Completed : 2024
TEAM
Architect : A-Zero Architects
Giles Bruce, Phillip Toyin,Mizue Katayama, Shoichi Sado,Maria Despina Stasi, Nicolas Tome
Structural Design:
TALL Engineers
Entuitive Engineers
Contractor :
Blero Construction ltd /
BBC Construction
Photographs : Agnese Sanvito
View to the Thames
London, UK,
Adjacent to the river Thames, this new build development is designed to capture specific views to London. The building is conceived as two parts, a lower brick base built from bricks harvested from the original building which sat on the site, and an upper cantilevered volume, which mediates between the scales of the adjacent buildings. The project references its context in form, but is distinct in the materiality of fibre cement tiles, flush glazing and integrated photovoltaic panels.
Designing for a view
The site is sandwiched between low rising housing to the south, and a mock Tudor pub to the west. A detached dwelling that had existed on the site since the early 1900s had been completely overshadowed by a new development to the north. We questioned how a new development could get a view the view to the Thames, the Shard and the City, all obscured by the surrounding buildings. We hired a cherry picker to understand where the views were, and the orientation a building would need to be to capture them.
Building integrated renewables
This project innovates around integration of renewables. The chamfering of the upper volume provided the optimal inclination and orientation for the integration of photovoltaics with the maximum available solar radiation incident on its surface. The size of the PV panels became the module around which the entire superstructure was organised – with rainscreen panels, rooflights, and PVs all aligned to this common grid. The PVs are estimated to generate 32.4 kWh/m2/annum, or around 31% of the Total Delivered Energy required.
Unfolded facade showing setting out of fibre cement panels according to the module of the PV Panel
Adaptive Control
The south facing elevation, though optimal for PVs, posed a problem for overheating during the summer months. This can be generally addressed through natural ventilation, but a more robust solution was required to prepare for times when the occupants would leave - on work trips or long summer holidays. A series of timber louvres reflective to the outside were designed. The louvres can be installed and removed as required according to the season.
Sustainable architecture; Green architecture; Low-energy buildings; Passive house; Passivhaus; Zero-energy buildings; Net-zero homes; Energy-efficient homes; Eco-friendly homes; Sustainable design; Energy efficiency; High-performance buildings; Passive solar design; Thermal comfort; Airtight construction; Smart energy systems; Low carbon buildings; Energy-efficient construction; Renewable energy buildings; Building performance; Passive design; Triple glazing windows; Heat recovery ventilation; MVHR system (Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery); Thermal insulation; Insulated walls; Air barrier systems; Thermal mass; Green roofs; High-performance windows; Eco-friendly building materials; Natural insulation; Sustainable timber; Recycled building materials; Low VOC paints; Hempcrete; Straw bale construction; Mass timber buildings; Earth-based materials; Rammed earth walls; Passive cooling; Passive heating; Heat pumps; Geothermal heating; Radiant floor heating; Solar water heating; Cross ventilation; Smart thermostats; Solar shading; Natural ventilation; Solar energy homes; Solar panels for buildings; Off-grid solar homes; Wind energy for homes; Photovoltaic systems; Net metering; Battery storage for solar; Solar passive architecture; Renewable energy integration; Zero-carbon homes; Green urban planning; Sustainable city planning; Eco-friendly communities; Smart homes; Smart building technology; Urban sustainability; Green infrastructure; Low-carbon urban design; Resilient architecture; Biophilic design; Passive house standard; LEED certification; BREEAM certification; WELL building standard; Living Building Challenge; PHPP (Passive House Planning Package); Zero Energy Ready Homes; Cradle-to-Cradle design; EDGE certification; Home energy rating system; Prefabricated sustainable homes; Modular green homes; Prefab passive house; 3D printed sustainable buildings; Smart home automation; AI in architecture; Sustainable retrofitting; Carbon-neutral construction; Prefabricated timber homes; Water conservation in buildings; Climate-responsive architecture; Resilient building design; Sustainable water management; Green building lifecycle; Carbon footprint reduction; Adaptive reuse architecture; Urban heat island effect; Sustainable stormwater management; Eco-conscious construction; Environmental impact of buildings; Barking and Dagenham; Barnet; Bexley; Brent; Bromley; Camden; Croydon; Ealing; Enfield; Greenwich; Hackney; Hammersmith and Fulham; Haringey; Harrow; Havering; Hillingdon; Hounslow; Islington; Kensington and Chelsea; Kingston upon Thames; Lambeth; Lewisham; Merton; Newham; Redbridge; Richmond upon Thames; Southwark; Sutton; Tower Hamlets; Waltham Forest; Wandsworth; Westminster.
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