Westminster City Council has commissioned Archio, a leading architectural practice, to spearhead a comprehensive place-based retrofit strategy for the Queens Park Conservation Area. This ambitious project forms a crucial part of the borough's broader goals to reduce health inequalities, improve energy efficiency in local housing, and achieve net zero emissions by 2040.

The Queens Park Conservation Area encompasses approximately 1,500 historic homes that were constructed during the 1870s and 1880s by The Artizans, Labourers and General Dwellings Company. The estate, which bears a striking resemblance to the contemporaneous Shaftesbury Park Estate in Battersea, was originally designed with the specific purpose of providing "Healthy Homes" and improving living conditions for local workers during the Victorian era.

The current retrofit project aims to explore innovative ways to preserve the dwellings' original purpose while modernizing them for 21st-century living standards. This presents a unique challenge, as the initiative must navigate complex planning conditions that potentially limit residents' freedom to upgrade their properties due to conservation requirements.

Working in collaboration with co-design consultants Future of London, Archio will lead the development of comprehensive retrofit guidance, creating what officials are calling a "Healthy Homes plan" for properties of all tenures throughout the Queens Park Estate. The study will be co-created with a diverse mix of residents, including owner-occupiers, council renters, housing association renters, and private renters, ensuring that all voices in the community are heard.

The project team will work in close partnership with the council, local stakeholders, and residents to achieve collective goals that include improving resident health outcomes, boosting climate resilience, and reducing fuel poverty across the neighborhood. This collaborative approach represents a new model for large-scale housing improvements in historic districts.

Mellis Haward, director at Archio, expressed enthusiasm about the project's potential impact. "We're very excited to be working on this retrofit strategy, which is so important if UK households are to decarbonize in the years to come," Haward said. "We are asking the local community first what drives comfort in their homes before developing technical strategies that could support positive change for both residents and the council."

Ryan Jude, councillor and cabinet member for climate action, ecology, culture and air quality, emphasized the project's dual benefits for residents and the environment. "This is an excellent example of how we can improve the health and wellbeing of our residents while also tackling the climate crisis," Jude stated. "Part of our Climate Emergency Action Plan, our retrofit programs have shown significant results in helping to reduce heating energy use by over 50 percent, further assisting our city to reach net zero by 2040."

Jude stressed the importance of community involvement in the success of such initiatives. "This can only be possible when we understand the experience of those who live in these homes," he noted. "I encourage residents and local stakeholders to take part in these co-design workshops and help shape a Fairer Environment for the Queens Park community together."

The Queens Park retrofit strategy represents a significant step forward in Westminster's commitment to sustainable housing and community-centered urban planning. By combining historic preservation with modern energy efficiency improvements, the project could serve as a model for similar initiatives across London and beyond, demonstrating how heritage conservation and climate action can work hand in hand.