Merry Christmas!
December 23, 2021
It’s almost Christmas, and we’re nearly at the end of 2021! We’ve had a year of great achievements and celebrations, with the return to our office for the team and expansion of our ‘Design Community’ for like-mined creative professionals downstairs at our riverside studio at the Paintworks. Martina rejoined us from maternity leave, with Maria staying on with the practice, David getting his house boat on the water, Jess achieving cross country runs, Julia teaching at CAT, and Peta joining us as a new practice manager helping us take on new challenges as we continue to improve our systems and services. A real highlight of the year was being recognised by the RIBA with 3 awards for our Corten house in St Werburghs, Bristol!
Meanwhile, Rob has been working away in his woodland in Devon, to make it safe and accessible for the local community who use it as a walking area. He’s set up a water supply, and composting loo as well as securing planning permission for a storage container - all great, practical experience that informed the woodland cabin retreat he’s designed in Wales with Charlotte Church. A series of timber framed cabins have been cleverly engineered to be built off tree stumps, avoiding the need for concrete foundations, and enabling local timber to be used for the structures.
I’ve continued to fly the flag for the practice and our passion for sustainable, community led projects; talking at a range of national events on cohousing, community-led housing, and running a small practice for the RIBA at their ‘Guerilla Tactics’ and Emerging Practice Symposium. Talking at the Homes England national conference in November as part of the team who are delivering Bridport Cohousing, I explained the social and sustainability innovations of the project. It will be the largest cohousing project in the UK, achieving Net Zero Carbon with the use of all electric homes powered by an innovative community micro grid, delivering power across the entire south facing roofscape of the development. A range of open market, shared ownership and social affordable rental homes are being delivered in partnership with Bournemouth Churches housing association (BCHA), and built by main contractor C.G Fry. A £10.2 million pound project which is due to complete next year!
Whatever the scale of project, we’re committed to working with passion to design exciting places together with our clients which are unique and ecological.
