Garden Landscaping
YOUR GARDEN LANDSCAPING PRIORITIES When planning a garden landscaping project, there are lots of things to consider. These can seem quite daunting, but if you start with your priorities and the constraints of your plot, many of these decisions will be made for you. Decide what you want Make a list of all the things […]
Timescales for your home project
Timescales for your home project Good quality design takes time We are often asked how long a project might take to get to the build stage. Here are some example timescales for your home project in the chart below. These show expected timelines for different types of project, whether an eco-home, a barn or an […]
What is a Design Code for Self-Build Plots?
What is a design code for self-build plots? In a nutshell, a design code for self-build plots is a set of design guidelines. Gravenhill in Bicester, Oxfordshire, is a good example of a self-build site that has used a design code. See their design code here. These design guidelines contain information on: building heights […]
Eco home improvements (without building)
Below we have listed various eco home improvements. These are all actions you could take if you are not planning any building work right now. They also include actions that would suit a heritage home. If you are planning building work, these options will still apply to you. But you also have some extra possibilities […]
Eco upgrades to your home (as part of building work)
Eco upgrades to your home. How to improve your home both in terms of well-being and energy efficiency (without paying through the nose!) We can ensure that any eco upgrades to your home will be in proportion to other works you would like. Essentially, making you eco by default! Below we have listed various […]
How to be an architect and still have a life
A short blog from Clare Nash about why we work differently from other architectural practices. When I mention the title of this piece, ‘how to be an architect and still have a life’, it often brings a chuckle. Yet it is exactly on this basis that I set up my own firm and it is […]
The benefits and drawbacks of pre-fabricating your dream home
Have you considered using pre-fabrication as a method for building your own home? Germany has been at the forefront of pre-fabricating home design for over 50 years (https://www.weberhaus.co.uk/) and the benefits are very German; time efficient, quality guarantee, energy efficiency guarantees. These advantages are also useful to British self-builders. Anyone who has spent time on a […]
Hemp, Lime and Timber Frame Prefabricated Panels
Hemp, lime and timber frame prefabricated panels are an exciting way of creating eco-homes. I recently visited a ecohouse (that doesn’t look ‘eco’) completed in August 2016 and built by Greencore construction and was given a guided tour by Julia Bennett and Ian Pritchett. Prefab or craft, can you have both? I wrote a book on […]
Barns Permitted Development clarifications
Barns Permitted Development [2023 updated] Barns permitted development – How big can I build a barn without planning permission in 2023? You can now create 3 large (more than 100m2) or 5 smaller dwellings (less than 100m2 each) or a mixture of both under Permitted Development. What is Class Q permitted development for a barn? […]
Barn Conversion into a Dwelling, a Guide following changes to permitted development rights
2024 update! Changes to permitted development rights. Permitted development rights have changed in 2024 for a barn conversion into a dwelling. The main thing affecting most of our clients is the maximum per dwelling floor area has now been reduced to 150m2. But the overall area that can be converted has increased to 1,000m2. Therefore […]
