Nina’s House

The design team, led by Nina herself and supported by Roar architects and Waxwing Energy, worked meticulously to overhaul the building's thermal and energy performance, vastly improving the building’s infrastructure, technical performance, and comfort. The gas supply was removed and an air-source heat pump installed alongside cork exterior wall insulation and a huge effort to improve air-tightness. Wood fibre, sheep’s wool, recycled plastic fleece and an insulative lime-based plaster with cork granules were used to insulate further internally.

One of the most striking features of Nina's home is the thick cork cladding, with its softly rounded edges. Inside the curvaceous joinery was designed by Nina to be welcoming, tactile and kid-friendly and was expertly fabricated locally by Craftworks Productions. The Douglas fir was (unusually) sourced from the UK and the chunky island from rescued timber from a tree felled in Soho Square.