Manchester Houzz Tour: Is This the UK’s Greenest Victorian House?
Think you can’t have a period home that’s also warm, dry and energy-efficient? Step inside this marvel in Manchester
Amanda Pollard
9 June 2019
Senior Editor at Houzz UK and Ireland. Journalist and editor specialising in interiors and architecture.
Senior Editor at Houzz UK and Ireland. Journalist and editor specialising in interiors... More
We often think of Victorian homes as difficult to heat, hard to keep damp-free, and not particularly environmentally friendly. But what if you could retrofit a period property to make it warm, dry, energy-efficient and good for your health?
That’s exactly what the team at UK-based environmental consultancy firm Ecospheric did, turning a Manchester house in the UK into the first Victorian home to pass the tough eco standards set by the German Passive House Institute.
That’s exactly what the team at UK-based environmental consultancy firm Ecospheric did, turning a Manchester house in the UK into the first Victorian home to pass the tough eco standards set by the German Passive House Institute.
Images by Rick McCullagh
House at a Glance
Who lives here: The home is currently on the market
Location: Manchester, UK
Size: A Victorian townhouse with five bedrooms and two bathrooms
Designers: Kit and Ellie Knowles at Ecospheric
Joinery: John George Fine Carpentry
Architect: Chris Rodgers at Guy Taylor Associates
This stunning Victorian townhouse and its neighbour were converted into apartments in the 1980s, so the aim was to bring back the original character of the building and to use modern technologies to make it environmentally friendly to the UK’s Passive House Plus standards.
First, the property was insulated with a product made out of recycled newspaper, and the thick layers on either side of the building can be seen here clad in copper. The pipes and guttering are made of copper, too, chosen for its durability.
House at a Glance
Who lives here: The home is currently on the market
Location: Manchester, UK
Size: A Victorian townhouse with five bedrooms and two bathrooms
Designers: Kit and Ellie Knowles at Ecospheric
Joinery: John George Fine Carpentry
Architect: Chris Rodgers at Guy Taylor Associates
This stunning Victorian townhouse and its neighbour were converted into apartments in the 1980s, so the aim was to bring back the original character of the building and to use modern technologies to make it environmentally friendly to the UK’s Passive House Plus standards.
First, the property was insulated with a product made out of recycled newspaper, and the thick layers on either side of the building can be seen here clad in copper. The pipes and guttering are made of copper, too, chosen for its durability.
The house had been modernised over the years, so the team reinstated the original features using both modern and traditional technologies.
The front door was designed by Ecospheric in the Victorian style with moulded panels, but it has modern thermal features to keep the house thoroughly insulated.
The letterbox is fixed to the wall at the side, which avoids having a hole in the door that could have led to issues when it came to pressure-testing the Passive House.
Also, most letterboxes are made of metal, which can cause problems with moisture. “An external solution bypasses all these issues,” says Ecosphere designer, Kit Knowles.
The letterbox is fixed to the wall at the side, which avoids having a hole in the door that could have led to issues when it came to pressure-testing the Passive House.
Also, most letterboxes are made of metal, which can cause problems with moisture. “An external solution bypasses all these issues,” says Ecosphere designer, Kit Knowles.
As well as making the house more sustainable, the team wanted to restore the beautiful period elements of the original building.
Unglazed Victorian mosaic tiles from Martin Mosaic in the UK were laid along the front path and in the hallway, while traditional plaster cornicing, ceiling roses and mouldings from The Coving Warehouse were custom-made and fitted throughout the house.
Unglazed Victorian mosaic tiles from Martin Mosaic in the UK were laid along the front path and in the hallway, while traditional plaster cornicing, ceiling roses and mouldings from The Coving Warehouse were custom-made and fitted throughout the house.
The team at Ecospheric specialise in making windows that perform at Passive House standards. For this period property, they installed triple-glazed stained glass.
Lime plaster on the walls helps absorb harmful gasses, regulate humidity, and create a healthy environment to live in.
Lime plaster on the walls helps absorb harmful gasses, regulate humidity, and create a healthy environment to live in.
The two adjoining houses have been updated with matching layouts. This is the ground floor plan.
The kitchen was made by local cabinet-maker, John George, using solid timber, which is durable enough to last for years.
“We use English timbers, and often source them from a sustainable online hub called TreeStation,” he says.
“We use English timbers, and often source them from a sustainable online hub called TreeStation,” he says.
Birch plywood doors on some of the cabinets have been covered with a dark blue, water-based, low-odour paint. The perimeter countertops are made from durable Welsh slate.
The space is fitted out with energy-efficient appliances, while brass backsplashes, fittings and a brass Olif tap give a luxurious feel.
Houzz Quiz: How Eco-Friendly Is your Lifestyle?
The space is fitted out with energy-efficient appliances, while brass backsplashes, fittings and a brass Olif tap give a luxurious feel.
Houzz Quiz: How Eco-Friendly Is your Lifestyle?
A small utility space is tucked into the corner of the kitchen. As well as laundry equipment, it contains ventilated drawers for storing vegetables.
Architect Chris Rodgers of UK-based Guy Taylor Associates explains the stepped layout at the back of the property. “The original ground floor level was elevated high above the garden, and the slippery steps were not ideal for family living. So the internal ground level was dropped to line up with the garden,” he says.
Rather than supporting the building with a steel joist, the team were keen to use timber. “Steel takes far more energy to manufacture than timber,” says Kit.
The beams are positioned in an A- and a V-structure, for both practical and aesthetic reasons – the triangular design is extremely strong, and it looks architecturally stunning.
Sofa and armchair: EcoSofa
The beams are positioned in an A- and a V-structure, for both practical and aesthetic reasons – the triangular design is extremely strong, and it looks architecturally stunning.
Sofa and armchair: EcoSofa
There’s no expensive central heating system in the house; instead, clever ventilation has been fitted.
This mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) system is essentially a series of ducts that flow through the house and extract stale air from humid rooms, such as the kitchen, utility room and bathroom, replacing it with air from outside. A heat exchanger box uses the stale air to heat the fresh air, which is then distributed evenly around the house.
“We also included a Defra-approved wood-burning stove, but as a cosy feature rather than an essential heat source,” says Ecosphere designer, Ellie Knowles. “It’s room-sealable, which means it uses air from outside the property rather than sucking warm air from inside.”
This mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) system is essentially a series of ducts that flow through the house and extract stale air from humid rooms, such as the kitchen, utility room and bathroom, replacing it with air from outside. A heat exchanger box uses the stale air to heat the fresh air, which is then distributed evenly around the house.
“We also included a Defra-approved wood-burning stove, but as a cosy feature rather than an essential heat source,” says Ecosphere designer, Ellie Knowles. “It’s room-sealable, which means it uses air from outside the property rather than sucking warm air from inside.”
The rear of the property is super-insulated like the side wall, but here it’s clad with a pre-fossilised timber from OrganoWood. “The wood is prematurely aged, which makes it maintenance-free and gives it this attractive pale colour,” says Ellie.
The windows on the first floor are positioned to face south to maximise solar gain in the UK’s climate. The path is laid with wood reclaimed from the property’s joists, and the garden wall is constructed from reclaimed bricks.
The windows on the first floor are positioned to face south to maximise solar gain in the UK’s climate. The path is laid with wood reclaimed from the property’s joists, and the garden wall is constructed from reclaimed bricks.
The powder room has a basin on top of the cistern, which helps recycle water. When the toilet is flushed, fresh water comes through the tap, for hand-washing, and is then stored in the cistern below, ready to be used in the next flush.
Water throughout the home is heated by a clever hot-water tank, which uses technology to heat only what’s needed. The home’s energy is provided by photovoltaic (PV) panels on the roof and, as the house generates more power than it uses, the owners can sell electricity back to the National Grid.
Caroma Profile 5 integrated toilet suite: Sanlamere
Water throughout the home is heated by a clever hot-water tank, which uses technology to heat only what’s needed. The home’s energy is provided by photovoltaic (PV) panels on the roof and, as the house generates more power than it uses, the owners can sell electricity back to the National Grid.
Caroma Profile 5 integrated toilet suite: Sanlamere
Upstairs on the first floor are two bedrooms, a family bathroom and an ensuite.
The bay windows in the living room and the master bedroom, pictured here, presented some challenges, as the team wanted to insulate the internal wall.
“To overcome any moisture-related risks, we created a detached internal timber frame,” says Kit. But to make it all fit, they had to completely remove the internal brick layer and tie the outer layer to the timber frame for support.
“To overcome any moisture-related risks, we created a detached internal timber frame,” says Kit. But to make it all fit, they had to completely remove the internal brick layer and tie the outer layer to the timber frame for support.
The original floorboards, treated with a breathable varnish, have been laid in a chevron pattern in numerous rooms throughout the house. John George created the headboard from reclaimed timber.
The pendant lighting in all the rooms came from Agapanthus Interiors, a local company that restores and upcycles antique light fittings.
The pendant lighting in all the rooms came from Agapanthus Interiors, a local company that restores and upcycles antique light fittings.
The ensuite bathroom features a spacious shower lined with breathable Tuscan marble tiles, which were also used on the kitchen floor. “We wanted to show that an eco house could be stylish as well as practical,” says Ellie.
Light switches and sockets from Vari-Lite are made from unlacquered copper, which has natural anti-bacterial properties.
The walls in the nursery have been painted with a product from Graphenstone, which is a combination of lime and graphene, an extremely durable material. It also has super-conductivity properties, allowing it to thermally regulate the home.
A bath is on many people’s wish lists, so the team had to weigh up the pros and cons of installing one in the bathroom. “The key is to see them as a luxury and not something you use every day,” says Kit. “With babies, you can use a baby bath inside the tub to save on water, and if my three kids bathe now, they all get in together.”
To compensate for the bath, the team restricted the flow of all the home’s showers to nine litres a minute.
To compensate for the bath, the team restricted the flow of all the home’s showers to nine litres a minute.
LED strip lighting recessed into the back wall of the front bedroom is a good way to add lighting up high on the sloped ceiling, and is energy-efficient, too.
The second-storey floor plan shows three bedrooms and a bathroom in each house.
Tell us
What do you like about this eco-friendly period property? Tell us which features impressed you in the Comments section, like this story, save the images, and join the conversation.
Tell us
What do you like about this eco-friendly period property? Tell us which features impressed you in the Comments section, like this story, save the images, and join the conversation.
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Modern methods of insulation in period homes are more likely to result in a multitude of problems, from condensation to damaging the fabric of the house. Old houses need to breathe, as ridiculous as that sounds…
I think it’s pretty awesome. Just curious, how do they get away with not having a protected staircase out to the front door with the house having several floors?
The front is an absolutely beautiful transformation 💕