Less is more in this east London house transformation
Whittaker Parsons crafts House for a Doctor, a sensitive and contemporary transformation of a former corner shop into a home in Bethnal Green, east London

Jim Stephenson - Photography
Most London home renovations involve building down or out, whether that’s adding a disco and home gym basement to a stucco pile in Belgravia or a kitchen extension to a Victorian red brick in east London.
Taking on the domestic remodelling of a former corner shop in Bethnal Green, architects Whittaker Parsons took a different approach. The architects removed a poor-quality extension, replaced it with a courtyard garden (including built-in bench and bee blocks), and set about making better use of less space in this east London house transformation.
Designed to accommodate three medical professionals working different shift (and WFH) patterns, the architects actually sacrificed six square metres of floorplan, concentrating instead on creating seamlessly connected working and living spaces that could easily be closed off for privacy.
East London house conversion for flexible living
Whittaker Parsons, founded by Camilla Parsons and Matthew Whittaker in 2015, was keen to use salvaged and affordable materials where possible. The house now circulates around a new, light-filled double-height entrance hall, lined with raw plaster, that reorientates the original staircase. Existing floorboards were hand-sanded and relaid, and the steps and structure of the staircase were carefully dismantled before being reinstalled. The new staircase offers extra storage, and space for a plywood-lined loo.
Meanwhile, the architects have picked up on existing dark green glazed tiles, which inform the design of the new bathroom, kitchen and glazing and provide a dramatic contrast with the raw plaster walls.
The architects, whose resumé includes the Gentle Monster London flagship store, have also ensured better insulation and energy use, installing new double-glazed timber sash windows, and insulation in the floors, loft and masonry walls within this east London house transformation.
‘The House for a Doctor project does more with less,’ the architects insist, ‘and demonstrates that through good design and careful construction we can create sustainable urban homes that can promote a sense of wellbeing.’
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
INFORMATION
-
A street-like Pune clubhouse celebrates the ‘joy of shared, unhurried experiences’
A brick clubhouse in Pune by Studio VDGA reflects the fluidity and openness of the Indian way of life with a series of welcoming plazas, courtyards and lanes
-
A 432 Park Avenue apartment is an art-filled family home among the clouds
At 432 Park Avenue, inside and outside compete for starring roles; welcome to a skyscraping, art-filled apartment in Midtown Manhattan
-
Kitchen Trends 2026: luminosity, colour, and unexpected materiality
These are kitchen trends shaping interior design in 2026, from collaborative kitchens to warm luminosity
-
The inimitable Norman Foster: our guide to the visionary architect, shaping the future
Norman Foster has shaped today's London and global architecture like no other in his field; explore his work through our ultimate guide to this most impactful contemporary architect
-
Shard Place offers residents the chance to live in the shadow of London’s tallest building
The 27-storey tower from Renzo Piano Building Workshop joins The Shard and The News Building to complete Shard Quarter, providing a sophisticated setting for renters
-
Kengo Kuma’s ‘Paper Clouds’ in London is a ‘poem’ celebrating washi paper in construction
‘Paper Clouds’, an installation by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, is a poetic design that furthers research into the use of washi paper in construction
-
Foster + Partners to design the national memorial to Queen Elizabeth II
For the Queen Elizabeth II memorial, Foster + Partners designs proposal includes a new bridge, gates, gardens and figurative sculptures in St James’ Park
-
Wolves Lane Centre brings greenery, growing and grass roots together
Wolves Lane Centre, a new, green community hub in north London by Material Cultures and Studio Gil, brings to the fore natural materials and a spirit of togetherness
-
A new London exhibition explores the legacy of Centre Pompidou architect Richard Rogers
‘Richard Rogers: Talking Buildings’ – opening tomorrow at Sir John Soane’s Museum – examines Rogers’ high-tech icons, which proposed a democratic future for architecture
-
At the Royal Academy summer show, architecture and art combine as never before
The Royal Academy summer show is about to open in London; we toured the iconic annual exhibition and spoke to its curator for architecture, Farshid Moussavi
-
This ingenious London office expansion was built in an on-site workshop
New Wave London and Thomas-McBrien Architects make a splash with this glulam extension built in the very studio it sought to transform. Here's how they did it