Verdant House / CAN

Architects: CAN
Area: 65 m²
Year: 2024
Photographs: Rick Pushinsky
Manufacturers: Accoya, AutoDesk, Bauwerk Parkett, Bespoke, Foresso, Linolie & Pigment, Muuto, Ted Todd
Structural Engineers: Foster structures
Landscape Designer: GRDN
Main Contractor: MxH Construction
Design Team: CAN
Local Authority: Hackney Council
Approved Building Inspector: Stroma
City: Stoke Newington
Country: United Kingdom

Verdant House, designed by CAN in Stoke Newington, London, transforms a terraced house into a nature-inspired home for a young family. The renovation introduces a glulam-framed side and rear extension, reconfiguring the ground floor into an open-plan kitchen and dining area that connects to the garden through a curved glass window and oversized glazed door. Full-height hemp fibre curtains and Douglas fir shutters create flexible living spaces. The design reflects the clients’ request for natural materials, incorporating a timber-led palette, a meadow-planted roof, and a green timber structure. The custom kitchen features a roof light with bolted trusses and IKEA cabinets fitted with bespoke chiselled oak fronts finished in linseed oil. CAN lowered the extension floor by 20 centimeters to enhance openness and installed striped oak flooring for texture. Exterior materials include hemp fibre cladding and breathable lime wash, with recycled timber terrazzo worktops inside. According to Mat Barnes, CAN’s Founding Director, the project aims for a soft, high-impact design celebrating natural materials and the clients’ personal style.

CAN has extended a terraced house in Stoke Newington, London, transforming it into a vibrant and functional home for a young family. Emphasizing natural materials and a distinctive design approach, the renovation reconfigures the previously disconnected ground floor into an open-plan kitchen and dining area, which opens to the garden through a bespoke curved window and an oversized glazed door. The clients sought a home that would reflect their growing family’s needs while embracing natural materials. Through their design expertise, CAN realized this vision, creating a nature-inspired space with a strong connection to the outdoors.

The original layout consisted of disjointed spaces, including a deteriorating conservatory facing the garden. CAN reconfigured the ground floor plan by introducing a glulam-framed extension at the side and rear, enabling a complete transformation of the living, kitchen, and dining areas. To introduce flexibility within the open-plan design, the architects incorporated full-height hemp fibre curtains and Douglas fir shutters, allowing the clients to open or section off spaces based on their changing needs. The clients requested design elements inspired by tranquil forest settings, which is reflected in the use of sustainable materials, a timber-focused interior palette, and a meadow-planted roof. The prominent green timber structure adds both visual appeal and warmth to the space, providing a low-carbon solution that aligns with the clients’ commitment to sustainability.

The heart of the home is now a light-filled kitchen, which captures the project’s nature-inspired character. This custom-designed kitchen features a roof light supported by bolted trusses and combines IKEA cabinets with bespoke fronts crafted by CAN from chiselled oak boards, stained with dark-toned linseed oil. The cabinetry highlights CAN’s expanding product capabilities, reinforcing their role as a multidisciplinary studio. To enhance the sense of openness without major structural alterations, CAN lowered the floor level in the extension by 20 centimetres. The flooring design is another notable feature, with CAN alternating differently toned oak boards in a repeating stripe pattern, adding a rich, tactile texture that complements the earthy material palette. A strong connection to the garden was central to the design. The west-facing garden is framed by a custom-built curved glass window, directing views toward the lush greenery and flooding the interior with natural light. Moreover, overhead glazing amplifies this effect by introducing additional light from above, enhancing the extension’s bright, open, and airy atmosphere.

CAN’s dedication to fulfilling their client’s low-impact brief is evident through carefully selected sustainable materials. The exterior features hemp fibre corrugated cladding, which will develop a natural patina over time, evolving in both color and texture. Breathable lime wash paint and recycled timber terrazzo kitchen worktops further emphasize the home’s relationship with its environment. These choices collectively create a space that balances practicality with distinctive design solutions. Verdant House highlights the architects’ ability to craft a warm, inviting environment where the clients can work, relax, and grow as a family, demonstrating CAN’s thoughtful and individual approach. Mat Barnes, Founding Director at CAN, stated: “The project was about creating a soft but high-impact design that is personal to the client and celebrates natural materials. Every part of this home is crafted with intention, from the trusses in the kitchen to the way materials and textures come together to create a space that reflects the client’s tastes and the way they want to live.”