House Retrofit, Bloomsbury, London

A sympathetic internal remodelling, low energy retrofit and extension of a Georgian townhouse in Bloomsbury.

Behind the dark brick facade, selected to match the existing traditional brickwork, the new two storey rear extension was structured almost entirely in timber, providing a highly insulated, low carbon, lighweight solution.

The low weight enabled the extension to sit on a thin raft slab supported on existing historical brick arched vaults beneath the rear garden. This avoided the need for any additional foundations or substructural work, keeping both embodied carbon and construction cost to a minimum.

Architect: Prewett Bizley