Find an architect

Sewdley Street

Hackney

Project Details

£100,000 to £249,999

Practice

Matthew Giles Architects

Unit G11 , Edinburgh House , 170 Kennington Lane , LONDON , SE11 5DP

In Hackney, East London we have converted an industrial warehouse - a dilapidated Victorian building - into a house for a young city professional. In transforming the space, we understood the internal organisation of the building was the first difficulty to overcome. We proposed a physical connection between the front section (built in 2008) and main body of the building. This took the shape of an angled three storey cast in-situ concrete wall. The concrete wall provides a physical and visual link through the building both horizontally and vertically. From drawing a diagonal line on a floor plan, the concrete wall has become both a structural and visual element and is the driving force of the scheme. New glazing in the form of large fixed and sliding panels and windows have been introduced, further improving natural light and views. The ground floor was lowered and reinstated as an exposed concrete slab continuing outside to the front courtyard and rear garden. The original brickwork was retained, which remains largely visible throughout. The building is tactile and the practical arrangement of space and circulation has created a dynamic design with visual interest at every turn.