Two homeowners in the London borough of Hackney sought to extend their double Victorian house, located at the end of a row of traditional terraced residences, to create a much-needed home office without compromising too much outdoor space. The yard, as it was, was interrupted at a very sharp angle.

Working from home, but lacking dedicated office space for their startup, the couple asked London-based architecture and design firm Yellow Cloud Studio to create a light-filled study that would allow them to host meetings while still leaving space for greenery and an herb garden in their backyard.

The architects proposed a very simple solution—a wooden triangle positioned in the middle of the backyard to host the study, distancing itself from the existing house by way of a generous, glazed passage, and with an elongated glass wedge inserted to take advantage of natural light from the only source of direct sunlight.

The open-plan design allows for numerous configurations, and provides ample space for a large desk and a meeting table.

"The project's choice of materials is very particular, and every decision was made based on the form and concept of the design," explain the architects. "The complexity of the structure had to be balanced out with a minimalism of materiality—plywood, timber deck. and glass."

The glazed passage provides bright access to the study space while offering space for a large, built-in bookshelf and a cozy reading corner.

A series of triangles play throughout the addition, with the light-giving glass wedge concluding in a large, glazed door leading out to the yard.

The new design creatively addresses the yard's limitations, brilliantly working with the available space and transforming it into a striking and functional renovation.

Project Credits:

Architect of Record: Yellow Cloud Studio Ltd., Eleni Soussoni & Romanos Tsomos

Builder/General Contractor: Rimi Renovations, Rimi & Mustafa Shehu

Structural Engineer: PGCS Partnership, Micky Girgis

Lighting Design: Yellow Cloud Studio Ltd., Eleni Soussoni & Romanos Tsomos

Interior Design: Yellow Cloud Studio Ltd., Eleni Soussoni & Romanos Tsomos

Other Credits: PWC Building Control Services, Andre Samson