“As we were designing it, we realised we had two significant others who weren’t going anywhere,” says Alexander Hills of his contemporary home, which he built and shares with Anthony Engi Meacock. Having been conceived as a two-bed, “it very quickly became a house for two couples.” Alexander and Anthony’s friendship goes back a long way: not only were their mothers friends, but their grandfathers too. “We’ve partially grown up together,” adds Alexander. So, when the young architects arrived at the same point in life – both wanting to design their debut building – they agreed it was, as Alex puts it, “the perfect opportunity to do something together”. Now, as the two couples outgrow the space and it comes on the market, Alex and Anthony reflect on both the joys and challenges of the project in our film.

Having recently graduated as architects, Anthony and Alexander were looking for a project that would allow them to create something special for themselves. During their search six years ago, they came across this awkward angular infill site on an 1890s terrace, which “ticked their boxes”, namely for its enviable Hackney location. (It’s a short walk to both Victoria Park and Hackney Marshes, as well as being close to the culinary hotspots of Clapton.) After they scored the 1,161sq ft space at an auction, the duo’s creative process quickly became “a game of looking at how to maximise the available space without compromising the light,” says Anthony.

From the front, the completed project could easily be mistaken for a two-storey terraced house – something the planning permission insisted. In fact, it has three levels, which is obvious when seen from the jagged rear exterior. “It’s much bigger on the inside than it looks on the outside – that’s something people always comment on when they visit,” says Anthony. The two couples have, after all, lived happily on a level each, while sharing the open-plan ground floor. Cleverly divided into zones with specific functions, this part of the home has been designed “so that you can be in the kitchen while someone is in the living area and not be on top of each other,” says Alexander.

Together, Alexander and Anthony have had to tackle numerous tasks, from the physical – such as fitting the tactile wooden interiors themselves (“moving timber is exhausting!” says Alexander) – to mental ones. “We’ve certainly disagreed on a lot of stuff,” he continues, but their disputes have always been resolved rationally. Meanwhile, Anthony says that working together encouraged them to “take risks”. That said, “I’d never build as much myself ever again,” he laughs. Watch the film now to hear the duo discuss the project in more detail. As always, happy watching – and don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel, so you can be the first to discover new episodes. If you’re interested in viewing the house for yourself, click the link below to see the sales particulars.