Angela Carter Close designed by Anne Thorne Architects

Built on what used to be the large back gardens of Victorian villas in the heart of Brixton, Angela Carter Close is a road newly renamed after the famous novelist. This development features nine timber frame two, three and four bedroom houses, with sizable front and back gardens.

A mark of Anne Thorne Architects’ working practice is continued consultation with the client and the local community, plus an understanding and implementation of cutting-edge sustainable practices. The consultation for this project centred around Boardbrook Broadoak Court which has shared access with Angela Carter Close.

There was concern that, although once a haven for drug users, the area of scrub proposed for development provided a measure of greenery, something existing tenants did not want to lose. This was in part addressed by using a sedum roof, retaining a green vista for those opposite, and the retention of as many existing mature trees as possible, including a very old and rare Mulberry Tree.

The most notable features of the buildings include a primary structure that is 200x50mm timber frame externally and separating walls that are 100x50mm timber frame, all of which is FSC certified and utilizes the blue Ultrajoist. The houses were made of prefabricated cassettes brought to the site and assembled, shortening installation time considerably and the shells of the homes were up in just nine weeks. Using prefabricated cassettes is a fast and accurate construction method which reduces any unwanted building materials.

The structures are highly insulated with Warmcell recycled newspaper creating a breathing wall construction.

The walls' breathable construction, using Panelvent as a rainscreen allows the internal moisture to exit naturally and wicks away moisture created when the hot air meets cold air. The system allows the building to breathe the moisture from the structure.

The insulation performs exceptionally well, achieving 0.18 U-value to the walls and 0.13 U-value to the roof and the PEFC timber window frames and double-glazing achieve 1.15 U-value.

The green roof has a layer of sedum blanket that works together with the gardens to increase biodiversity in the area, the overall planting totalling at least 32 indigenous species and the gardens even include a sanctuary for rare stag beetles! The sedum blanket consists of 13 species, which serves a number of purposes; each species has a preferred aspect to the sun and preferred rainfall, which means that there is sure to be at least one species that would thrive in each aspect.

Planting of the roof also created a small water attenuation system, slowing the passage of rain from the roof through to the rainwater drainage systems. In summer the roofs will retain between 70% and 80% of rainfall and in winter between 10% and 35%.

The landscape has a SUDS paving system, with 50% permeability allowing rainwater to drain slowly into the ground rather than more swiftly into London’s often-overloaded drainage system.

Other facets include water use reduction techniques such as a 220L rainwater butt made from recycled whiskey barrels, reducing clean water consumption.

Toilets are fitted with a low/dual flush system using between 2-4L with each flush, and taps have water saving flow restrictors. The bathrooms and toilets use a passive ventilation system which works on the stack effect, using the natural process of convection and uses no mechanical intervention making it highly energy efficient. This is especially beneficial within social housing projects, where energy costs can be a concern. In the larger houses, there are solar thermal panels on the roofs to heat water and which have large hot water storage cylinders.

A high standard of air tightness assists both the sound and heat insulation between the houses with an estimated SAP rating of 85, Band B that compares extremely favourably with the average UK home SAP rating of 46 and Band E.

Air tightness testing results of 2.3 air changes per hour will revise this figure upwards.

English Chestnut slats (from FSC sources) or render clad the walls and, to allow air circulation, they are fitted on battens and counter battens. English Chestnut is durable and resistant to beetles because of the high tannin levels, and is less expensive than Oak, making it a good choice for this project. The wood is detailed to allow air circulation avoiding rot and chemical treatment. Fitted to the façade of the homes are bat boxes. The environmental considerations do not stop here, Auro natural paints are used on the interior walls, the houses are provided with compost bins and storage space for recycling and throughout the development low energy lighting has been incorporated.

A scheme of this nature presents its challenges, particularly with tight planning restrictions. Sites within London are required to keep a minimum of 20m between windows in habitable rooms for a two-storey house and 25m for a threestorey house. To overcome this the crescent was designed with a variety of tall and smaller buildings. There was concern that the development should have some aspect of a mews design, which was incorporated to blend with other buildings in the conservation area.

Anne Thorne Architects was able to maximize the site with five different house types. The Villa development, which forms part of the project but is integral to a street of Victorian houses, was subject to even stricter demands by the planning authorities. Initially the requirement was for an exact replica of the existing buildings, however, restrictions such as access for disabled residents required a more modern interpretation on the existing style.

In contrast to a traditional build, the offsite prefabricated cassette system was quick to install but also forced the team to plan ahead meticulously to minimize waste. Building to Life Time Homes standards and ECO Homes EXCELLENT means plenty of storage particularly for bicycles and recycling, which also proved to be a challenging aspect of the build.

The answer, lavender roofs adorn the storage space making it part of the garden and preventing them overwhelming the remainder of the site.

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