Footprint

This week’s AJ features the Manser Medal shortlist, which includes John Christophers’ Code Level 6 refurbishment of his own home in Birmingham which won an RIBA award earlier this year.

I had the opportunity to visit recently and was struck by the quality of this thoughtful project which does not come across fully in photographs, particularly the wonderful views out the back over deep rear gardens, the quality of light generally, the ingenuity which makes the rooms feel larger than the are and the visual delight in an unusual palette of materials with low embodied energy. Whether you like the architecture or not, there is much to commend in this project.

Mykon, a polycarbonate and aluminium ‘honeycomb’ panel, creates an airlock inside the front door

Hemp balustrade

Honeydew maple lining

Beautiful rammed and polished red clay floors made from material from foundation excavation

Glaster, a lime plaster with recycled glass

Recycled glass bathroom floors

Salvaged Arne Jacobsen ironmongery

Many spaces feel as if they are designed from the inside out (and for me are more successful internally). The top floor space under the PV laden roof is a home yoga studio to die for…

John presented the house as part of a well-attended debate at the RIBA a couple of weeks ago that deliberately contrasted two advocates of low carbon design: John and equally passionate Hamish Phillips of Green Tomato Energy (who has a Passivhaus standard refurb of a Victorian House on site in west London), with NIgel Barker of English Heritage and Robert Adam. Not much of a debate there…for me at least. I had met John before so the high point was hearing Hamish Phillips’ determination to find the business case in low carbon retrofit. It clearly does not mean refurbing every Victorian terrace to Passivhaus standard;  he sees his current project as a test case to establish what is the appropriate level of intervention for this housing type. Someone to keep an eye on.

Read more about John’s house on his website here. He is also an associate at Birmingham practice Associated Architects.

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