Revisiting a Deep Retrofit of a Grade II Listed Townhouse

We recently came across this article by Historic England revisiting one of Arboreal Architecture's earlier deep retrofit projects: the transformation of a 170-year-old Grade II listed Victorian townhouse in Clapham.

The project explored how a historic building could achieve a high level of energy performance while carefully conserving its architectural character. Through detailed building analysis, sensitive repairs and the use of natural, vapour-permeable materials, the home's space heating demand was reduced by more than 75%, while its long-term performance continues to be monitored through an embedded network of environmental sensors.

Completed in 2016, the project received the CIBSE Building Performance Award for Residential Building of the Year and remains an important example of how thoughtful retrofit can extend the life of existing buildings while significantly reducing their environmental impact.

Many of the principles developed through this work continue to inform our practice today. We continue to deliver ambitious retrofit and conservation projects, applying the same research-led approach to create buildings that combine heritage, low-energy performance and long-term resilience.