We use our understanding of science, our design skills, construction site and teaching experience to improve the environmental impact of buildings, and to help others do the same. Below is a selection of our services. We are always interested to hear of other ways in which we can apply ourselves.

SUSTAINABILITY and environmental design

Its better to design with the climate than against it. We can work with you from the early design stage to reduce the environmental impact of your building project, or we can undertake an Environmental Design Review at any stage to highlight ways in which environmental savings can be made through design, efficiency, technology and user understanding. Below is a list of our services which may be of use in meeting targets for BREEAM, the Code for Sustainable Homes, the Home Quality Mark, the Decent Homes Standard, WELL, LEED or just because you want to do a good job:

• Passive design advice and low-energy design options appraisal
• SAP, SBEM and thermal bridging calculations
• Daylight and overheating evaluations
• Carbon, energy and sustainability analyses; renewable technology appraisal,
• Life Cycle Assessments, post-occupancy studies and building user guides

DAYLIGHT

In addition to daylight and sunlight reports for planning, some of the other daylight consultancy services we offer include:

• Early stage design advice on daylight, sunlight and overshadowing
• Internal natural light assessments
• Rights to Light technical studies
• Climate-Based Daylight Modelling (CBDM) and its alternatives
• Shading and glazing design
• Studies of photosynthetically useful daylight

LoW Carbon, HiGh COMFORT Schools

How can schools respond positively to the climate emergency whilst making their classrooms more comfortable? By using their two most important resources: their people and their buildings. Ambient conditions in many classrooms are not conducive to learning which is simultaneously distracting and energy inefficient. We offer schools three services which can improve both comfort and carbon footprint whist also saving money. Read more

of Note

Please scroll down to see examples of our work. Some interesting projects we were responsible for in previous incarnations include…Edinburgh City Council’s Design and Construction Guide, daylight design for the National Trust HQ, the design and construction of Glastonbury climbing wall, a talk on school pupils and post occupancy evaluation given at the CIBSE Technical Symposium, developing the blueprint for Energy Action Areas in London, thermal simulations for MAXXI and bespoke eco-housebuilding via Wild Oak Carpentry.

Isabel Why

Isabel has a degree in Physics, a teaching certificate and a Masters’ in the Environmental Design of Buildings where her dissertation examined the potential use of clean energy technologies in the hotel sector of St Lucia. She has previously worked as a sustainability specialist for some of the UK’s most inspiring engineering firms, including Max Fordham’s, prior to which she was Greenpeace’s representative in the Caribbean. She has over fifteen years’ experience in the construction industry and a similar amount as a teacher. She has been a guest lecturer at the Royal College of Art, Greenwich University and UCL.

Harry WestAway

Harry has a degree in Physics (and Philosophy) and a Masters’ in Evolutionary and Adaptive Systems. He has over 14 years’ experience in the construction, off-shore wind and entertainment industries. Amongst other things, he has worked on the design and assembly of temporary structures and safety systems, given technical-rescue training, installed and serviced mechanical ventilation systems in glass structures, and fitted anemometry to weather stations for the wind power industry.

Adam Pochee

Adam has studied art, design and science. He studied for an MSci in Geology at Birmingham and McGill Universities, following an Art foundation course. After some time teaching Science in the UK and English in Italy and Bolivia, he travelled to New Zealand for his MSc to investigate geothermal geology. He has extensive site experience as a builder, working on sustainable house renovations, loft conversions and straw bale buildings, and has run an eco-building company for 10 years. Alongside this he has practical expertise in coppicing and sustainable forest management.

Of Note

Some interesting projects we have worked on in previous incarnations…Edinburgh City Council’s Design and Construction Guide, daylight design for the National Trust HQ, the design and construction of Glastonbury climbing wall, a talk on school pupils and post occupancy evaluation given at the CIBSE Technical Symposium, developing the blueprint for Energy Action Areas in London, thermal simulations for MAXXI and bespoke eco-housebuilding via Wild Oak Carpentry.