RDA at the Passivhaus Trust Awards 2023

Our latest Enerphit project was a finalist at this year’s Passivhaus Trust Awards. Richard Dudzicki presented in front of a panel of the UK's leading experts in the Passivhaus movement. Modernist Enerphit was a finalist in the Residential Retrofit Category, which was so fierce in competition the panel decided to have four entries instead of the standard three. Time was tight but we were happy to showcase the exciting projects we worked on.


Congratulations to all other Finalists and the Winners.

The awards were hosted in the recently vacated Museum of London, in the middle of Rotunda Roundabout in Central London. Being near the Barbican center, it seemed fitting to be presenting a 1960's Enerphit project. We were so impressed with the level of work presented on all levels of scale. From Passivhaus schools to small residential Enerphits. It seems that the Passivhaus movements is gaining a lot of speed in the UK! That is why we a happy to be a part of events that increases the overall coverage of Passivhaus as ideas and techniques are shared. The sooner these principles are widely adopted the sooner we can reach a more sustainable future.


To find out about more about Passive House and the concepts that make it possible, visit our Passivhaus page.


Modernist EnerPHit: The Story Behind the Project

Passive House architect Richard Dudzicki explains how he restored this 1960s modernist house designed by Michael Blackstock, combining the original design aesthetic with a contemporary approach. The three-storey property was designed in the ‘upside-down’ style common in the 1960s, with an open plan living space and terrace sitting above the bedrooms on the first floor and ground floor parking and utility area.


To improve the energy efficiency of the house and achieve EnerPHit standard we have introduced highly efficient insulation; new windows and doors have also been fitted to improve airtightness – reducing heat loss and therefore providing a high level of comfort throughout the house. Implementing the EnerPHit standard provides a reduction of up to 83% in heating bills and is a pioneering retrofit approach in bringing the housing sector towards zero carbon emissions by 2050.

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Overall it was a great day, we enjoyed seeing friends and meeting new contacts.These events are important to us as four years ago at the Passivhaus Trust Awards; Richard met the very client of this year's submission.


Thank you Passivhaus Trust for organising the event.

Recent Blogs

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NLA Coffee conversation: What are the opportunities for housing on constrained sites?

By Richard Dudzicki • March 10, 2026
On 25 March, Richard will be speaking at NLA’s Coffee Conversation about how London’s most constrained and overlooked sites can play a role in addressing both the housing crisis and the climate emergency. Across the city, small and fragmented plots are often dismissed as too difficult to develop. Backland sites, former garages and leftover spaces within established neighbourhoods are frequently overlooked by conventional development models. Yet collectively they represent a significant and largely untapped opportunity.

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By Richard Dudzicki • March 3, 2026
There is a particular responsibility that comes with working on an existing building. The Old Timberyard , a former Victorian workshop, offered the opportunity to demonstrate how careful retrofit can honour heritage whilst delivering genuine long-term performance. Behind its retained brickwork and historic fabric sits a carefully executed EnerPHit upgrade. This was not about surface improvements, but a rigorous, fabric-first transformation, reworking a cold, underperforming structure into a comfortable, resilient and low-energy building fit for contemporary use.

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By Richard Dudzicki • March 3, 2026
Three weeks ago, Heather Faulding and I had the pleasure of presenting at the NLA’s technical briefing on Retrofit and Reuse a CPD-certified webinar on low-energy & high-performance buildings. It was a fantastic session spotlighting some of the most innovative retrofit work. Heather shared her incredible project for Daily Paper in New York: a powerful example of creative reuse, transforming a crumbling structure using over 7,500 soda cans crafted by local communities. The shimmering façade reflected not only light but the heritage of African beadwork a story of culture and circularity woven into architecture.

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