House by Artefact is a private home in Epsom, outside London, combining Caribbean style, colour and functionality
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Tour the refreshed Saint Andrew Holborn: an icon reveals its crisp new interior in London
DaeWha Kang reimagines Saint Andrew Holborn church through a sensitive architectural solution that blends tradition and modernity in London
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
A Suffolk house by Studio Bark pairs a fresh visual language with low-energy design
Suffolk house Water Farm is off-the-grid but defiantly on the map, a bold new object in the landscape with a strong visual impact and minimal carbon footprint
By Jonathan Bell Published