ECO ARCHITECTURE
SUSTAINABLE DESIGN
LOW-ENERGY RETROFIT
COSY HOUSE, SE22
What we love about this project:
I felt super excited with this project from the moment I read the initial brief asking for extraordinary design. Also, put in competition with 3 other more established firms, all known to me, it was a brief that stood out, and I was keen to win the job. After an extensive interview process, I received the call. They liked me and my approach the most and were as excited to get going as I was. The brief also included a ground-floor extension, possibly 2-storey, retrofit of the outrigger and the stable block, both particularly cold parts of the house. Later, the scope was increased to retrofit the whole house. It included a new heating system using an ASHP and demand controlled ventillation.
Our favourite design element of this job:
One thing that made the project particularly rewarding was the design process itself. My clients placed real trust in my expertise and were open to my guidance throughout. They were often as excited as I was with the ideas put forward, and this made it an easy collaborative process. That level of trust allowed them to get the best out of me and my team.
Low-carbon measures include:
The existing house is retrofitted using a combination of woodfibre or cork insulation and lime plaster, sometimes finished in a coloured clay. The extension was lined with a hemp block, sitting against a timber frame filled with hemp insulation and faced externally with a woodfibre board. This was finished externally in Brimstone Ash Cladding with lime render on the party wall side. Internally, it was finished with clay plaster, timber panelling and a stone floor.
The ceiling to the extension was lined with wood-wool (plasterboard alternative) and lime plaster finished with clay.
A feature re-purposed spiral stair leads to a mezzanine level and contemplative sitting area.
Our favourite low-carbon material:
The coloured clay plaster that we tried for the first time, which really enhanced the look and feel of the space, as well as having multiple health benefits. It truly balanced performance with aesthetics.
All photographs by ©FrancescoMontaguti
All photographs by ©FrancescoMontaguti
What our clients said:
“Our living space has been intelligently and imaginatively redesigned in a way that we could never have imagined, as a beautiful, inspiring and environmentally sustainable home.
Natalie gave us her full attention and brought to our project all of her experience and savvy. She also brought a network of other experts who have reached her exacting standard of delivery. We were really listened to throughout the process, but more than that, we were well-advised and our thinking was stretched to encompass new ideas and a wonderful range of possibilities. With Enbee, we had a shared objective of making something rather wonderful and totally environmentally sound. We are so pleased.”
SHARON & NICK, SOUTH LONDON
