Retrofit project of the year: London and the South

Sponsored by:

 

Bramley House is a 1930s block of 45 social homes in Notting Dale, north Kensington. The neighbourhood faces high levels of deprivation, persistent health inequalities and environmental challenges, including noise and air pollution from the nearby Westway section of the A40.

 

The retrofit of Bramley House is a collaborative project led by residents, the Bramley House Tenants and Residents Association and the Lancaster West Neighbourhood Team at the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.

 

This partnership has put residents at the heart of decision-making; they have shaped priorities, scrutinised design proposals and tender evaluations, taken part in site visits, and worked directly with the project team to ensure the retrofit reflects their needs and aspirations.

 

The retrofit itself combines deep energy efficiency upgrades with improvements that enhance safety, usability and communal life. Homes now benefit from better insulation, triple glazing, upgraded heating and ventilation, solar panels and a new green roof. The project demonstrates that climate action in social housing must be done with communities, not to them – and that when residents are true partners, retrofit can improve lives as well as buildings. 

 

The judges said:

“This project demonstrates the power of co-design in a building where investment based on retrofit can be turned into something meaningful that supports residents’ lived experiences”