Westmead is Westminster City Council’s first AECB CarbonLite certified housing scheme, providing 65 new affordable homes that are rigorously efficient, sustainable and built to last.

Westmead is Westminster City Council’s first AECB CarbonLite certified housing scheme, providing 65 new affordable homes that are rigorously efficient, sustainable and built to last.

Located on a constrained infill site in West London, the scheme transforms a challenging urban plot into high-quality housing for local residents. The design responds carefully to significant level changes, neighbouring homes, retained mature trees and the acoustic impact of the nearby Westway. A four-storey street frontage conceals six floors of accommodation, using the site’s topography to maximise affordable housing while maintaining a sensitive relationship with its context.

Sustainability is central to Westmead’s design and delivery. Developed using Passivhaus principles and certified to the AECB CarbonLite standard, the building follows a fabric-first approach with highly insulated walls, high-performance glazing, airtight construction and mechanical ventilation with heat recovery. Individual Exhaust Air Heat Pumps provide low-carbon heating and hot water, helping to reduce energy use and running costs for residents.

The simple, efficient building form is enriched through carefully detailed brickwork, textured bonds, soldier courses and angled corners. Westmead demonstrates that affordable housing can be both highly sustainable and architecturally considered, offering a strong model for delivering resilient, low-energy homes within complex urban settings.