The Hackney House is a minimalist residence by the London-based architecture practice, Draper Studio. Located in East London’s Hackney neighborhood, the project updates a Victorian terraced house through a single-story rear and side extension designed to support the long-term needs of a growing family. Beyond creating additional space, the renovation also improves the home’s energy performance while being among the first in the UK to utilize stone bricks in place of conventional fired clay bricks.

The design focuses on adapting the existing house for the family, who had lived in the home for years, through a series of interventions. A rear and side extension reworks the ground floor while maintaining a modest relationship to the surrounding properties and preserving outdoor space. The extension follows a gentle S-shaped plan that responds to neighboring additions, while a rooflight positioned above the side return draws natural light into the interior. Inside, a flexible “galley-plus” kitchen layout is organized around daily use, with full-height pivot doors positioned alongside the preparation area, and a dining area designed to accommodate family meals and larger gatherings. At the rear, the extension’s distinctive basket-weave façade partially reveals a yellow surface beneath, creating shifting patterns of light and shadow that change throughout the day.

Rather than relying on conventional fired clay bricks, the extension utilizes limestone bricks manufactured from smaller stone blocks that would otherwise be unsuitable for larger applications. The result is a façade that is both visually distinctive and significantly lower in embodied carbon. Combined with lime mortar, the stone bricks are fully recyclable and contribute to a substantial reduction in the project’s environmental impact. Elsewhere, enhanced insulation, triple glazing, and upgrades to the building envelope further improve thermal performance, creating a more comfortable and energy-efficient home.

With Hackney House, Draper Studio continues its exploration of natural, self-finished materials while demonstrating the architectural potential of stone as both a structural and expressive building material. The project challenges conventional assumptions about residential construction, offering an alternative approach that balances sustainability and contemporary family living.