Ward Grove

Ward Grove is a deep retrofit of a 1980s bungalow in Urmston, Greater Manchester, designed by Progress in Practice for a private client. The project demonstrates how an existing home can be transformed to deliver exceptional energy performance, long-term comfort, and inclusive accessible design, without demolition and rebuild.

Certified to the AECB CarbonLite Retrofit Standard, the project features high levels of insulation, airtight detailing, triple glazing, mechanical ventilation with heat recovery, a 5 kW rooftop solar array with battery storage, and a 6 kW air-source heat pump providing underfloor heating and hot water. Measured energy use intensity is just 21.8 kWh/m²/year, exceeding its space heating target by 26%. Annual running costs are £360. The project prioritises low embodied carbon through timber-based construction, natural insulation materials, and natural finishes left exposed internally.