Hackney architects | Residential architect projects

At GOAStudio London residential architecture we have extensive experience with working with the Hackney planning department and we are familiar with all the relevant planning policies that might apply for your home project.

Please see below links to some of our Hackney residential architect projects for ideas and inspiration.

Your brief requirements, the setting of the property, and the immediate context of the property are some of the factors that will determine what home alterations the Hackney planners will be prepared to allow. We will advise you about what is reasonable to expect to get approval, what might be tricky but possible, and what most likely the planners will say no to.

According to the HACKNEY SUPPLEMENTARY PLANNING DOCUMENT RESIDENTIAL EXTENSIONS AND ALTERATIONS – Approved April 2009 these are some of the key considerations that will determine the outcome of your planning application.

Below we have copied and highlighted extracts of the most relevant current policy and advice for your home project.

EXAMPLES OF SOME OF OUR HACKNEY RESIDENTIAL ARCHITECT PROJECTS – PLEASE CLICK THE LINKS BELOW FOR IDEAS AND INSPIRATION.

Summary planning and design guide | Hackney residential architect advice

Houses in Hackney

• Georgian

Hackney has a few remaining examples of housing from the Georgian period (roughly 1714 -1830) and some good examples are found at Cassland Road, Clapton Common, Stoke Newington Church Street, Sutton Place and in Mare Street. These generally demonstrate the typical features of the Georgian house, including gauged flat brick arches to the window and door openings, sash windows with slim glazing bars, a raised ground floor above a basement with a front area enclosed by wrought iron railings, steps up to panelled front doors with a fanlight above. The roof construction is a shallow double pitched roof with a central gutter, concealed behind a parapet, giving the street frontage a uniform horizontal line often embellished with a moulded cornice in stucco or stone.

• Victorian and Edwardian

The early period of Victorian housing development (1840-1860) reflected the picturesque Italianate style, intended to give as much architectural importance to each house as to the group or terrace. Houses from this period retain their richness of detail, including elaborate stucco door and window surrounds and a prominent cornice along the top of the façade forming a continuous roof line to the street. Houses of this type can be seen in and around Albion Square.

The Victorians wanted something different to the uniformity of the Georgian terrace and they gradually modified the concept of the Georgian house. Important changes saw the development of the bay window, at first at the ground floor only but later carried up to the first floor as well. This marked a move away from the flat wall plane of the Georgian terrace. Another innovation was the introduction of the pillared porch for individual houses, and a pitched roof with overhanging eaves. A further departure from Georgian architecture was the appearance of the sash windows, which changed as larger panes of glass became available.

This house type was developed into the basic housing form of the high quality suburbs that were built in the last quarter of the nineteenth century throughout much of central Hackney. By the turn of the century, the full development of the ubiquitous late Victorian and Edwardian period terrace was being built by the thousands all over London.

• Inter-War

Between the wars the terrace house continued to assimilate various styles including arts and crafts, and art deco or ‘moderne’. Typical features include open porches, two storey front bays with gabled roofs and stained glass windows to the front doors.

Hackney also has good examples of the two storey semi-detached house type from the inter-war period, with semi-circular front bays under tiled hipped roofs with deeply overhanging eaves, recessed porches and leaded light windows.

Design Principles: All Rear Extensions

• Rear extensions must be subordinate to the principal building, i.e. should be at least one storey lower than the eaves height of the building. Single storey extensions are preferable to taller developments.
• All extensions should comply with the 45 degree rule in order to avoid them becoming overly dominant and visually bulky resulting in over-shadowing and loss of amenity for neighbours.
• The size of the property and length of the rear garden is crucial in determining the acceptable depth of a rear extension. A rear extension should not result in a significant loss of amenity space.
• The original windows and door openings of the principal building should be retained where possible. Extensions should not infringe on existing openings that are to be retained.
• The form of the extension and materials used should normally reflect those of the original building.
• The solid-to-void ratio, such as the proportions of the doors, windows and other openings should be sympathetic to the original building.
• The prominence of corner properties and other properties whose rear elevation can be seen from adjoining streets and side streets will require additional consideration, wherever an extension is likely to affect the townscape.
• For listed buildings, and buildings in Conservation Areas, additional controls will apply and additional permissions may be required.
• Extensions and alterations will often have a wider impact than the immediate rear garden setting of a house. The resulting size, shape and height of an extension must take into account the basic design principles outlined above together with the following details.
• Terraced Houses, including end of terrace: the maximum depth normally acceptable is 3 metres provided a minimum of 50% of the back garden remains. Rear extensions to houses with very small gardens will be assessed on their individual merits. If the neighbouring house is set at a lower level or has a different rear building line then this depth may have to be reduced.
• Semi-detached Houses: the maximum depth normally acceptable is 3.5 metres provided a minimum of 50% of the rear garden remains. If the neighbouring house is set at a lower level or has a different rear building line then this depth may have to be reduced. The acceptable depth of any proposed extension will depend on the size of the existing garden as well as the size of the original property.
• Detached Houses: the maximum depth normally acceptable is 4 metres provided a minimum of 50% of the rear garden remains. Again, if the neighbouring house is set at a lower or has a different rear building line this depth may have to be reduced. The acceptable depth of any proposed extension will depend on the size of the existing garden as well as the size of the original property.

Design Principles: Side Extensions

• Side extensions should reflect the architectural conventions of the original building such as:

_The architectural symmetry and integrity of a building should not be compromised.

_Side extensions should be set back from the front building line by not less than one metre. In some cases a bigger set back may be required.

_Original windows and door openings on the main building should be retained where possible.

_The roof of the side extension should normally be of a similar form and subordinate to the roof of the main building.

_The solid-to-void ratio, such as the proportions of the doors, windows and other openings of the extension, should normally reflect that of the original building.

_Where possible, any original architectural features on a flank wall should not be obscured.

• Side extensions will generally be unacceptable if they:

_Exceed half the width of the main building and do not allow a clear space between the side of the extension and the boundary of the property. In certain circumstances if the proposed extension is blocking a significant view or gap then it will not be acceptable.

_Result in an unacceptable loss of daylight and outlook to neighbouring properties.

_Result in an unacceptable loss of external amenity space

_When combined with rear extensions, result in overwhelming the existing building and be unacceptably dominant.

_Proposals for a side extension on a building which already has a substantial rear extension may be unacceptable, and vice versa. Likewise, proposals which include both side and rear extensions may also be considered unacceptable.

• For listed buildings and in Conservation Areas additional controls will apply and additional permissions may be required.

Design principles: Rear roof slope extensions

• Dormer windows and roof-lights will normally be acceptable on rear roof slopes. The rear roof slope of the building is the most suitable area in which dormer windows and roof-lights can be added to an existing roof.
• Dormer windows to a rear roof slope should reflect the architectural character of the existing building and its neighbours in their form, detailing and materials. Dormers should be well spaced and positioned within the existing roof slope, set in from the party wall on each side and down from the ridge. Generally the width of a single dormer should not exceed half the width of the roof.
• As a general guide, dormers should be a minimum of 0.5m below the ridge, a minimum of 0.5m from the edge of any roof hip, a minimum of 1.0m above the eaves line, and the height of the dormer should be no more than half the height of the roof (measured on elevation).
• Dormer windows should not overlap or wrap around hips, or rise above the ridge line. Large continuous box dormers that span between party walls and extend up to the ridge line are not considered acceptable, as they give the appearance of a taller building with a flat roof.
• Where a number of larger rear box dormers already exist within the immediate vicinity then, subject to the criteria and limits set out in the following section larger rear dormer might be acceptable.

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