The redevelopment of Zodiac House used clever adaptive reuse to create much-needed temporary accommodation for Croydon Council. Here’s what we learned on our field trip to meet the project team.
Zodiac House is a remarkable case study of adaptive reuse, community engagement, and innovative housing delivery. Originally a derelict office building that had sat largely unused for decades, Zodiac House has been transformed into high-quality temporary accommodation for vulnerable residents in Croydon.
As part of our Homes for the Future programme, our field trip, explored how the project overcame housing challenges and demonstrated the powerful role the industry can play in social regeneration.
The Homes for the Future programme explores how London can create homes and neighbourhoods where people can thrive. Set against an acute housing crisis, rising inequality, and the soaring cost of temporary accommodation, which now costs councils over £5 million a day, the programme urges the sector to think beyond housing numbers. We ask how can homes be safe, sustainable, socially meaningful, and genuinely supportive of the people who live in them.
From dereliction to opportunity
When the development team, led by Common Projects with architects shedkm, took on Zodiac House in 2020, the building had been largely vacant for nearly three decades. Years of disuse had left it in significant disrepair. Fire safety measures were minimal, structural elements required attention, and the site had become prone to vandalism. Large areas of former office space had stood empty for years, reflecting a wider pattern of underinvestment in both the building and its surroundings.
Common Projects and shedkm transformed Zodiac House into high-quality new homes, and set about making the existing homes safe, working closely with the Building Safety Fund. Discussions with Croydon Council shaped the long-term use of the new homes, supporting the borough’s need for safe, accessible housing.
Acquisition and finances
The council had been actively seeking quality accommodation since July 2023, but it was a speculative approach from Common Projects that triggered the first site visit. The timing aligned with the council’s decision to increase housing supply to meet temporary accommodation demand and newly awarded grant funding.
Following the initial site visit, two further visits, including assessments by the council’s building safety experts, confirmed the quality of the build, the suitability of the unit mix, and compliance with fire safety standards. These factors, combined with positive property surveys, enabled the council to proceed with acquisition.
This pivot came at a time when Croydon Council’s housing development company was winding down, large-scale development plans were limited, and finances were constrained. Simultaneously, rising homelessness and additional grant funding meant the Council could act strategically to secure sustainable affordable homes. This acquisition has already generated £1.6m in cost savings for the council compared with relying on the private sector.
Balancing minimal intervention and maximum impact
The refurbishment succeeded by intervening only where necessary to deliver quality homes while ensuring safety and accessibility. The team retained much of the original façade, including concrete fins and pebble-finished panels, preserving the building’s iconic character familiar to Croydon residents.
Where interventions were required, such as at the main entrance, panels were replaced with large, double-glazed windows, reflecting elements of the building’s original identity.
Inside, staircases were refurbished rather than replaced, and existing slabs were strengthened using carbon-fibre strips to minimise structural disruption. The apartments were designed for accessibility and functionality, with fitted wardrobes, practical kitchens, and ready-to-use wi-fi. Communal areas maximise light and openness, creating welcoming spaces for residents and community activities.
Innovation and sustainability
Zodiac House highlights the environmental potential of thoughtful retrofit. Demolishing and rebuilding to Passivhaus standards would have required the carbon offset equivalent of over 120,000 trees. By repurposing the existing structure, the project retained embodied carbon and showcased how careful retrofit can be both economical and sustainable.
Community at the heart
Community engagement was central. During refurbishment, the team collaborated with residents and local organisations, including Big Local Broad Green, a resident-led community initiative supported through the National Lottery Local Trust’s Big Local programme. Together, they created a street-facing public green space and a community hub repurposed from a former sales suite. Residents contribute to the upkeep of shared spaces, strengthening social cohesion and a sense of ownership. One resident shared:
“When I walked into the flat it was clean, fresh, new – and it was designed to feel really safe. When I watched my daughter sleep that night, I cried because it felt like a home of our own… it’s hard to describe how much better things are for us.”
Takeaways from the field trip
Zodiac House demonstrates that long-neglected buildings can be transformed into vibrant, sustainable, and socially valuable homes when supported by careful planning, effective policy, and funding frameworks. It highlights a holistic approach: regeneration is not just about numbers, but about people, community, respect for existing structures, and the lasting impact of the built environment.
Find out more about Homes for the Future. For more about Zodiac House and adaptive reuse in practice, get in touch with Steve Sanham at Common Projects.
Thanks to our Homes for the Future programme sponsors
Countryside Partnerships | Montagu Evans | Pollard Thomas Edwards | Trowers & Hamlins
Thanks to our supporters
