Family of Six Architects Create Eco Homes in SE London Garden
Something extraordinary happened in the Camberwell Grove Conservation Area in Camberwell, SE5 when a close-knit family of six architects, spanning three generations, all got together to transform a decaying and derelict historic house in Grove Park, and to create and build two breath-taking new eco homes in its vast garden.
Architect Niki Borowiecki explained: “Liz and I bought our Victorian semi-detached home 23 years ago in 1990 for just £210,000. It was steeped in a rich history, but it was a big old wreck, quite frankly, and money was tight, so it took over a decade for us to design and refurbish it, in between regular work and bringing up our children. No less than 20 years later, we decided to build a pair of semi-detached homes in its vast and under-used garden.”
By this time, Niki and his architect wife, Liz’s two children, Tom and Sarah, had grown up and both become qualified architects. With further input from Niki’s architect brother, Matthew and his architect mother, Magda, their dream began - to create something extraordinary and rather exciting in their garden.
The result is a fabulous 6-bedroom Victorian family house, which Niki and Liz still live in, and a pair of 5-bedroom, semi-detached eco-homes, called Springbank and Paddock House. Springbank was designed to become Niki and Liz’s dream home, which they will soon move in to. Its almost identical twin, Paddock House, is now finished and has been released for sale at a guide price of £2,000,000 through estate agent GJM Property.
Becky Munday, Head of Sales at estate agent GJM Property commented: “There is nothing like these houses in the area in terms of their character, specification or eco-credentials.
“What the Borowiecki family has done is a great example of high specification contemporary architecture, at the same time as creating much needed new homes in an area of exceptionally high demand. The fact that Paddock House is exactly the same green and luxury specification as the near identical one they built for themselves is a rare opportunity for whoever buys it.”
Paddock House is an extremely well lit and spacious 307 m² (3305 ft2) home, with five bedrooms, three reception rooms, and four bathrooms. The main features of the home are its striking combination of handmade brick and off-white render, and huge Iroko framed windows. The house is adorned by fabulous, show-stopping landscaped gardens on three sides, giving each downstairs room its own outdoor living space. There is also off-street parking for two cars.
Inside the house, the extremely high specification is immediately apparent, with the strong oak, stainless steel, limestone, porcelain and glass features. Built around a top-lit atrium, the interior feels light, spacious and luxurious. Special eco features include rainwater recycling systems, Lightfalls[i], a sunpipe[ii], a sedum roof[iii], bat boxes, bee hotels, solar thermal panels[iv], solar photovoltaic panels[v], mechanical ventilation with a heat recovery system[vi], a carbon-negative timber panel superstructure, low energy light fittings and underfloor heating.
Niki added: “To say we are thrilled with the result would be an understatement. We are extremely grateful and proud of what the whole family has come up with. Liz and I designed it as our dream home, but to have so many ideas and so much input from so many talented architects, within our immediate family, has been extraordinary and very special.”
Paddock House is in Grove Park, one of SE London’s most popular addresses within the Camberwell Grove Conservation Area. It is just 10 minutes’ walk (approx.) from Denmark Hill and Peckham Rye stations (Mainline and Overground zone 2).
Paddock House is for sale at a guide price of £2,000,000 through estate agent GJM Property. For sales enquiries, please telephone 020 7732 4330 or visit: www.GJMproperty.co.uk
For history and more details on Paddock House’s credentials please see PDF brochure attached.
Ends
For press enquiries contact: Julia Arnold at Sky Communications International:
Telephone: 01403 711 639 or email: julia.arnold@skycommunications.co.uk
Footnotes
For more details on Paddock House’s Eco features, please see the PDF attached.
[i] Lightfalls are wide slots that wash natural light from walk-on skylights above, down the full width of the basement rooms..
[ii] A sunpipe collects daylight from a diamond dome in the roof and directs the sunlight into the room from roof level using a silverised mirror-finished tube. It then evenly distributes the light around the room using a sandblasted glass diffuser.
[iii] A Sedum roof is a green plant roof covering, whose planting layers react intelligently to the changes and diversity of our modern weather patterns. They improve the environment and enhance the sustainable nature of buildings by keeping them warmer in winter and cooler in summer, they lower the use of air conditioning, reduce storm water run-off and provide a home for wildlife.
[iv] Solar thermal panels, provide up to 60% of the hot-water requirement in the house.
[v] Solar photovoltaic panels capture solar energy using photovoltaic cells which convert sunlight into electricity, which can be used in the house and also sold back to the grid. This is green, renewable energy which cuts carbon footprints and can save over a tonne of carbon dioxide emissions per household.
[vi] Mechanical ventilation with a heat recovery system brings clean air into insulated, air-tight buildings and removes dust, pollen, water vapour and odours. It also recycles 95% of the heat normally lost through ventilation.
Press Contact:
Julia Arnold
Sky Communications International
44 (0)1403 711 639
