House Made by Many Hands

Tthe UK’s first building structure to specify limestone calcined clay cement (LC3) concrete, generating 30-40% less CO2 in production than standard Portland cement. The project demonstrates how a Victorian house can be transformed with substantially reduced environmental impact. Minimising use of steel, concrete and internal linings achieved a Lifetime Carbon figure 40% lower than if it had been built conventionally: 222 kgCO2e/sqm. The design was driven by a strategy of working with what was there, the carbon content of necessary new materials, their buildability and cost. A spacious kitchen for the chef client is the renovation’s heart, with new sightlines and increased daylight. Spaces are defined through considered placement of structural piers and changes in floor level. Glass doors connect the home office to a roof terrace. Timber structure was employed in place of conventional steelwork throughout, fully demountable at the end of life. Adopting a thoughtful fabric first approach, identifying the essential, retaining and repurposing usable elements, constructing cautiously, and interweaving old and new, were fundamental principles. Interventions were simple and low-tech. Where new materials were necessary, they are bio-based: hempcrete, cork, woodfibre, woodwool, and lime plaster. The client actively participated, helping to hand cast the exposed hempcrete walls. Fittings and furnishings, such as the timber floor reclaimed from Bow Magistrates Court, Mediterranean ceiling fans and refurbished lights, imbue the house with character. The project has been a testbed for LC3, a product which has the capacity to reduce global CO2 emissions by 1-2% if adopted universally. Using this new technology did not distract from the responsibility of making a unique home for the client, one that they enjoy as "lighter, roomier, more functional and more beautiful, whilst remaining true to our values.”