Zodiac House - Revitalising a 1960s Icon with Steve Sanham (Common Projects)

Podcast episode and companion blog post

CGI of the refurbished Zodiac House (Source: shedkm)

This is a special podcast episode available only on Substack. Click the play button above to listen - you won’t find the episode in your podcast app!

This episode is a tour of the Zodiac House refurbishment/redevelopment in Croydon, south London, led by Steve Sanham of Common Projects, the developer behind the project. You can listen to my sit-down conversation with Steve here and on your preferred podcast app.

If you are interested in the intricacies, engineering and creativity that goes into regenerating existing buildings, then you’ll love this conversation. Steve explains what makes this Modernist building special and how they are refreshing it for the 21st century in a sustainable way. Reusing existing buildings saves lots of embodied carbon compared to a demolition and rebuild approach. Common Projects are also bringing a social sustainability approach to this project by improving conditions for existing residents and creating new facilities at ground floor for the local community, including a new public open space where there is now just a concrete forecourt.

Check out the images below while you listen.

Zodiac House in June 2023 when I visited. The tower has residents living in it while the podium is being refurbished and extended.

Carbon fibre strips added to the ceiling to increase weight bearing capacity, allowing for another storey to be added on the podium.

Concrete 'waffle' ceiling

Internal courtyard, which will become a peaceful ‘zen garden’ space

Steve pointing out the commanding view from one of the new flats

Original signage, for those of you who like that sort of thing.

There you go, folks. Who said construction sites aren’t exciting, eh?

Till next time,

Ross