RIBA architects · Hackney, North & East London

Extensions, roof terraces and refurbishments for London homes

Most houses have more room than they seem to. We find it first, then add only what the house needs.

See our projects
Daylit kitchen and dining room under exposed timber beams and clerestory glazing at Albion Drive, Hackney
  • RIBA Chartered Practice logo
    RIBA Chartered PracticeRoyal Institute of British Architects
  • RIBA London Award logo
    RIBA London AwardsShortlisted for Albion Drive 2
  • Renzo Piano, ParisFrancis worked for the Pritzker Prize winner
  • Wilkinson EyreOver ten years with the Stirling Prize winners

What we design

Every project starts with a close survey of the house as it stands.

All services
  1. House extensions Rear, side and wraparound extensions, planned so the rooms behind them get better too. Timber-framed kitchen extension with diagonal struts and roof lights at Albion Drive, Hackney
  2. Roof terraces & lofts Terraces on flat roofs, rooms in the loft, and mezzanines in tall spaces. Sunny roof terrace with timber furniture and a parasol above Chelsea rooftops on Godfrey Street
  3. Back-to-brick refurbishment When a house needs everything, we strip it back to the structure and replan it room by room. Refurbished penthouse living room under a pitched roof with roof lights at Shelton Street, Covent Garden
  4. Garden studios A studio, office or den at the end of the garden, like the timber-clad studio at Albion Drive. Timber-clad garden studio with steel-framed glazing in a Hackney garden

Conservation areas and listed homes. Approvals in Chelsea, Covent Garden and Hackney, including a roof terrace won at appeal.

Our conservation work

Recent work

From Hackney terraces to a winery in the Douro valley.

All projects
Double-height kitchen and dining room with exposed timber beams and clerestory glazing at Albion Drive Hackney Albion Drive 2 Timber-framed extension, locally listed house Roof terrace at dusk with composite decking, outdoor seating and a lit timber privacy fence above Chelsea rooftops Chelsea Godfrey Street 3 Completed roof terrace in a conservation area Penthouse roof terrace with chequerboard paving, striped seating, olive trees and views over Covent Garden Covent Garden Shelton Street Penthouse refurbishment and new roof terrace Cedar-clad rear extension with a frameless sliding glass wall opening a white kitchen onto a stone terrace Stoke Newington Lordship Park Cedar-framed extension and full refurbishment Double-height living room in a converted schoolhouse with a black-framed glazed mezzanine and tall arched windows Bethnal Green Minstrel Court 2 Mezzanine in a converted schoolhouse Infinity pool in front of the rebuilt winery, with the terraced Douro valley beyond Portugal Douro winery Winery rebuilt as a family home

Francis Sumner, founder

Francis founded Theme2 after working for Renzo Piano in Paris, ten years at Aukett Europe and more than ten years at Wilkinson Eyre.

At Wilkinson Eyre he delivered Audi’s West London headquarters and the refurbishment of the Empress State Building. Theme2 brings the same rigour to houses, from a garden studio to a full back-to-brick refurbishment.

About the studio

From first call to finished house

How we work
  1. 01

    Feasibility call

    Free, 30 minutes. We’ll tell you what’s likely to be possible before you spend anything.

  2. 02

    Survey and options

    We measure the house and draw up options, from the essentials to the full wish list.

  3. 03

    Planning

    Drawings, statements and talks with planning and conservation officers. Appeals where needed.

  4. 04

    Technical design

    Detailed drawings for building regulations and construction, down to stairs and joinery.

  5. 05

    Construction

    We stay involved on site, so what gets built is what was designed.