Recent Work
Heritage buildings. Heating done properly.
Vassall Road, Brixton
The challenge: A Georgian villa where the owners fell in love with the original floorboards and refused to lose them. Previous advice had suggested lifting the boards or installing conventional radiators — neither acceptable for a building of this significance.
Original floorboards preserved. Heat-pump ready at 55°C. Fully reversible.
The building
A Grade II listed Georgian villa on Vassall Road, Brixton. Original features throughout — including the floorboards the owners fell in love with at first viewing. Any heating intervention had to be invisible and cause zero permanent damage to the historic fabric.
The problem
The existing heating system was inefficient and inadequate for the building's needs. The owners wanted modern thermal comfort, but every option they'd been offered required compromise: lifting original floorboards for underfloor heating, or visible radiators that would alter the character of the rooms. A classic domino effect — the wrong early decision would have cascading consequences for the building's fabric, appearance, and value.
What we did
- Conducted a full heat loss survey accounting for the specific construction of the building — solid walls, original windows, draughts
- Assessed and optimised existing emitters, upgrading only where required rather than replacing the entire system
- Designed an underfloor heating solution using Ultra-Fin at just 6mm profile — sitting within the existing joists without raising floor levels or disturbing original boards
- Specified the entire system for 55°C flow temperatures — significantly lower than a conventional system and a clear step towards heat-pump compatibility
- Ensured every intervention was fully reversible — nothing permanent, nothing that can't be undone
The outcome
The owners have a warm, comfortable home with every original feature intact. The floorboards they fell in love with are exactly where they were — with a high-performance heating system running silently beneath them. The system runs at 55°C flow temperature, already well below conventional systems and a clear step towards full heat-pump compatibility.
St Paul's Church, Covent Garden
The challenge: One of London's most significant churches — Grade I listed — with heating bills spiralling and a congregation that dreaded winter services. The legacy system was high-temperature, expensive, and inadequate for the space.
Steady 25°C at just 45°C flow. Heat-pump ready. Dramatically reduced running costs.
The building
St Paul's Church, Covent Garden — designed by Inigo Jones, Grade I listed, and known as "the actors' church." A building of exceptional heritage significance with the heating challenges to match: high ceilings, stone walls, large volume, and intermittent occupancy patterns that make conventional heating approaches wasteful and ineffective.
The problem
The existing heating system ran at high flow temperatures, burning through fuel without delivering consistent comfort. The congregation was cold during winter services, running costs were unsustainable, and the church had no clear pathway to meeting its low-carbon commitments. Any changes had to respect the Grade I listing — the most stringent level of heritage protection.
What we did
- Conducted an independent analysis of the existing system — identifying which emitters were performing and which were limiting overall efficiency
- Modelled the building's thermal behaviour accounting for its specific characteristics: stone mass, ceiling height, intermittent use patterns
- Carried out phased low-temperature trials, progressively reducing boiler flow temperature while monitoring comfort levels
- Identified and addressed limiting emitters that were preventing the whole system from operating at lower temperatures
- Developed a clear, phased pathway to heat pump transition — each step building on the last
The outcome
The church now maintains a steady 25°C internal temperature at a flow temperature of just 45°C — low enough to work with a heat pump when the church is ready to make that transition. Running costs have dropped significantly. The congregation is comfortable. And not a single intervention has compromised the Grade I listed fabric of one of London's most important buildings.
