Located on the aptly named Rock Road in South Cambridge, best known as the childhood home of Roger Waters of Pink Floyd, Corbel House is far from “another brick in the wall.”

This refurbishment and extension project transforms a modest, solid-walled 1950s property into the first single-home, Passivhaus retrofit in the East of England.

Mid-century homes are often characterised by poor insulation, damp, and inadequate ventilation. Our approach addressed these issues comprehensively: delivering robust airtightness, introducing low-energy building systems, minimising thermal bridging, and thickening the external envelope with high-performance insulation. The result is a high-comfort, low-energy home brought fully into the 21st century.

At ground level, stepped brick corbels and areas of sedum roofing establish a sense of permanence and create a strong visual connection to the garden. Internally, the use of brick detailing and bespoke joinery continues throughout, maximising usable space while delivering a unified and refined architectural language.

Photography by @buildingnarratives