Mazarin House

Mazarin House is a development of six two-bedroom flats in Woodford, East London, designed to maximise space, light, and environmental performance on a constrained urban site. The project combines a digitally fabricated timber structure with a rigorous approach to sustainable design, setting a high benchmark for low-carbon residential architecture.

The site sits within an unusual urban context, bordered by large detached houses from the 1930s to the south and west, and 1970s apartment blocks to the north and east. The brief called for a building that could mediate between these contrasting scales and typologies. In response, Mazarin House was conceived as a hybrid between a block of flats and a detached townhouse - combining residential density with the massing, proportions, and roof profile of its neighbouring houses. The width of the front façade aligns with adjacent properties, while the roof form echoes the double-bay houses typical of the area.

A non-orthogonal design strategy was adopted to optimise internal space, daylight, and views. Freed from a strictly right-angled plan, the building could respond sensitively to site constraints and neighbouring conditions. This approach enabled the construction of four storeys where only three had previously been possible, while carefully sculpting the building mass to preserve light and outlook for surrounding properties. All six flats benefit from south-facing, double-height living spaces and generous private balconies.

Sustainability was a core driver of the project, which was designed to meet the criteria of the Code for Sustainable Homes Level 4. High environmental performance was achieved primarily through the design and construction of the building envelope, delivering exceptional levels of insulation and airtightness.

The walls, floors, and roof are constructed from cross-laminated timber (CLT) panels, forming a continuous structural shell that can be easily sealed to eliminate air leakage. This uninterrupted envelope allows for a continuous layer of insulation, minimising thermal bridging and improving overall energy efficiency. In addition to its thermal performance, the CLT structure delivers substantial embodied carbon savings. While conventional steel or masonry construction would have generated approximately 150 tonnes of CO₂, the timber structure sequesters around 160 tonnes, resulting in a net carbon saving of approximately 310 tonnes.

The project’s complex geometry was enabled by the CLT construction system and a fully digital fabrication workflow. Panels were CNC-cut directly from a 3D model, allowing the non-orthogonal forms to be assembled on site from a precise kit of parts, ensuring accuracy, efficiency, and build quality.

This residential building was designed by Arboreal Architecture (architects) and KLH UK (engineers). It was built in 2014. Building is 4 storeys, 11m high and has got 605m2 of gross floor area. Structure is CLT core, CLT wall system and CLT ceiling slabs. External walls are made out of CLT walls – ventilated and covered with wood and plaster. Stairs and core are made out of CLT. Concrete foundation is a part of a structure picked in this case. Interesting thing is lack of flat oriented slabs under the roof – it creates a unique pattern of freely shaped spaces in non-orthogonal directions.

As featured at Archdaily.