Self-sustainable smart house

This was an unusual project particularly in the sense that we originally designed this new build house in 2006. Having considered downsizing, the clients decided that they were never going to find a place like this, with its great location and the quality of the house they moved into with their two young children at the time, now that their children had flown the nest, it was the natural thing to do. By evaluating the cost of the move and not wanting to compromise on the comforts already present in the house, they called us to adapt their beloved house into a sustainable smart home for the 21st century instead of moving.

The brief was to have a sustainable smart house with the necessary adaptations but without changing the soul of the house. The scheme included a complete renovation in which the heating and hot water systems were replaced by an air-source heat pump. Photovoltaic panels were installed on the flat roof to contribute to the production of electricity. All lighting was changed and reconfigured with LED systems, by our lighting consultants, London Lightworks. All windows were replaced with more efficient double glazed aluminium frames, with thinner profiles and better performance. All the bathrooms were replaced with large format porcelain tiles and new fittings, a new kitchen and appliances were installed and finally all the joinery was upgraded and even newly designed to match the new style of the house.

An important part of the design was the landscaping, which was completely rethought by landscape designer Lynne Marcus to create a natural environment with a variety of plantings and the addition of two outbuildings, one to house a gym as a yoga space and the other to be used as a ceramic’s studio.