Open flowing spaces and swathes of natural light are the organising principles behind this carefully considered, award-winning renovation of a school building in Forest Gate. Built in 1935, the building originally formed part of a local school and was used variously as a science lab, art department and canteen, before its transformation, at the hands of architectural design studio made with volume, into a beautiful four-bedroom house. Existing architectural features have been carefully preserved, including a dramatic concrete stairwell, metal balustrade, solid pine parquet flooring and perimeter floor tiling, resulting in an expansive two-storey house crowned with a newly created roof garden establishing sweeping views of the city skyline.

The Building

Originally built in 1935 as a school science laboratory, art department and canteen, the house has been converted from two independent flats over two floors into one single four-bedroom family home with a wildflower green roof and a private roof terrace. Attached to the original school caretaker’s Victorian house to the left, the property has been fully refurbished and restored to its former glory. Existing architectural features such as the concrete stairwell with metal handrails, solid pine parquet flooring and perimeter floor tiling have been lovingly restored, and new period-correct double-glazed Fabco steel windows have been reinstated.

The Designer

made with volume is an award-winning architectural design studio established in 2015 in east London. The practice specialises in designing spaces for people to live, work and relax in and uses a holistic approach to sustainability. Creative director Carlo Viscione defines the practice’s approach as focused on detail and the importance of balancing the old and the new. made with volume has a broad range of experience working on a variety of projects within the residential, public and commercial sector.

The Tour

From the street, the house presents a municipal façade; formed of red brick, concrete and steel-framed windows, set behind low-level wrought-iron railings and a small front garden laid to gravel with scattered shrubs, trees and planting. Perhaps the most striking feature of the building’s exterior is the sheer scale of the residence. Four large sections of restored Fabco steel-framed windows define the ground floor elevation, with five running across the length of the first floor.

Entry is via a large hallway where the internal proportions of the house become immediately apparent. Ceilings extend to over three meters on this lower level, which is given over to the sleeping quarters. There are currently three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a utility configured on this level, but the size and levels of natural light across this floor allow for a variety of alternative configurations. Each bedroom has built-in wardrobes, white painted cast-iron radiators and lightly frosted windows for privacy. The flooring consists of original solid pine parquet in a herringbone pattern, while the walls have been stripped back, newly insulated and finished in a neutral palette. The bathrooms have been finished with simple white tiles and hints of Carrara marble. In addition to the bedrooms, there are a number of large and highly practical storage spaces on this floor, including a bike cupboard.

A spectacular yellow staircase leads up to the first-floor communal spaces; there is also access to these spaces via the original staircase with black metal handrails at the opposite end of the plan. The yellow stair leads into the heart of the house on the first floor; the spaces are arranged in an entirely open-plan, capitalising on incredible levels of natural light from both the north and south aspects. The level of natural light all year round is the defining feature of these first-floor living spaces; welcomed across the plan from five large format steel frame windows on either side, these ‘rooms’ feel immediately open, bright and inviting.

A contemporary kitchen has been installed on one side of the plan. It has sleek dark grey units, which blend with the steel framed windows, arranged around a kitchen island with integrated appliances and a breakfast bar. Work surfaces are made of stainless steel, and splashbacks have been created using understated white tiles. Original quarry tiles have been preserved at the perimeter of the plan in this area, making for a more tactile and practical kitchen area. A dining room flows naturally from the kitchen; the current owners have used a long dining table beneath two pendant lights to define this area. A living room sits on the opposite side of the yellow staircase. There is a potential fourth bedroom on this floor, which is currently used as an office; the space is believed to have been a former teacher’s office.

Outdoor Space

The house has a beautiful roof garden, formed of composite decking, with raised planters dotted with mature plants and shrubs. The planters create walkways across this space and help to delineate certain areas for dining, sunbathing or reading. This space sits above all of the neighbouring houses and buildings and is wonderfully private. The tips of the plane trees that line Trumpington Road are visible along the western aspect, while sweeping views of the Olympic Park and the city skyline beyond lie to the south-west. For the more pastorally minded, there are views over Wanstead Flats to the east.

The Area

Trumpington Road is a quiet residential street a short walk from Leytonstone,  Forest Gate and Wanstead Flats, the southernmost part of Epping Forest. At the end of Trumpington Road, less than a minute from the house, are the railway arches of Winchelsea Road, which offer a range of thriving independent businesses, including the microbrewery Pretty Decent Beer, wine bar Burgess & Hall, craft beer and arts venue The Wanstead Tap, as well as a Scandinavian café, yoga and pilates space, local bakery and a restaurant.

This area has become increasingly popular in recent years due to its proximity to the expansive green spaces of Wanstead Flats, Wanstead Park and Epping Forest. At 330 acres, the forest is one of the largest open spaces in London, with rambling walks, biking trails and ponds. Wanstead Forest park, renowned locally for its carpet of bluebells, is positioned at the far end of the flats. Nearby Wanstead village has a range of shops, including three bakeries, a Ginger Pig butcher’s, a greengrocer, a fish monger, a Post Office, a delicatessen, a Gail’s bakery and a wide array of restaurants and pubs. There are also several “good” and “outstanding” primary and secondary schools in the area.

Forest Gate station (Elizabeth line) is a 15-minute walk and currently runs services to Liverpool Street via Stratford (for links to the Central line, Overground and DLR). Nearby Maryland Station is within a 20-minute walk and is on the Elizabeth Line, with direct trains running to Liverpool Street station in 10 minutes.

Council Tax Band: E

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.