Climate Change Adaptation and Retrofit of a Victorian Townhouse in Margate: the 5-year Living Lab

This paper focuses on the analysis of a longitudinal five-year study following the retrofitting and post-occupancy evaluation of a heritage townhouse designed for multi-generation living in Margate. The three-generation family of five adults and one child are renting the council-owned 420m2. The POE confirmed 100% satisfaction and thermal comfort during both winter and summer. The results from the extensive monitoring confirmed the acceptable thermal environment during the free-running mode in the summer, when for a significant amount of time parts of the property were below the Cat II category. The thermal environment in winter was very stable varying from 19.9°C in the basement, to 23.2°C in the third floor living room, while in the non-refurbished property across the square, which was used for comparison, mean temperature was 15°C. The average 5K temperature difference between the two properties highlight the success of the refurbishment, which was sympathetic to the original character of the house, respecting the heritage features.