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by Sean Hill on Nov 21, 2025
A Low-Energy Retrofit for Modern Living in Kensal Rise
Some houses whisper their limitations the moment you step inside. Corten House was one of them. A classic Kensal Rise property with solid bones but a layout shaped for another era: tight rooms, minimal daylight, disconnected living spaces, and thermal performance that drained energy rather than conserving it.
Our task was to rethink this home from first principles and transform it into a calm, spacious, low-energy environment built around the way families live today.
This is the story of how Corten House takes its place in the next chapter of sustainable London living.
The rear elevation of Corten House, where the warm-toned Corten extension frames the garden and connects the retrofit seamlessly to outdoor space.
Rewriting the Ground Floor - Creating Flow, Light and Connection
The original plan trapped each room in its own silo. The kitchen felt buried at the back of the house, daylight was scarce, and the connection to the garden was little more than an afterthought.
By reshaping the ground floor with a wraparound extension, we created a continuous sequence: kitchen, dining and living flowing together with clarity and purpose. Deep sightlines anchor the home. Daylight travels generously through the plan.
A built-in canopy reduces solar gain throughout the summer, cutting overheating while framing views to the garden. Winter light is welcomed in; summer glare is kept at bay.
Good design does the quiet work of comfort long before technology steps in.
The new kitchen and dining space at Corten House, shaped by natural light, earthy materials and a clear connection to the garden.
Building Upwards - More Space, Better Space
Corten House grows into a five-bedroom, three-bathroom family home arranged across three levels. The two-storey side extension adds breathing room where it matters, while the dormer extension unlocks the top floor with a new family bathroom and improved proportions.
The utility and pantry become proper working spaces rather than the usual afterthoughts. Each room gains purpose. Circulation becomes clearer. Storage stops being a compromise.
Space, used well, becomes a form of freedom.
Aerial view of Corten House, showing the low energy wraparound extension and Corten-clad dormer integrated into the original Kensal Rise terrace.
Why Corten? Material Honesty, Longevity and Carbon Logic
The rear extension and dormer are wrapped in Corten steel. It’s a bold move, but one grounded in both performance and sustainability.
Corten’s weathering surface forms a protective patina that removes the need for paints, coatings or cyclical maintenance. Its long lifespan reduces replacement cycles, which in turn reduces embodied carbon over the building’s life. Typical production values sit around 5.0-5.5 kgCO₂e/kg, but the real carbon benefit comes from the material’s longevity and the absence of repeat treatments or finishes.
For a retrofit focused on reducing whole-life energy and environmental impact, this matters.
Aesthetically, Corten brings warmth, texture and a grounded presence that sets the new architecture apart while harmonising with the solidity of the existing brickwork.
It signals a home that isn’t afraid to embrace the future while respecting the past.
A calm, sculpted bathroom designed as part of the AECB standard retrofit, with soft daylight and refined material textures.
Low Energy by Design - Targeting the AECB Standard
Corten House is designed to meet the AECB Standard, placing fabric-first performance at the heart of the project.
Key strategies include:
→ High levels of insulation to walls, floors and roof
→ Airtightness that enables predictable, low-energy comfort
→ Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery for fresh, filtered air
→ High-performance glazing to reduce heat loss
→ Solar management built into the architecture itself
These measures reduce operational energy significantly compared with a standard refurbishment. But more importantly, they create a stable, comfortable home that performs consistently in every season.
Sustainability is not an aesthetic layer here. It is the architecture.
A Home Ready for the Next Chapter - Designed to Evolve, Built to Endure
Corten House reimagines what an existing London terrace can become when design, sustainability and ambition work together.
It is a home that welcomes daylight, clarifies space and brings the family together in new ways. A home that cuts energy use while raising comfort. A home that will stand lightly on the planet over its lifetime.
In Kensal Rise, a familiar terrace becomes a low-energy blueprint for the homes London already has and the future it wants to build.
Building for the future
At RISE, we believe that a low-energy retrofit is far more than an upgrade. It is an act of stewardship - a decision to transform the homes we already have into places that honour craft, comfort and carbon responsibility. Corten House shows how a typical London terrace can evolve into a resilient, luminous home that serves both people and planet.
Thinking about your own retrofit or deep renovation?
Let’s explore how your home can be reimagined with purpose - and stand as part of a more sustainable London.
→ Email us at architects@risedesignstudio.co.uk
→ Or call the studio on 020 3947 5886
RISE Design Studio, Architects, Interior Designers + Sustainability Experts
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