DETAILS
What A refurbished Edwardian house
Where London
Architect Architecture for London
Anyone who doubts the viability of refurbishing Britain’s porous old housing stock to bring it up to climate-friendly, energy-efficient standards should visit the gorgeous Muswell Hill home of Ben Ridley. The director of Architecture for London has reimagined his Edwardian end-terrace to prove just how much can be achieved when it comes to stripping a traditional property back to the studs and rebuilding it not only following strict Passivhaus principles (airtight and super-insulated) but in a way that also preserves and enhances its understated beauty.
“It’s a sort of test case study for my practice: can you do a low-energy house on a reasonable budget, in an ordinary London terrace?” says Ben. “So it’s a good example of that, as well as just a really nice home.”
When he bought the property in 2020 it was in a run-down state, which suited him just fine. “There’s no point buying a place that’s already nice and stripping it all out,” he reasons. “You need to really access the bones of the house to do a proper low-energy retrofit.” The planning stage was quick, with most of the work, including a small single-storey rear extension, covered under permitted development. The build by main contractor Construction Hub was interrupted by lockdowns, taking around 18 months in all, but Ben was able to move in at the start of 2022.
This story is from the September - October 2023 edition of Homes & Interiors Scotland.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the September - October 2023 edition of Homes & Interiors Scotland.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Escape EASTSIDE COTTAGES
This tiny house, full of clever architectural solutions, is hidden away in a valley near Penicuik
THE WRITE ANGLE
This glasshouse in Edinburgh was a necessary upgrade for two writers who needed an escape from family life
Turn back the clock
Sometimes we have to look back to step forward. This home was stripped of its ultra-modern interior - and it has never looked better
A place of our own
Bold, brave choices paid off handsomely when the owners of this Edinburgh flat decided to put their stamp on the place
REFUGE FROM THE STORM
Two hundred years of Atlantic gales reduced this cottage to a wreck. Now, though, the gently restored Mull bolt-hole has a brighter outlook
The starting point
As the first project of both its original architect and the one who would reshape it 150 years later, this little coach house in Argyll has been on quite a journey
MORE THAN SKIN DEEP
The beauty of this Edwardian home lies not just in its gorgeous surfaces, but in a full-scale retrofit that's made it as energy efficient as a new Passivhaus
SPACE TO BREATHE
Several ugly extensions marred this cottage in rural Aberdeenshire until a rethink gave its owners a simplified layout and much more eco-friendly home
MELANIE O'DONNELL - Ceramic artist
The best thing about creating ceramics is the way you can get lost in another world.
Reading LIST
Design that will stand the test of time is the focus of our latest batch of books, all of which deserve a prime spot on a very stylish coffee table