Hoxton Street III
London N1
Architect: Lynch Architects
Register for similar homesInspire me“Red brick, timber frames and birch plywood create warmth inside and serve as structural alternatives to heavily manufactured materials”
This unique two-bedroom house is located on Hoxton Street, a short walk from the shops, bars and restaurants of Shoreditch. Configured across four storeys, it was designed by Leonard Manasseh for the LCC in the 1970s as the street-facing focal point of the Arden Estate. The house, which has two large balconies, has been the subject of an ingenious extension in recent years care of Lynch Architects, who used the penthouse floor as their design studio for a number of years.
The Building
The aesthetic of the building, particularly the prefabricated penthouse addition, was developed against the trend of British high-tech architecture, which favoured layers of glazing and steel cross-bracing. Instead, a largely natural palette of materials has been used; timber frames and birch plywood ceilings not only create a sense of warmth but also serve as structural alternatives to heavily manufactured materials. The result is a series of flowing spaces that reflect the honesty and integrity of their materials.
The Tour
Entry is on the ground floor, where a staircase ascends to the first-floor communal areas. The L-shaped plan has been exploited on this level to allow for two large balconies; the west-facing balcony has the house’s defining external feature, a conservatory with a large vertical section of glazing above that extends to the second floor. The steep pitch of this glazed section not only allows wonderful levels of natural light to stream into the first and second floors, but also echoes the linear sections of glazing on the penthouse level. The conservatory is currently used as a winter garden and is a wonderful spot for breakfast year-round.
The kitchen adjoins the conservatory; this is a calm, considered space with birch plywood cabinetry and space for a dining area. Linoleum floors run across this level and beautiful exposed copper pipes run along sections of the wall. The balcony at the rear faces north towards the Arden Estate; it is accessed via a set of glazed doors which open from the living room.
The second floor contains two bedrooms and a family bathroom. The larger bedroom has plenty of built-in storage space, while the smaller has a large section of sloped glazing with wonderful views.
The penthouse makes up the third floor. Currently configured as a second living room, it also has a WC and a second kitchen. As per Lynch Architects’ instruction, it was constructed offsite and craned onto the existing structure, along with the many glass panes that run around its edge. Oak mullions frame each section of glazing, as well as breathtaking panoramic views of the city beyond. The windows and roof light open to create natural ventilation, while the rooftop lantern acts as a solar chimney.
The Area
The house is positioned on Hoxton Street, which was the centre of the Shoreditch furniture and carpentry trade in the 19th century. Today, Hoxton is renowned for its exciting mix of restaurants, bars and galleries, including Lyle’s, Rochelle Canteen, Shoreditch House, the Blue Mountain School and Victoria Miro gallery. The boutiques and cafes of Redchurch Street and Spitalfields are also nearby.
There are plenty of transport links within walking distance. Hoxton Station runs London Overground services; Liverpool Street Station provides access to the Central, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan lines, as well as nationwide National Rail services. Old Street Underground station is a short walk away, running Northern Line services across the city.
Tenure: Leasehold
Lease Length: approx. 91 years remaining
Service Charge: approx. £750 per annum
Ground Rent: approx. £9 per annum
Freeholder: Hackney Council
Council Tax Band: C
Please note that all areas, measurements and distances given in these particulars are approximate and rounded. The text, photographs and floor plans are for general guidance only. The Modern House has not tested any services, appliances or specific fittings — prospective purchasers are advised to inspect the property themselves. All fixtures, fittings and furniture not specifically itemised within these particulars are deemed removable by the vendor.
History
The existing red-brick building was built by LCC Architects in 1974 as part of the Arden estate in Hackney. Stylistically, it borrows from Scandinavian social housing, particularly in the use of slanted glass walls. For their third-storey extension, Lynch Architects referenced the pattern of the glazing to create a studio which, according to Grand Designs magazine, “is so in keeping with the existing buildings that it looks like it’s been there for years.”
In Architecture Today, February 2006, Chris Foges wrote: “The existing house is composed of a double skin of brick with floors on timber joists. With foundations specified to take the dead loads of a concrete roof and ring-beam, the addition of a new storey in kiln-dried softwood did not require any remedial action below ground. The frame was prefabricated in sections, craned onto the roof and erected on the existing parapet wall, which becomes a ply-clad sill on the interior. The racking strength of the ply sheathing compensates for an absence of cross-bracing, and close-spacing of the slender columns obviates the need for secondary glazing bars.
“Columns and beams have the same dimensions, resulting in a deep roof and fascia, which Lynch likens to a table top. The corners are treated as table legs and clad, like the fascia, in stainless steel, thereby resolving the Miesian dilemma of column junctions at the corner. The table cloth, in this metaphor, is the cladding of clear and obscured glass. Backed by either ply shutters or white-painted rigid insulation, it acts by day and by night as a varying patchwork of dark grey, orange and opalescent panels.”
The project has also achieved recognition internationally. The magazine L’Architecture D’Aujourd’hui wrote: “London is a city that is well acquainted with the construction of towers; they have transformed the outline of this city like no other. Through the addition of a new storey, architects Patrick and Claudia Lynch have brought about a metamorphosis of their home and place of work in the listed district of Hackney. This construction has two benefits: the original building, an ordinary 1970s house, has been extended while the architects’ studio now occupies a large space flooded with natural light.”
Lynch Architects is an award winning practice based in Hackney in London, run by Patrick and Claudia Lynch. Recipients of The Young Architect of the Year Award 2005, they were also exhibited in the official selection of the Venice Architectural Biennale in 2012, and in the Irish Pavilion in 2008. Their work ranges from individual houses and residential and commercial developments to arts and community projects. Working at a variety of scales, from master plans to interior design, they pay close attention to the social, ecological, historical and economic aspects of places. They believe that good design derives from the search for a poetic economy of means.
Patrick Lynch studied at Liverpool, Lyon and Cambridge universities, and Claudia studied in Dresden, Liverpool and London. Patrick taught at Kingston University in 1997-2003, at the Architectural Association in 2001-2003, and at London Metropolitan University in 2005-2007. Claudia worked for many years in the offices of Michael Willford and Partners and van Heyningen and Haward.
