An east London family home by Freehaus packs a punch through simplicity
London architects Freehaus rethink a family home in the city's borough of Hackney through a balanced combination of minimalism, a material-led approach and clever interventions that respond to their clients' needs
![Freehaus Wilton Way house](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/DfDn5V6i4iv6VkHQM9HVah-415-80.jpg)
Victorian brick house redesigns are probably among the most common residential commissions for London architects; the latest house project by the small and dynamic north London studio Freehaus fits this category too. Approached to refresh and add to an early Victorian terraced house in East London's Hackney, the team, led by Jonathan Hagos and Tom Bell, has just completed this reimagining of a family home. The design appears modest, but packs a real punch in spatial quality, while ticking all the boxes when it comes to the clients' expectations.
‘The client had lived in the house for a few years before we were appointed and so they came to us with a really clear idea of what they wanted,' say the architects. ‘We wanted to create a home where the kitchen sits at the heart of everything and this was an idea which resonated strongly with the the family. With two young children it was also important that the kitchen afforded views throughout the ground floor, both internally and in the garden.'
The architects worked on opening up spaces in the communal areas, adding a kitchen extension (that includes a 720mm deep cantilevered floating kitchen drawer unit by design company Big Little Projects) and strengthening the connectivity of the ground floor's living areas and the garden; all spaces to be used by their clients – a young family of four – daily for play, work and rest. A fairly minimalist and crisp material palette of mainly oak and marble kept the overall aesthetic simple and versatile. The use of darker brick on the rear volume clarifies visually which parts are old and which new.
Even though the design appears fairly straightforward and effortless, and the typology feels representative of its genre in the context of London residential work, the project was not without its challenges. ‘Navigating the strict conservation area policy whilst meeting the client’s aspirations for maximising the extent of change to the property was challenging,' say Hagos and Bell. ‘Despite working methodically through rounds of pre-application advice before submitting our planning application, our design was eventually only granted consent after appeal.’
The firm is relatively young, yet the studio has already made its mark on the scene, recently winning exciting commissions such as London's African Centre, and the refurbishment of the historic headquarters of internationally renowned biscuit manufacturer, Bahlsen, in Germany. Houses are certainly not the practice's only focus, but it is a typology they do see potential in – of course, it also takes the right client to truly flourish.
‘Working on residential projects really has to be a collaborative approach for the outputs to be truly be successful,’ they say. ‘We want our clients to be an active part of the design discussion and feel like they're sharing in the authorship of the project. We were really fortunate that our clients, both working in creative fields, with a strong design sensitivity and were really engaged in the project, every step of the way. They brought many ideas to the discussion, a key example being the floating kitchen counter, which really brings a lightness and playfulness to the space.’
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).
-
Commune’s sustainable personal care products look ‘quite unlike anything else’
Commune’s Somerset-made products stand out in the sustainable skincare crowd. Madeleine Rothery speaks with the brand’s co-founders Kate Neal and Rémi Paringaux
By Madeleine Rothery Published
-
‘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
-
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
-
‘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
-
Westminster Coroner's Court renovation delicately blends moments of softness and austerity
Westminster Coroner's Court gets a refresh and addition, courtesy of Lynch Architects and artist Brian Clarke
By Ellie Stathaki Published