Blog – Page 8 – Studio : B.A.D. Architects

Building Community with Design

As a design practice we are inherently interested in the idea of using architecture for positive change, we understand buildings and places can be specifically designed to support communities and improve a wider social context. As a practice we have had the pleasure of working on several schemes which have renovated existing properties, adapted buildings to fit changing needs and reimagined areas to create welcoming community spaces. Designing for Community Projects A thriving cafe is one of the new community focused offerings at St…

New Forest House site progress

Last week we went to site to see the fantastic progress on our deep retrofit project, reimagining the existing Brockenhurst House dwelling in the heart of the New Forest National Park. Our work has reimagined the distinctive 1970’s chalet house, adding an extension to reconfiguring the property alongside a full thermal upgrade to the property. The contractor has nearly finished on the main construction to a very high standard, leaving the smaller finishing touches to be completed by the owners. We are really looking forward…

Girl Guides project appears in the AJ

Our Girl Guides Hut project was published in the Architects Journal this week; it is always nice to see our project news shared with prestigious industry publications, click here for the full article. The design for the replacement hut has recently been submitted in for planning. The sustainably designed building will have low running costs, to make it an economical building for the charity to run. Due to the conditions of the site the building has been carefully crafted to maximise the space available, whilst…

Achieving planning permission within a National Park

Last week we won unanimous approval at planning committee for a replacement dwelling in Burley, right at the heart of the New Forest National Park. This was a brilliant win for our client and for our design, it also got us thinking about the process of achieving permission when your property is located within a UK National Park. If you are looking to build a new property, make a significant change to a building (like an extension) or make a change of use (for example…

Studio BAD Design Award – University of Brighton

Guest blog by Roger Tyrrell. ‘There are cracks in Everything – that’s how the light gets in.’ Lyric by Leonard Cohen As Darren and I travelled to Brighton by train, we reflected upon our contemporary world discussing politics, economics and ethics amongst other things. Given these ‘dark matter’ discussions, we each alighted perhaps with heavier baggage than when we each boarded that train. We were in Brighton to judge the 2024 Studio BAD Design Awards, presented to final year Interior Design Students at the University…

RIBA publish ‘Inclusion Emergency’

Darren was invited to offer his insights on the Architectural profession for the new ‘Inclusion Emergency, Diversity in Architecture’ book by Hannah Durham & Grace Choi, published by RIBA Publishing. The book aims to encourage understanding across the industry, asking professionals to reflect on the industry and addresses critical questions to provides steps towards meaningful change. It is widely acknowledged that architecture is at a tipping point and if there isn’t any change there is a risk of limiting our relevance in today’s society, this…