Nina’s House

French+Tye

• Architects

In the heart of South Tottenham, a cold, leaky and uninspiring 1970s house has been radically transformed into a warm, energy-effi cient family home using predominantly natural, local or recycled materials. Designed by Nina+Co with ROAR, Nina’s House is a fossil fuel-free, low-energy home for Nina and her family, rich in tactile beauty. It is a prototype for, and a hopeful step towards more natural retrofi tting.

Wrapped in thick cork with soft, rounded corners, the home now stands out gently on the street — smaller than its neighbours, but full of soul. Passers-by often stop to touch the walls, struck by the texture, and conversations fl ow. Delivery drivers, school children, curious neighbours — all intrigued by the material, sparking moments of connection for the family with their wider community.

Inside, the once-fragmented ground fl oor is now open and fl owing, with zones for dancing, reading, and sharing meals. No extension was added; instead, the porch and small garage were brought into the thermal envelope, maximising what was already there. Budget and energy were directed towards improving performance: removing the gas supply entirely, installing underfl oor heating and an air-source heat pump, replacing ineffi cient glazing, and carrying out extensive insulative and airtightness work.

Where there was once a concrete driveway, now there’s thyme underfoot and edible plants to check on each morning. A garden once bare now grows trees and food. At the heart of it all is the kitchen — a calm, luminous space with a monolithic island made from rescued London plane. Tactile, grounding, and generously sized, the island is appreciated daily; the tree lives on, honoured.

It’s a full-time family home and workplace, full of purpose and feeling — with a technical backbone that quietly hums beneath the natural fi nishes. A place to live lightly, yet fully.

● The Cork:

The exterior is wrapped in 100mm of dark expanded cork, chosen for its carbon-negative credentials, regenerative harvesting, and minimal installation build-up. Cork trees regrow their bark after harvesting, sequestering more CO₂ each time. These forests are rich ecosystems and cork harvesting is a regenerative model worth supporting. The cork cladding is expected to last 15–25 years; beyond that, a lime render can be applied over the top to refresh the appearance and seal in the insulation indefi nitely.

● Other Insulation:

One wall, inaccessible externally, is insulated internally with a 60mm lime plaster containing cork granules. A combination of PIR underfl oor insulation, graphite-coated polybeads in cavity walls, and recycled plastic in the loft creates a robust thermal envelope. Sheep’s wool provides the acoustic insulation to internal walls and ceiling.

● Airtightness + Ventilation:

A huge effort was made to improve airtightness throughout using special paint and tapes and plastering up into the ceiling voids. An MVHR system brings fresh, fi ltered air into the home year-round, maintaining comfortable temperatures and good indoor air quality.

● Glazing:

Warped and ineffective PVC double glazing was replaced with a mix of high-performance triple glazing and innovative suspended fi lm double-glazing that is less energy intensive to produce and achieves a superior U-value of 0.4 W/m²K.

Joinery + Interior Details:

Custom joinery was designed by Nina and fabricated ultra-locally by Craftworks Productions using UK-made tri-ply board from British Douglas Fir. The kitchen island was crafted from a London plane tree that fell in Soho Square and was rescued from being chipped and burned by Fallen & Felled. A Smile recycled plastic countertop adds contrast and practicality around the sink. Timber offcuts were kept and used by the family to build more storage around the house.

● Interior Finishes:

Lime plaster, used as far as budget allowed, was left exposed and sealed with a VOC-free transparent glaze — an aesthetic and budget-conscious choice. Cork was also chosen for the fl oor. Floorboards lifted for structural works were kept and reworked into ceiling cladding.

● Garden + Landscape:

New trees and edible planting were added to the previously sparse rear garden. The front drive now features salvaged stepping stones and creeping thyme, offering a sensory welcome and a softening of the street edge.