Architectural studio CAN has completed the extension of a terraced house in Stoke Newington, London, with a design inspired by nature and a connection to the outdoors. The home’s once disjointed ground floor is now a thriving open-plan kitchen and dining space that flows into the garden via a bespoke curved window and large glazed door. CAN’s thoughtful transformation makes use of natural materials, greenery, and the color green to create a verdant extension.
The original ground-floor layout had a series of disconnected spaces and a conservatory in need of repair. CAN redesigned the ground floor by constructing a glulam-framed extension on the side and rear of the property, facilitating the complete reworking of the living, kitchen, and dining areas.
The studio lowered the floor level in the extension by 20 centimeters, thereby adding to the sense of openness and space.
“The client’s brief included tranquil forest references,” says CAN. “These are reflected in the inclusion of sustainable materials, a timber-led interior palette, and meadow-planted roof.” The vibrant green-colored timber adds tone and texture to the space and provides a low-carbon alternative, in line with the client’s desire for sustainability.
The home’s nucleus is very much its light-filled kitchen, “a space that embodies the project’s unique, nature-inspired spirit,” says CAN. A roof light in the kitchen is supported by bolted trusses made using standard 2x1 timber and described by CAN as having a “low tech, high impact” effect. The kitchen itself combines IKEA cabinets with bespoke door fronts designed by CAN.
The studio used differently colored oak boards for the extension’s floor, alternating them to create a playful stripe pattern. The inclusion of full-length hemp fiber curtains and Douglas fir shutters allows spaces to be either open or closed off. In addition to their functional properties, the materials chosen by CAN enhance the tactile quality of the newly built extension.
The home’s leafy west-facing garden (by landscape design studio GRDN) heightens the new extension’s design. The garden is framed by a custom-built curved glass window that creates a vivid connection between the indoors and outdoors and floods the interior with natural light. Overhead glazing complements the large window, adding to the extension’s bright and airy feel.
The use of sustainable materials is in evidence throughout the renovation. CAN chose hemp fiber corrugated cladding for the extension’s exterior. These fibers sequester carbon and provide a natural and aesthetically pleasing alternative to corrugated steel. The cladding’s natural quality will weather with age, adding to the extension’s character. Further examples of sustainable materials include the use of breathable limewash and recycled timber terrazzo kitchen worktops.
Reflecting on the home’s extension, CAN Director Mat Barnes says: “The project was about creating a soft but high-impact design that is personal to the client and celebrates natural materials.”
Gross internal ground-floor area: 65 square meters (700 square feet)
