"The project is a whole-house deep retrofit of a 1978 mid-terrace townhouse and is the first certified step-by-step Enerphit (Passivhaus standard for retrofit) in the UK. The 3 storey property was purchased in 2016 though only a very small budget was available to carry out building work. The first step in the phased renovation was completed in May 2018 with a resulting reduction in the space heat demand of 53%. The building work on the project has been largely carried out by the architect and has focussed on exploring the complexity and difficulty of step-by-step retrofit, on learning by doing as a way of informing best building practice, on specifying materials with low embodied carbon, on reducing construction waste, and on improving indoor air quality."
Harry Paticas, Arboreal Architecture
Project location: Honor Oak, Lewisham
Building completion date: On-going (step-by-step retrofit)
Building size: 97m2 TFA
Construction type: Masonry (solid and cavity), timber, steel, trussed rafters
Building use: Residential
Architect/designer: Harry Paticas
Contractor: Harry Paticas
Consultants: Martyn Long (structural engineer), Kym Mead (Passivhaus certifier), Enhabit (MVHR design)
Resource efficiency
Project highlight: The judges were particularly impressed with the resource efficient approach undertaken by the architect. Off-cuts of the internal cork insulation were used to insulate another whole room, helping to minimise waste and save costs.
The architect also engaged with product manufacturers to discuss recycling schemes for leftover materials. The ductwork insulation provider agreed to take back a number of off-cuts to be recycled, and are now planning to trial a widespread insulation returns scheme.
