What is sustainable architecture?
Sustainable architecture means designing incredible buildings with a lower environmental impact than standard constructions. To do this, we focus on creating buildings that utilise sustainable materials, are efficient to build and low energy to run.
An example of sustainable architecture is eco homes. An eco-home, or eco-house, is the product of sustainable architecture. Eco-homes have a low carbon footprint during the building process but, more importantly, require minimal energy to live in. Typical features of an eco-home include:
South facing
Eco-houses are often built with south-facing glazing to make the most of heat from the sun and reduce the need for heating.
Sustainable materials
Natural materials like timber or recycled materials are used in construction and throughout the house - even down to insulation, paint and furniture. This helps to minimise environmental impact and improve air quality.
Well-insulated
Eco-homes are well insulated and built with air-tight construction to minimise the need for heating and air conditioning systems. This reduces lost heat during colder months and keeps homes cool during summer.
Renewable energy
All homes need to use some energy, so eco-homes are designed to make the most of renewable technology like solar panels or heat pumps to generate electricity and heat.
How we work
We know sustainability is important to our clients, so we take our time to find the best solutions for your home. Our collaborative, detail-focused approach incorporates:
Conscious design
Backed by Passive House design principles, we design comfortable homes to co-exist with your environment.
Creative thinking
We focus on your specific needs with creative thinking and frank advice, as we know these are the key to a successful sustainable building project.
Minimising construction impact
We find the right builder, manage the project, and recommend approaches and materials to reduce the carbon footprint of the building process.
Are eco-friendly houses more expensive?
Building an eco-friendly home means committing to a process focused on sustainability. That can mean using more expensive materials and spending more time on alternative construction approaches. While this may cost more initially, eco-home owners save money in the long term with reduced energy and heating bills - and can often expect to sell at higher rates than other houses. Developers and self- builders are offered better lending rates for low- carbon and energy-efficient new build design.
Passivhaus, or Passive House Design
The Passivhaus (German Institute for Passive House) is the leading international building standard that puts sustainability, comfort, and energy efficiency at its core. One of our architects, Jenny Booth, recently became a Certified Passive House Designer. You can learn more about Jenny’s work with Passive Houses here. We also work on EnerPHit projects, refurbishments designed to the Passivhaus principles.
The Design Process
Detailed briefing
To ensure we get your project right, we listen carefully, challenge and develop a clear brief alongside you. We ensure a collaborative and open process, to ensure we can design a sustainable space that fits around you.
Planning
Planning is a difficult process, particularly when factoring the requirements of a sustainable build. Our team will work with you to submit applications and negotiate with local authorities to ensure your project can get off the ground.
Technical
We take a meticulous approach to producing detailed, technical drawings for build regulations submission and construction. We’ll include energy efficiency reports to ensure your home meets our sustainable standards and recommend specialist suppliers of eco-materials and builders experienced in eco-homes.
Construction
Not just creative designers, our team are skilled project managers that love keeping projects on track. We can administer a contract between you and the builder, make site visits to inspect the work and certify progress payments.
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