Our focus on environmental performance informed all aspects of the design. Walls became thicker to allow the necessary levels of insulation, reflected in deep window reveals; homes are carefully oriented to gather natural warmth from the sun and reduce heating need; fixed shading devices to windows and overhanging balconies help prevent overheating; and an effective air tightness strategy including triple glazed windows.

Importantly, we wanted to make sure that these energy efficient homes are easy for residents to use. There are no complex controls or restrictions, and we considered practical things such as hanging pictures and shelving. Placing fixings through walls could compromise such an airtight building envelope, but we made adjustments to the build-up to ensure residents were able to do this without affecting airtightness.

In addition to sustainability concerns, our focus was to design a building suited to its context. The prominent corner provided an opportunity for height and the new eight storey tower, agreed by planners on the basis of its design quality, has become a landmark for the area whilst providing a large number of homes and excellent views for the new residents. The building then steps down to four storeys to match the scale of the neighbouring Victorian villas. Brick is used to respect the Conservation Area surroundings – a material not necessarily suited to a Passivhaus building, but, working carefully with our engineers and contractor, we achieved a solution which is important for future schemes in London – a predominantly brick built city.