House Retrofit, Bloomsbury, London

An eco-retrofit and partial remodel of a small North London terrace for a young family. As the extension of the traditional butterfly V-roof wasn't acceptable to the planners so a variety of plywood structures were incorporated within the existing building envelope to increase useable space. 

By removing the upper floor ceiling on one side of the house from front to back, the shallow roof void allowed for the construction of a raised sleeping deck with skylight to extend a child's bedroom over the hallway and a 'crows nest' study with new window suspended over the existing staircase to the rear and accessed by a new space-saver plywood stair flight.

To the rear of the house at ground floor a new projecting picture window box forming a reading bench was added to overlook the garden.

The retrofit included insulating plaster internally throughout, upgraded insulation and mechanical services plus PV panels over the butterfly roof, providing energy use reductions of around 75%.

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Architect: Prewett Bizley