1850s house repair

It began in an unusual place: the internal finishes and fittings of the listed house had been stripped out, revealing the historic structure. The approach to reuse was guided by the building fabric that remained – including painted surfaces and the remnants of the Victorian house. Care and repair were as important as the new interventions. Lathes and breathable lime plaster were applied to the existing walls using historic techniques. Working closely with heritage-approved construction techniques and contemporary renewable building technologies, a new ground bearing compacted glasscrete slab was installed in the basement rather than using a carbon-intense concrete slab. Woodfibre insulation, which is breathable, was installed to the existing walls. Under a tight budget, paint is used as the main design tool. Historic features were reinstated (as required by the council) but were painted over in colour so that they were treated equally to other surfaces in the house. In the Grade II listed setting, the new interventions stand apart from the historic fabric. The footprint was not extended, rather new kitchen windows open fully onto the garden, with the new structure above. The new materials are reflective and contrasted with the textures of the Victorian house. In doing so, the house feels like a series of new, more energetic living spaces, with the reinstated historic elements as the background, rather than foreground, to the project.