Loft Library Retrofit

Loft Library responds to the client’s brief to provide 40 linear meters of book storage for a two-storey end of terrace house in Walthamstow, East London. The construction of the house built in the 1980’s was brick cavity walls with a trussed rafter roof. The single pitch of the roof formed a space at one end of the loft which was not easy to access due to the proliferation of diagonal members in the timber trusses. As the client’s budget was limited, it was decided to work within the fabric of the existing building rather than create a new loft structure or extension. By replacing the diagonal truss members with plywood arches the Loft Library was formed with a stair access, small bench, shelves between arches and a study space at the end.

The material used for all surfaces was 18mm spruce plywood. For the curved arches detailed measurements were taken of the existing loft space by Arboreal, templates drawn in CAD and plywood elements cut precisely to size and shape by the CNC cutting service Cut & Construct. The plywood elements were provided to the main contractor as a “client supply” item and had screw-holes and item numbers cut into the material to ensure quick and easy assembly. Three vertical triple glazed windows were installed on the north elevation between the trussed rafters to provide light and rhythm to the library and study space. An additional window on the west elevation was installed to catch the warm evening sun.

Location: East London, Walthamstow

Property type: End-of-terrace 80's dwelling

Scope: Internal loft retrofit of a 1980s end-of-terrace house in Walthamstow, East London, reconfiguring the existing trussed rafter roof structure to create an integrated library, study space, and bespoke storage system using precision-cut plywood elements within the existing building envelope.

Key Features:

• Loft retrofit within existing 1980s end-of-terrace house

• Structural reconfiguration of trussed rafter roof

• CNC-fabricated 18mm spruce plywood elements

• Integrated 40 linear metres of bespoke book storage and shelving

• Combined library, study, and seating space

• Client-supply prefabrication strategy

• Triple-glazed north-facing roof windows

• Additional west-facing window

• Adaptive reuse of existing loft structure

• Digital fabrication workflow (CAD to CNC cutting)

Project Results:

• Transformation of underused loft space into functional home library and study

• 40 linear metres of fully integrated book storage created within existing footprint

• Improved natural daylight quality

• Efficient, low-cost retrofit solution

• Enhanced spatial usability of constrained loft volume

• Reduced material use and construction waste

• Improved thermal comfort and usability of loft space

• Successful conversion of roof structure into inhabitable architectural space

Photography: Agnese Sanvito