Dezeen Magazine

A green aluminium-clad house extension by DeDraft

DeDraft completes green metal extension to east London home

Architecture studio DeDraft has remodelled a terraced house in east London, adding a kitchen extension clad in green aluminium panels that connects the interior with the garden.

Hackney-based DeDraft oversaw the modernisation of AR Residence in Walthamstow for an illustrator and librarian who were keen for colour to play a leading role in the project.

The green aluminium-clad facade of an extension by DeDraft
Above: AR Residence's extension is clad in green aluminium. Top image: it was added as part of a remodel of the Victorian terraced house

According to the studio, the project brief also called for brighter internal spaces, which led to the inclusion of large windows and skylights that bring in plenty of natural light.

The compact extension at the rear of the typical terraced property accommodates a kitchen and dining area lined with glazed doors that open onto an adjoining patio.

A kitchen inside a green aluminium-clad extension by DeDraft
Large windows were introduced to maximise light inside

"Given the small footprint, a single-storey addition at ground floor was added to meet the depth of the neighbour's rear addition," the architecture studio explained.

"Wrapping it across the garden between the adjacent additions, a series of interconnecting linear spaces was created from front to back and appears as a continuing theme on all floors."

A white kitchen in a London house extension by DeDraft
The extension accommodates a kitchen and dining area

The extension is clad in aluminium panels with a matt-green finish. The bespoke cladding features thick standing seams that introduce a vertical rhythm to the facade.

The patio comprises an in-situ concrete plinth that is level with the internal floor to create a seamless transition from inside to outside. Cast-concrete benches on either side extend out from the facade to the edge of the patio.

A white kitchen in a London house extension by DeDraft
Pine window mullions and Douglas fir roof joists are exposed in the kitchen

Inside AR Residence, lacquered-pine window mullions are aligned with the external standing seams to emphasise the structure's depth. The window joinery is echoed by the horizontal lines of the exposed Douglas fir roof joists.

A roof light slotted in between the joists casts natural light onto the dining area next to the windows. A further skylight is positioned above the hob in the kitchen.

The pared-back attic a terraced London house by DeDraft
A muted material palette is used throughout the home

A simple and muted material palette is used throughout the ground-floor areas, with large-format concrete tiles and sand-blasted concrete blockwork creating a robust and neutral backdrop.

Plywood-faced cabinetry adds natural warmth to the space and complements the timber structure. Exposed joinery details on the kitchen island and drawers create consistency throughout the space.

A bathroom lined with matt-green tiles in a terraced London house
The family bathroom is lined with matt-green porcelain tiles

On the first floor of AR Residence, a windowless bathroom was removed to make room for a new bathroom with a window at the rear of the house.

The family bathroom features matt-green porcelain tiles along with a Corian washbasin and matt-black brassware.

The oak staircase of a terraced London house by DeDraft
An oak staircase leads up to the converted attic

A new double-height stairwell illuminated from above by a skylight provides access to the converted attic space.

Oak stairs ascend to an open-plan space containing an illustration studio, reading nook and library. External windows facing to the rear of the building and an internal window onto the stairwell allow natural light to permeate through the upper floor.

The material palette and treatment of the attic echo the aesthetic of the ground floor, with plywood used to create a bespoke desk and shelving for the clients' book and figurine collection.

An attic studio in a terraced London house by DeDraft
The attic contains an illustration studio, reading nook and library

DeDraft was founded in 2010 by architect Grant Straghan. In addition to residential builds and refurbishments, the studio works on social housing, interiors, retail design, commercial fit outs and landscape design.

DeDraft previously worked on another extension project in Walthamstow, adding a rooftop box clad in weathering steel that will age to match the property's brick facades.

Photography is by Nick Dearden.


Project credits:

Architect: DeDraft
Contractor: BWP
Structure: Centrespace
Kitchen/bespoke joinery: Standforth
Studio joinery: Melons
Cladding supplier: Eltheringtons
Cladding installer: Carter Cladding
Concrete clockwork: Forticrete
Windows and doors: Velfac
Fibre concrete cladding (loft): Oko Skin via Purafacades
Rooflights: Sterling Build
Tiles: Tower Ceramics
Wildflower roof: Organic Roofs

More images and plans

The ground floor plan of a London house renovation by DeDraft
The ground floor plan of AR Residence
The first floor plan of a London house renovation by DeDraft
The first floor plan of AR Residence
The second floor plan of a London house renovation by DeDraft
The second floor plan of AR Residence
The roof plan of a London house extension by DeDraft
The roof plan of AR Residence
A section of a London house renovation by DeDraft
A section of AR Residence
The facade of a green house extension in London by DeDraft
The white kitchen of a house extension in London by DeDraft
A white and wood-lined kitchen in a London house extension by DeDraft
A white and wood-lined kitchen in a house extension in London by DeDraft
A detail photo of joinery in a kitchen by DeDraft
A white kitchen in a house extension in London by DeDraft
A white kitchen in a house extension in London by DeDraft
A green bathroom in a house renovation in London by DeDraft
A minimalist bedroom in a house renovation in London by DeDraft
A minimalist bedroom in a house renovation in London by DeDraft
A workspace in the attic of a house in London by DeDraft
The green aluminium-clad extension of a house in London by DeDraft
A workspace in a house in London by DeDraft
A workspace in a house in London by DeDraft
The green aluminium-clad extension of a house in London by DeDraft
The green aluminium-clad extension of a house in London by DeDraft