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Fettle channels Soho’s “grittier” years at 1 Warwick members’ club
CategoriesInterior Design

Fettle channels Soho’s “grittier” years at 1 Warwick members’ club

By Zarkon Group,

Interiors studio Fettle drew on the neo-baroque architecture of this Edwardian building in London’s Soho when converting it into a members’ club, as well as nodding to the area’s colourful history of the 1950s and 60s.

Owned by Maslow’s, the group behind Fitzrovia club Mortimer House, 1 Warwick features mid-century furniture and lighting along with bespoke designs that reimagine the furniture of the period.

Lounge of 1 Warwick members’ club
Fettle has designed the 1 Warwick members’ club in London

The mix includes jaunty elements such as splayed-leg easy chairs and scallop-edged rattan lighting.

“During this period of history, Soho was much grittier than we find it today, so we wanted to underplay the more elevated finishes that you would typically find in a members’ club,” Fettle‘s director Andy Goodwin told Dezeen.

“We have referenced the less polished nature of Soho in this period with raw plaster wall finishes and exposed brick.”

Yasmin restaurant by Fettle
The club has a rooftop restaurant called Yasmin

Fettle juxtaposes these references with some influences from the neo-baroque mansion itself, reworking its sense of assured comfort in a contemporary way with richly toned wood panelling and elaborate chandeliers.

“We wanted to ensure that we referenced this period within the final design,” Goodwin said. “We simplified a traditional Edwardian baroque skirting and architrave style within the bespoke joinery that was designed for the ground and first floors.”

“Typically, buildings of a similar age had common features, including bold geometric floor patterns within the entrances. And as such we reimagined a pattern from the period in the lobby of 1 Warwick.”

Balcony of Yasmin restaurant at 1 Warwick members’ club
Its wraparound roof terrace offers views across Soho

While drawing on the history of the building and the area, Fettle worked hard to ensure that the club feels fresh, welcoming and contemporary.

“We have mixed furniture, lighting and accessories from a variety of different eras and curated a space that feels relaxed and residential in its aesthetic,” he continued.

“When designing furniture specifically for the project, we referenced more traditional designs, however. We looked at the details through a modern lens to make the space feel familiar yet contemporary.”

Set over six floors, the crowning glory of 1 Warwick is the rooftop bar and restaurant Yasmin with its wraparound roof terrace and views across Soho.

Here, pink mohair-upholstered bar stools nestle against a wood-clad marble-topped bar while the menu is Middle Eastern, inspired by executive chef Tom Cenci’s time in Istanbul.

Two lounge spaces – the Living Room and adjoining Den – are at the heart of the club, where Fettle used an earthy-toned palette, along with exposed brick walls and geometric patterned rugs to bring a sense of warmth to the interior.

Shared workspace in 1 Warwick members’ club
The club has several co-working areas

“We wanted to let the existing architectural features be visible within the final design to create a more neutral backdrop, onto which we layered playful choices across the furniture and fittings,” said Goodwin.

“We used deep, saturated, colourful fabrics for the upholstered pieces and we have looked to mix mohairs and velvets with more vibrant leathers and patterned fabrics to give an eclectic feel to the space,” said Goodwin.

In the daytime, 1 Warwick offers spaces to suit different kinds of working styles, from private studies and rentable desks to the Pied-à-Terre – an open-plan workspace featuring long, library-style tables and comfortable lounge seating.

Office space by Fettle
Members can also work in private meeting rooms

At ground level, there’s the neighbourhood bistro and bar Nessa, open to all and offering a playful take on British classics while the more intimate, horseshoe-shaped bar serves up its own menu of small plates.

With a colour palette of warm, autumnal tones and a material mix of exposed brick, wood panelling and marble-topped tables, the atmosphere here is welcoming and down-to-earth.

Nessa restaurant at 1 Warwick members’ club
The Nessa restaurant is set on the ground floor and open to the public

Founded in 2013, Fettle has a long history in hospitality design with previous projects including the Schwan Locke Hotel in Munich, which was conceived as an homage to early German modernism.

Elsewhere in London, the studio was also responsible for designing The Gessner apartment block to resemble a hotel, complete with a cafe and co-working area.

The photography is by Simon Brown.

Reference

Insulation’s energy savings “vanish” after four years Cambridge study finds
CategoriesSustainable News

Insulation’s energy savings “vanish” after four years Cambridge study finds

By Zarkon Group,

Energy savings achieved by insulating UK homes appear to be cancelled out within a few years by an increase in energy use, according to a study by the University of Cambridge.

The study, which analysed the gas-use patterns of more than 55,000 homes across England and Wales, found that the fall in gas consumption achieved by retrofitting wall insulation was voided within four years.

Retrofitting lofts proved half as effective, with any gains becoming “insignificant” after year two, the researchers said.

Further research is now needed into the causes of this “rebound effect”, which is preventing energy savings from continuing long-term.

But the study posits that it could be due to the simultaneous construction of home extensions, which can increase a household’s energy consumption by around 16 per cent.

“We found that energy efficiency retrofits are often combined with home improvements that actually increase consumption, such as extensions,” explained Cristina Peñasco, an associate professor in public policy at the University of Cambridge, who co-authored the study.

Home insulation “not a magic bullet”

Other possible causes include the fact that 18 per cent of English households have conservatories, which according to the study negate any energy savings within the first year, as well as the possibility that energy and cost savings could in turn encourage increased consumption.

To achieve a long-term reduction in gas use and the associated emission – in line with the UK’s mission to reach energy independence and net-zero emissions – the researchers argue that insulation thus needs to go hand-in-hand with the installation of heat pumps and regulations to change people’s behaviour.

“There are very real benefits to households from good insulation, not least in terms of health and comfort,” said co-author Laura Diaz Anadon, who is the director of the Cambridge Centre for Environment, Energy and Natural Resource Governance.

“However, home insulation alone is not a magic bullet,” she added. “In the long term, simply funding more of the same insulation roll-out to meet the UK’s carbon reduction and energy security targets may not move the dial as much as is hoped.”

Wall insulation causes seven per cent drop in gas use

Published in the Energy Economics journal, the study is the first to track the long-term effects of insulation in households across England and Wales, according to the researchers.

Their analysis is based on data collected by the UK’s Department of Energy and Climate Change, tracking households’ gas use for five years before and after insulation was installed.

Factoring in the age and size of the building, as well as the weather and gas prices at the time, the study found that cavity wall insulation was the most effective, leading to an average seven per cent drop in gas use in the first year.

In comparison, retrofitting loft insulation saw an initial fall of only four per cent.

“Insulating the lofts and cavity walls of existing UK housing stock only reduces gas consumption for the first year or two, with all energy savings vanishing by the fourth year after a retrofit,” the study concluded.

Retrofits must include heat pumps

In low-income households, these savings were even smaller – an average of three per cent during the first and second year post-retrofit – suggesting that any savings are immediately redirected into keeping the home warmer for longer.

This proves that insulation is effective in democratising access to heating and fighting fuel poverty, the researchers argue, especially in light of the current energy and cost-of-living crises.

But the study also shows that, to actually cut down on gas use and emissions, insulation retrofits must go along with energy reduction targets for households and waivers on energy bills for low-income households, the researchers argue.

In addition, they argue electric heat pumps should be installed alongside insulation to decarbonise residential heating, which is responsible for around 14 per cent of the UK’s carbon emissions.

The country’s housing stock is among the oldest and least energy efficient in Europe, which has long led industry groups including the Royal Institute of British Architects, the Construction Leadership Council and the Architects Climate Action Network to call for a comprehensive national retrofit strategy.

Alongside insulation, they argue a holistic approach would must include the addition of “low-carbon” heat pumps and triple-glazed windows at the same time.

The top photo is by Jupiter Images.

Reference