Rylett Crescent

Retrofit and extension of a detached 19th century solid-walled brick house in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham

Low energy, all-electric retrofit and extension of a detached 19th century solid-walled brick house

Low energy, all-electric retrofit and extension of a detached 19th century solid-walled brick house

A detached house has many obvious advantages over a terraced house, but whereas heat losses through the solid party walls of a terraced house are virtually zero, the side walls of a detached house need to be insulated as part of a retrofit designed to maintain comfort in the winter months.

Our client, a sustainability consultant, wanted to improve the winter comfort conditions for their family, while at the same time responding to the climate emergency in a responsible and meaningful way.

The result is an all-electric family house with a combination of internal and external insulation measures and all the other features used in our Passive House projects. New Passive House triple-glazed mock-sash windows were approved by the Council, and fit into the streetscape perfectly. The fine brickwork was lovingly restored with traditional rubbed lime mortar. The front door was built in Germany to match the local pattern, but unlike others in the street, it is double-sealed on all edges, insulated, triple glazed and utilizes multi-point locking via a single key. The main chimney was retained but thermally isolated.

The result is a pioneer house, demonstrating what should be rolled out across our solid-walled building stock by a responsible nation.

Photography was delayed due to the pandemic, with more to follow.

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