May Practice News

This month we are excited to share news about our Paddock House & Paddock Gardens project, updates from our Bristol church scheme, and good news about the Brick Pavilion.

Planning submitted in Brockenhurst

We have recently submitted planning for two new houses in the village of Brockenhusrt, in the New Forest National Park.

Paddock House is a low energy, five bedroom replacement dwelling, and Paddock Garden is a smaller three-bed new build home, designed to maximise the potential of the owners adjacent field.

Our designs thoughtfully respond to the rural setting; we have carefully considered the plot ratios of neighbouring homes in order to deliver contemporary, sustainable homes that are balanced and appropriate for this village centre context within the national park. Read more about the projects here. 

 

Progress at St Barnabas Church

Our phased works at the Bristol based St Barnabas Church are progressing well. The first step of our designs proposals focuses on improving the internal layout to create a space that functions better for the local community, following the feedback from our engagement workshops.

Key design moves include the relocation of the kitchen, reconfiguring of the large open plan interior, and the introduction of smaller, more flexible rooms for events and community use. The improvements have also prioritised improving accessibility, including new WC facilities, widened door openings, and the installation of lists into the building. We look forward to seeing this phase of the community project completed.

 

Planning Secured for Brick Pavilion

We are absolutely delighted to have received planning approval for our new arts community facility located in the heart of Chichester, reusing the locally important Brick Pavillion.

The building, having stood vacant for several years, had fallen into disrepair resulting in it becoming a magnet for ongoing antisocial behaviour and vandalism.

We are thrilled to be reimagining the building, working in collaboration with Chichester Community Development Trust, to bring it back into the heart of the community. We are looking forward to bringing updates as this project progresses to site.

 

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Planning secured for Brick Pavilion

We are absolutely delighted to have received planning approval for our new arts community facility located in the heart of Chichester, reusing the locally important Brick Pavillion.

The building, having stood vacant for several years, had fallen into disrepair resulting in it becoming a magnet for ongoing antisocial behaviour and vandalism. We are thrilled to be reimagining the building, working in collaboration with Chichester Community Development Trust, to bring it back into the heart of the community.

We look forward to bringing updates from site as we start the construction stage later this year.

Planning submitted for two New Forest homes

We have recently submitted planning permission for two new contemporary homes in the village of Brockenhurst, in the New Forest.

Paddock House and Paddock Garden will deliver two new independent homes. Paddock Homes is a replacement dwelling, delivering a low energy five bedroom family house. Paddock Gardens is a smaller new build, maximising the potential of the adjacent, and underused paddock field, to deliver a three bedroom home.

Our design responds to the rural setting, while also have carefully considered the plot ratios of neighbouring village homes in order to deliver contemporary, sustainable homes that are balanced and appropriate for the New Forest context, while also reaching the full potential of the site.

Reading University Lecture

Darren was invited to take part in the latest Reading University School of Architecture lecture series ‘The Politics of Space’ this month.

His presentation was titled ‘Small Moves, Big Impact’ and focused on the ability to use architecture and design to do more, but with less. The talk reviewed some of the key projects Studio BAD has undertaken over the last seven years, focusing on many of our community projects such as St Margarets Church, Bedford Place, and October Books.

March Practice News

In this month’s update, we are sharing news of sustainable EV charging at Marwell Zoo, update on the Brick Pavilion project in Chichester, and another award win for our Brockenhurst House.

New Forest Design Award Win

We are honoured to have had our Brockenhurst House awarded with Best Residential Project in this years New Forest Design Award, the second award for this project so far!

These awards are organised by the New Forest District Council, set up to recognise high quality design and the best new developments within the New Forest National Park.

The judges commented, ‘this design was a noteworthy combination of modern, forward-thinking ideas, which referenced the local vernacular in materials, and employed good green credentials. They were particularly pleased to see a proposal more in spirit of the government’s advice over embodied carbon, with retention over replacement, and showcasing a retrofit scheme on a more typical modern dwelling found within the New Forest.’

Chichester Brick Pavilion update

We have submitted planning for our Brick Pavilion project, an exciting milestone in this community project. Our design reimagines and redevelops the vacant, locally significant building situated in the north-west corner of the cities Priory Park.

We have been working in collaboration with Chichester Community Development Trust (CDT). To help steer the designs we have hosted communitte engagment events, to explore how this neglected building can be restored, using design to deliver a valuable community asset.

Sustainable EV Charging at Marwell

We have achieved planning permission for a unique, fully off grid electrical vehicle charging system at Marwell Zoo, working in collaboration with the University of Southampton and the FEVER research project.

The project delivers over 20 EV charging spaces, designed with solar panels installed on butterfly roofs, which are linked to battery storage and a back up generator.

The design offers visitors an opportunity to charge their cars sustainably, aligning with the zoo’s strong commitment in this area. Learn more here. 

February Practice News

In this month’s update, we’re pleased to share our newly published Church brochure, early concept designs for two new-build homes within the New Forest National Park, and details of The Politics of Space lecture series, where Darren will be presenting.

Securing Church Buildings Through Design

We have recently published our first brochure dedidated to our architectural work focused on church buildings. As a design practice, we are passionate about working with these existing buildings, using architecture as a catalyst for positive change. Through our experience working with 20 + churches dotted across the UK, we have developed tailored design proposals for a wide range of denominations, settings and building types. We deliver designs that respond to each projects distinct challenges and opportunities, to bring long-term resilience to these extraordinary spaces.

Many churches share common concerns: reducing maintenance costs, unlocking the potential of their buildings and sites, improving usability, strengthening engagement with the wider community, above all ensuring the building can continue to support the church’s mission for generations to come.

View the church brochure here. 

Garden Plot Concept Designs, New Forest National Park

We are currently working with the owners of Paddock House, to explore the potential of redeveloping their site, to deliver a low energy replacement dwelling, and to create an additional new home within their generous grounds.

Our designs carefully respond to the rural village setting, while also considering the plot ratios of neighbouring homes. The aim is to deliver these two new house with a design that is balanced and appropriate for its context, while also reaching the full potential of the site.

View project details here.

RUAS lecture

Darren has been invited to present as part of Reading University, Architecture Society (RUAS) event ‘The Politics of Space’ on 12th March, 2026.

He has been asked to share his thoughts on how architecture reflects, and shapes social hierarchies. How design can impact accessibility, and inclusion across society.

As a current Studio Practitioner at Reading University, Darren is always keen to support the work of RUAS.

Get in touch to request the presentation slides after the event if you are unable to attend.