An terraced house in Easton is to undergo an ambitious refurbishment which - if approved - could set an example of how Bristol’s old housing stock could progress towards net carbon consumption. The loft is to be converted into a 'solar sun space' with the roof to be completely glazed.
The design concept is in part modelled on the Earthship approach developed by architect Michael Reynolds. Earthships are designed to behave as passive solar earth shelters that could withstand the extreme heat of the desert and are made from natural or upcycled materials.
Architect Innes Wilkin hopes to use the same design concept that aims to maintain an indoor temperature of 21C but applied to the temperate UK climate. Unlike most eco-homes which are often new builds, the plans to renovate a terrace house in Easton aim to keep all the original features with the only change in appearance from the outside being the the roof.
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The glazed roof aims to create a sunspace that will keep the house warm during winter. The loft conversion is not designed to be a habitable space but a part of the house that can double up as a space where the occupants can become self-sufficient and grow their own food.
One of the potential issues could be that there will not be enough sunlight, especially in the winter months to heat the home. The architects behind the project believe that this will be overcome with the use of mechanical ventilation and heat recovery (MVHR) technology combined with the insulation of an air source heat pump.
In a recent Facebook post the architect, Jamie Innes-Wilkin asked for the public to show their support for the plans due to fears that the proposal will be rejected. If the project does go ahead, the architect hopes it will set a precedent for retrofitting Bristol's old housing stock that will inevitably impact carbon emissions and heating bills.
Mr Innes-Wilkin told Bristol Live: "Much of this research project is based on existing established strategies - insulate as much as possible and swap to low carbon heating sources (typically air source heat pumps). These are the key strategies that we should be applying to all the existing housing stock.
"This project does then go a step further in exploring ways that the heating demands on the house can be lowered – in this instance by capturing solar gains through the glazed roof (known as a sunspace) and using mechanical fans to transfer the heated air to the house. The concept of sunspaces is fairly established in new build eco-homes.
"I would argue in the current climate it is more important to focus on the existing housing stock rather than new builds and how to lower heating demands – both in the context of climate change but also the shocking predictions of what it will cost to run a gas boiler in the coming winters.
"The sunspace on the roof draws into the Earthship concept of using passive solar gains to control internal temperatures. It’s a novel interpretation of how we can take environmental strategies that are common for new build housing in the country side, but apply them to inner city urban dwellings.
"Ideally we’re looking to form a design-and-build company that can provide a one-stop shop for people looking to retrofit their houses to lower their carbon footprint. This is such an important part of the country’s net carbon goals yet there is very little out there in terms of someone offering a complete service to guide people though the steps.
"I would add that realistically the sunspace will not be the most economical option to lower the carbon footprint of a dwelling, this on-going project at the moment is not intended to demonstrate a ‘solution’ to the issue. Rather it’s a design research project to test ideas and see how successful they can be, takeaways from it can then hopefully be implemented elsewhere."
The closing comments of the brochure outlining the plan states: “The issue of climate change is one we all face in society together. This project aims to explore a novel way in which a small contribution to lowering the carbon footprint of a dwelling can be achieved.
"The design is unusual yet adds a certain charm and feature to the street scene, a unique building that emboldens the aims of its concept to create a greener world in so doing having a positive impact.” So far eight public comments have been submitted to the Bristol City Council planning portal, all of them in support of the plans. You can see the full details of the proposal here.
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