Not every transformation needs a grand gesture. At Barnet Grove, a typical Victorian terraced house in Bethnal Green, we approached the brief as a process of careful adaptation rather than replacement. The house was reshaped by many small, considered moves rather than one big one.
Like most projects, it was shaped by overlapping constraints: planning requirements, budget, sustainability ambitions and the realities of construction. We see these not as obstacles but as the puzzle that gives a building its character.
Shaping daylight
The side return was where light mattered most. Our first idea was a single, continuous rooflight. During the design process, concerns about overlooking and security led us to revise it into a series of smaller openings.
Rather than settle for less light, we refined their geometry. Chamfered reveals set up a rhythm along the roofline and spread daylight more evenly through the interior. They also soften contrast and limit direct views from neighbouring houses.
More room without extending
The family needed more space, but we found it inside the existing roof volume rather than by adding to the footprint. A stepped platform and a small dormer redistribute height across the upper floors. Spaces now interlock between levels, making room for a compact four-bedroom arrangement.
Pragmatic, low-impact materials
We chose materials with the same practical eye. Breathable, low-impact elements such as wood fibre insulation and lime plaster sit alongside more conventional systems where those made more sense. The result balances performance, buildability and cost.
From site: a diary
January 2025: rethinking the outrigger. Reviewing the scheme with the structural engineer we often work with, a bold idea came up: take down the outrigger's first floor and rebuild it. It sounds extreme, but it would simplify service routes, allow fully insulated walls and roof, and replace heavy steel with an almost entirely timber structure. It would also mean better sound insulation between floors, and no temporary propping during the build.
May 2025: before a wall comes down. Our pre-start meeting set out the groundwork that clients rarely see: party wall agreements with both neighbours, a Thames Water build-over agreement, an asbestos survey (all clear) and a fire strategy. While demolition was underway, our fortnightly site meetings moved to a café on Columbia Road.
July 2025: opening up. Demolition was 80% done. The side extension was needled so the outrigger's flank wall could come out safely, and a new steel box frame began to go in at ground floor.
August 2025: the bones of the house. Ground floor steels and the new slab were in, new drainage was laid below ground, and the loft steels were on their way. Decisions moved inside: the clients chose alder for the skylight reveals and the cloakroom, and a soft yellow-grey for the new sliding doors and windows.
September 2025: testing colour. With the party wall complete and the roof being framed, we tested the window colour in a series of renders, comparing greys side by side against the brick before committing. The clients also asked us to keep the front room chimney intact, ready for a stove in the future.
January 2026: complete. The house was finished and handed back to the family.
The sum of the parts
Barnet Grove is defined by subtle adjustments in section, material and detail. Together they enhance light, space and everyday life, while keeping the character of the original house.
Contractor: John D Ltd. Structural engineer: Constant SD. Photography: French + Tye.