Hackney House

Satish Jassal Architects has designed a new five-bedroom, three-storey house on a backland site to the rear of an existing retail unit on Mare Street, Hackney, within the Clapton Conservation Area.

The project transforms an unsightly and underutilised site into a high-quality family home, creating a positive frontage and helping to define and enclose the rear of the urban block. The design responds not only to its immediate context but also to the wider masterplan for the adjacent St John’s at Hackney site, ensuring a cohesive relationship with emerging public spaces.

The building has been carefully arranged to address issues of overlooking and privacy, with the façade composition designed to minimise impact on neighbouring properties while orienting key views towards a new public square. This approach allows the house to engage positively with its surroundings while maintaining a strong sense of enclosure and security.

Architecturally, the scheme adopts a contemporary language that is sensitive to its conservation area setting, balancing contextual response with a clear and confident identity.

This project demonstrates how backland sites behind existing retail can be unlocked to deliver high-quality family housing, contributing to the repair and completion of the urban fabric.