This project began with a modest, dilapidated early 1900s North London terrace house that needed modernisation. The client, who had a long-term vision, purchased the house and sought a home that reflected their heritage and personality while also being energy-efficient and environmentally friendly.

A dream home

“Mid Terrace Dream” became the working title for the project — here, a commonplace mid-terrace house was to be transformed into a dream home.

Collective Works designed a low-carbon deep retrofit using natural and healthy materials. It was key that the project exceeded building regulations regarding thermal performance, airtightness, and operational energy use. Additionally, it was important that the new kitchen and dining extension was more than just a box — the double-pitched roof and bold red dormer were approved on appeal.

A healthy, comfortable, and ecologically low-impact home

The warm terracotta colour palettes, textured tiles, and various natural timber finishes are a nod to both Scandinavian and Mediterranean design, reflecting the clients’ heritage.

Internally, low-VOC paint, wool insulation, and exposed timber were used alongside natural stone and textured interior finishes to resemble nature and produce a healthy home.

The property makes use of green, renewable energy, an air source heat pump, and Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery. The combination of a high-quality deep retrofit and green technologies has resulted in a healthy, comfortable, and ecologically low-impact home. The transformation extends the lifespan of a poorly maintained terrace house, yielding remarkable results on an ordinary house.

Siri Zanelli, Partner, Collective Works explains: “We designed Mid Terrace Dream using materials and light that evoked emotions for our client: specifically timber, terracotta, blush tones, and the beauty of wood grain. We don't look for timeless and modern, but rather seek to design something that provides a responsible and beautiful solution to a bespoke brief.

This young family’s home embodies their aspiration to provide a better future for their child. They specifically requested a healthy living environment, considering their family’s history of asthma and their shared responsibility to address the urgent climate crisis.  As a small practice with limited capacity, every project counts. When we work with ambitious clients whose values on climate and well-being closely align with ours, it's important that the results speak for themselves.”