Image credit: Pine Heath designed by Studio Hagen Hall. Photo © Felix Spelle
USING a finely tuned palette of restored and contemporary timbers, Pine Heath — a modernist terraced house in North London — has won the 2025 Wood Awards Interior Design category.
Studio Hagen Hall has sensitively revived and reconfigured the home for a growing family, balancing the character of the original 1960s structure with beautifully crafted new insertions. The result is an interior of warmth and clarity, where modernist details are celebrated, and timber forms the backbone of both atmosphere and performance.
At the heart of the project is a commitment to reuse. The original Paraná pine ceiling and stair cladding were carefully retained, repaired and refinished, becoming the guiding reference for the material palette. Their rich tones and grain informed a series of contemporary interventions — including bespoke joinery in complementary cherry veneer, poplar and spruce — all designed and detailed to sit in quiet dialogue with the existing fabric.
The refurbishment goes far beyond aesthetic repair. A full retrofit strategy has dramatically improved the thermal envelope, delivering a 93% reduction in annual CO2 emissions and creating a comfortable, future-proofed home. More than 90% of the original structure was retained, keeping embodied carbon low while preserving the architectural legacy of post-war London design.
The internal layout has also been rethought, creating a more intuitive sequence between the entrance, kitchen and living areas and strengthening the connection between indoor and outdoor spaces. Flexible rooms — including a basement bedroom/gym and an eaves-level office/bedroom — are designed with movable partitions to adapt as the family evolves. Throughout, the material palette is soft, natural and tactile: cherry veneer, reclaimed teak, refurbished Paraná pine, spruce, poplar, ceramic, wool, linen and glass. Together they create a calm, grounded interior that feels both contemporary and faithful to its origins.
Pine Heath was designed by Studio Hagen Hall, with joinery by TG + Co, structural engineering by Blue Engineering, and a retrofit strategy by Cook & Cardenas. Timber was supplied by New World Timber, Reliance Veneer and MJN Timber, with carbon assessment by Half Climate Design.
“Using sensitive timber interior design, Pine Heath refurbishes a modernist townhouse to high standards and significantly improves its energy performance,” commented Jim Greaves, principal at Hopkins Architects and Lead judge of the Buildings panel.
See page 19 of our December 2025/January 2026 issue on our Back Issues page.
