St Matthews, Lambeth, London, 2003

A multi award winning, unique energy efficient scheme by PRP ZEDFactor for affordable housing provider Presentation (now Notting Hill Housing Trust); this £1.5 million scheme provides 12 flats for keyworkers.

This pioneering project demonstrates how passive design and high levels of insulation can be used to reduce the demand for space heating to the point where the heating system is seldom required to operate.  It was achieved with a small cost premium over constructing to the Building Regulations minimum at the time.  The building has been designed such that it can be true zero carbon when the cost of photovoltaic panels fall to make installation economically viable.   The residents have seen benefits in terms of reduced energy billls as well as improved well being from living in a high quality apartment with good daylight levels and air quality.  Some residents have reported that their lifestyle has become more sustainable from living in a green apartment. The building demonstrates how good design can deliver attractive homes that were built affordably and can be operated economically.