Stoke Newington House

This family terrace in Stoke Newington was reconfigured under the direction of Name Architects, who led the overall brief, spatial strategy, and architectural design. The project focused on bringing everyday living back to the ground floor, improving headroom, and establishing a direct connection with the garden.

The existing layout placed a low bathroom and utility at the rear, with the kitchen above and a lightweight conservatory beyond. This resulted in limited daylight, poor rear headroom, and disconnected spaces. The architect’s brief was clear and disciplined. Reorder the plan so the kitchen and dining space sat at garden level, recover height without unnecessary bulk, and introduce light deep into the centre of the house.

With floor lowering restricted by a public sewer crossing the extension zone, the scheme relied on careful structural coordination and minimised build-ups. Fluid Glass was engaged to deliver the glazing elements, working within the architect’s strategy to bring light and openness into the plan while maintaining a restrained and robust architectural language.

A structural glass roof introduces daylight into the centre of the plan on a tight and overlooked site. With limited opportunities for side openings, overhead light was critical to improving the quality of the ground floor. The roof works in combination with exposed structure and reduced build-ups, helping recover valuable headroom while allowing light to penetrate deep into the kitchen dining space.

The glass roof supports the architect’s broader approach of restraint and clarity. It provides light where it is needed without visual clutter, contributing to a steady ceiling rhythm and a clear reading of the space from front to back.

Full-width glazing with slim bi-fold doors opens the kitchen dining space directly onto a stepped garden terrace. The doors create a clean threshold between inside and out, allowing the main living space to sit directly on the garden.

When closed, the glazing maintains a strong visual connection to the outside. When open, it allows the space to expand outward, reinforcing the architect’s intention for the ground floor to function as a single, continuous zone. Slim framing supports the quiet detailing used throughout the project.

The completed house reads as one coherent space from front door to garden. Headroom has been recovered where it matters, light is introduced precisely where it is needed, and circulation is clear and intuitive. Materials such as clay plaster, oak, and solid composite surfaces reinforce the calm, functional character set out in the original brief.

The glazing elements play a central role in supporting the architect’s overall vision, helping transform the way the house is experienced while remaining disciplined, practical, and easy to live in every day.