Zero Carbon House
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Rear of the house showing the extension
Martine Hamilton Knight (website) Download Original
Extension and conversion of an end-of-terrace Victorian house into a carbon-neutral family home
The energy-efficient retrofit in Birmingham uses low energy materials and environmental systems to achieve Level 6 of the Code for Sustainable Homes. The existing two-bedroom red brick house has been transformed into a four-bedroom dwelling with a studio loft.
Internally, the volumes have been adjusted, however the original 1840 house is preserved more or less intact with the extension wrapping itself around the original build.
The studio loft benefits from sunlight that would otherwise have been obscured by the neighbouring house, and creates more space without further adding to the building footprint. The original red brick facade has been left exposed to differentiate between old and new.
Data
- Begun: Nov 2008
- Completed: Nov 2009
- Floor area: 204m2
- Sector: House
- Total cost: £350,000
- Funding: Private
- Tender date: Sep 2008
- Procurement: NEC open book
- Address: Birmingham, United Kingdom
Professional Team 
- Architect: John Christophers
- Client: John Christophers
- Main contractor: Speller Metcalfe
- Structural engineer: Shire Consulting
- Services engineer: LEDA
- Quantity surveyor: Allman Woodcock
Suppliers
- Triple glazed doors and windows: Green Building Store
- Rainwater harvesting: Rainwater Harvesting Systems
- Plaster : Ty-Mawr
- Ironmongery: Williams Ironmongery
- External render insulation: Stuart McEwan/Sto
- Doors : Classic Joinery
- Sanitaryware: Ideal Standard
