Trelawn Road, Leyton, London, UK Mike Tuck Studio completed the extensive remodelling and extension of a 3 bedroom town-house in Leyton, London. The house was a typical Victorian terrace which had ‘good bones’ but wasn’t suited for modern family life due to the ground floor bathroom and a very small 3rd bedroom. Erik, a photography teacher and Rachel, a publisher of illustrated children’s books wanted to add space to the house but also dramatically change the quality of light. The rear of the house is south facing and looks over the Central Line and A12 road which posed the dual problems of noise and overheating. During a collaborative design process proposals emerged for a bespoke, robust timber framed glazed façade which could offer shading to the windows while allowing ambient light deep into the rooms. Quick hand-sketches were used to develop the design and convey the spirit of the proposals to the client. It was important that the roof extension and ground floor addition should speak to each other and be seen as a single piece of architecture, particularly given the prominence of the back of the house from a nearby pedestrian footbridge. Siberian larch and Douglas Fir timbers were chosen for their resilience to external use while being sustainably managed and easily obtainable. Internally the kitchen was a bespoke Ikea hack made from birch plywood which helped to keep the costs down. The client also manufactured their own bespoke concrete sink for the bathroom.