Low Energy House
Muswell Hill - London
Design: Architecture For London


An Edwardian terrace in Muswell hill was refurbished to create a comfortable low energy house.

Energy requirements are reduced dramatically by insulating, triple-glazing,  improving airtightness and with the use of natural materials, including Vicenza stone, timber and lime plaster rather than cement based products.

Grigio Alpi (Vicenza stone) has calm neutral tones and a subtle variety of texture and colour. The fossil fragments are very special and make the stone perfect for when it is to be seen up close in basins and worktops.

It is a tactile stone and walking barefoot over the underfloor heated stone is a delight.

“ We used the material primarily in a honed finish, which gives it a beautiful sheen, with the added character of a variety of fossilised fragments reflecting the light.

A bush hammered finish was specified to fireplaces and hearths to provide a subtly contrasting texture.

The finishing options and variety of processing / cutting techniques possible at the factory were all very impressive. The service offered and the shop drawings were very high quality, making the process as seamless as possible.

We decided to use the stone as a low embodied energy, natural alternative to polished concrete as it offers a similar neutral grey palette and we have been very happy with the result”.

Ben Ridley - Project Architect - Architecture for London.