Category / Design & Dev
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![Passivhaus]()
Why we should all be building to the passivhaus standard?
When planning a new home naturally people’s initial focus is often on the site, what it might it look like and rooms. Discerning clients, particularly self-builders, are looking further ahead for environmentally low-impact design. This considers the carbon footprint, energy use and protection from escalating running costs. Thus Passivhaus. However, there is so much more…
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![RIBA House of The Year 2021]()
RIBA 2021 House of the Year winner was rejected by planners.
The RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) have announced the winner of the RIBA House of the Year 2021. House on the Hill near Lydney Gloucestershire has been crowned the best one-off house designed by an architect in the UK. Partnering Channel 4’s Grand Designs’ Kevin McCloud, writer Michelle Ogundehin and architect Damion Burrows explored the…
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Planning Permission for house on the coast
We’re pleased to get September off to a good start with a full planning permission for a new house on the coast, replacing an obsolete dwelling near the sea. The project will see a a dilapidated bungalow replaced by new and larger property which will perform much better in terms of energy use. Moreover, it…
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![Budgeting]()
Permission for Contemporary Suburban Villa
We’re delighted to share news of another success with a new permission for contemporary suburban villa a fabulous self-build project for our clients. This simple yet striking dwelling is the result of a four year journey for our clients. Having looked for a plot without finding anything suitable, they realised the answer lay on their…
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Planning permission for new rural home in Devon
As architects in Barnstaple North Devon we are surrounded by some of the finest countryside and close to the magnificent North Devon coastline. We are ending the week on a positive note having gained detailed planning permission for a new rural home in Devon! The building, on an elevated site, will replace a dilapidated farmhouse…
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Underground Architecture Solution For Rural Retreat
Often the best ideas come from the simplest concepts. In this case as Barnstaple architects we were presented with the challenge of creating a small number of bespoke accommodation units for an eco-tourism business with the brief that they should be set within the landscape to minimise visual impact. So the solution was to build…
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![Amanda Homes]()
Making the site work! Ilfracombe
A key part of our skills as Architects is making the most of a site, which was the challenge from our client Armada Homes SW Ltd. They asked us to look at the project afresh, in terms of design, site efficiencies and financial viability, whilst retaining focus on the homes to be created, ensuing that…
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![Home Improvement]()
7 ways to improve your home
Home improvements – fabulous projects “An Englishman’s home is his / her castle”, a centuries old adage, capturing how we view our homes. We strive to join the housing ladder. Our family situations and needs change, as do styles and fashions. As architects we are often asked by clients to help with home improvements and…
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![Treehouse]()
Devon quality eco staycation project
Recent research by Barclays Mortgages has revealed that the south west is the clear winner when people were asked where they wanted to live, with most wishing to move from London and the midlands. In truth, to those already living in the west country this comes as no surprise. The natural beauty of the Devon…
