Muswell Hill, Low Carbon House, N10

MUSWELL HILL LOW CARBON HOUSE, N10

What we love about this project:

This project is an adventure in retrofit possibilities. Starting with a wreck and with an equally passionate client, we have been able to explore, research and innovate to achieve the lowest carbon solutions we could find. With a whole-house responsible retrofit, three extensions, low-energy heating solutions including heat pump, MVHR, and solar panels, a sustainable interior with low to zero-emission materials and finishes, topped with an eco garden, this project has it all. We have Johanna Arhberg-Jackson to thank for this project, who suggested enbee to deal with the retrofit element and hence started a fantastic collaboration. We have dealt with the envelope, the design of the elevations, and the extension as well as overseeing the coordination of the job from post-pre-app to completion.

Our favourite design element of this job:

Difficult to choose, but for now; the extension.

Low-carbon measures include:

The existing house is retrofitted using a combination of diathonite, woodfibre insulation and lime plaster. Ceilings to the top floor are lined with wood-wool plasterboard alternative and lime plastered. The rear wall is rebuilt in timber-frame and full-filled with flexible woodfibre overlaid with a solid woodfibre board. The top of the extension is built from a timber-framed full-filled and lined with woodfibre.

Our favourite low-carbon material:

All the plant-based materials because they lock the carbon they took out of the atmosphere when they grew for the duration of their life within the building.

Retrofit measures include:

All the insulation measures above are combined with an air-source heat pump, solar panels, and an MHVR ventilation system. The airtightness layer is a combination of the diathonite layer, Smartply OSB and airtightness tapes.

UNDER CONSTRUCTION