Joe Burke bookends 1960s London terrace with compact brick home

Architect Joe Burke has completed Leyton House, a self-built home in Leyton, east London, that bookends a 1960s terrace. The house occupies a narrow 4.5-metre-wide garden plot and features rough pale brickwork, boardmarked concrete, and a concrete plinth. Burke acted as client, developer, architect, and contractor while living next door. The interior is organized around a bespoke plywood staircase and storage wall containing a cloakroom, pantry, and bookshelves. A central dining area is flanked by an L-shaped plywood kitchen and a lounge opening to a rear garden. Upstairs, a skylit landing lined with pale brick connects two ensuite bedrooms. Finishes include white-painted timber ceilings, glossy concrete floors, and terrazzo bathrooms. Outside, a white-timber pergola overlooks a driveway and a standalone garden studio. A fence repurposes concrete shuttering. The design maximizes the narrow plot while remaining sensitive to the street context, and was conceived as a high-quality rental property using standard materials elevated through careful detailing.