August Newsletter

In this edition, we’re pleased to share our latest proposals for a sensitive barn conversion in the South Downs National Park, introduce our recently published Residential Homes brochure, and announce our upcoming move to a new Studio BAD office in the heart of Southampton.

Reimagining an agricultural barn in the South Downs

We have been developing proposals for the sensitive conversion of a redundant agricultural building in the heart of rural South Downs, to deliver a contemporary, sustainable family home.

Our architectural design reimagines the disused barn, thoughtfully converting the existing structure into a low-energy family home. The design retains the original character of the building, celebrating its agricultural heritage by retaining and enhancing its character, while introducing carefully considered interventions that support modern family living and enhance its relationship with the surrounding landscape. Read more about the project here.

Residential Homes Brochure

We have recently published a new brochure highlighting the residential projects we have had the pleasure of working on, you can view it online here. 

The brochure brings together a diverse collection of schemes at every stage of the design and construction journey. From architectural concept proposals and projects currently on site to completed homes, it showcases the breadth of our work and our approach to creating thoughtful, high-quality residential architecture.

Click the link below to view the brochure online. If you’re considering your own residential project, we would be delighted to discuss your ideas and how we can help bring them to life.

 

Studio BAD are on the move!

After five years in our current office, it’s time for a new chapter. In early August, we’ll be relocating to our new workspace at Network Eagle Lab on Portland Terrace, while remaining in the heart of Southampton.

We’re excited about the move and the opportunities the new space will bring. With greater flexibility, a creative working environment, and significantly fewer stairs to climb (those who have visited our current office will know exactly what we mean!), it feels like the right place for our next chapter.

Once we’re settled in, we hope to celebrate with a small open house. We’ll share more details soon and look forward to welcoming you.

Architects Journal ‘Retrofirst’ article

Darren was interviewed by the ‘Architects’ Journal’ as part of its extensive RetroFirst campaign, which advocates prioritising the retrofit and reimagining of existing buildings over demolition and redevelopment. We believe this is an important initiative, that closely aligns with our practice’s commitment to sustainable design and making the most of existing built assets.

The interview focuses on the Brick Pavilion project, a scheme that will transform a vacant local landmark in Chichester, breathing new life into the building while preserving and enhancing its existing character.

You can read the full article here.

July Newsletter

We are pleased to share a selection of highlights from the past month, including Darren’s interview in The Architects’ Journal, the commencement of two new church projects in Birmingham, and celebrating the end-of-year exhibition at the University of Reading.

Retrofirst Article in Architects Journal

Darren was recently interviewed by the ‘Architects’ Journal’ as part of its extensive RetroFirst campaign, which advocates prioritising the retrofit and reimagining of existing buildings over demolition and redevelopment. We were delighted to contribute to this important initiative, which closely aligns with our practice’s commitment to sustainable design and making the most of existing built assets.

The interview focuses on the Brick Pavilion project, for which we recently secured planning permission. The scheme will transform a vacant local landmark in Chichester, breathing new life into the building while preserving and enhancing its existing character.

Read the full article here.

Two Birmingham Community Church’s

We have had the pleasure of working on two very different church projects in Birmingham: St Gabriel’s Church and St Chad’s Church.

Both churches play a vital role as community hubs and present significant opportunities to reimagine their existing buildings and wider sites, in order to better serve local people and support future generations.

We began the design process for both projects with community engagement workshops, providing an opportunity to hear directly from those who use and value these spaces. These conversations have been invaluable in helping us understand the needs, challenges and aspirations of each congregation and community.

Drawing on this feedback, we have developed bespoke feasibility studies that explore how we can maximise the potential of the existing assets. This includes creating more flexible and welcoming community spaces within the church buildings, as well as investigating opportunities for social housing and other community-focused development across the wider sites.

Reading University End of Year Show

Last week, the University of Reading School of Architecture hosted its annual end-of-year show, celebrating the creativity, dedication and achievements of students across all year groups.

The exhibition showcased an impressive range of design work, including projects from the first-year students whom Darren has been teaching throughout the past academic year. It was a fantastic event and a valuable opportunity to see the breadth of talent emerging from the next generation of architects and designers. The quality of work on display was both inspiring and encouraging, offering a positive glimpse into the future of our built environment.

Darren has a close relationship with the School of Architecture, where he has taught for the past nine years. As a practice, we believe in teaching and engagement with academia. The academic environment provides a valuable forum for testing ideas, challenging assumptions and exploring new ways of thinking about architecture. It encourages us not only to consider how we design, but also to continually reflect on why we do it.

 

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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.

Planning success for sustainable charging at Marwell

Studio BAD have worked in collaboration with University of Southampton to research, and achieved planning permission for fully off-grid electric charging within the Marwell Zoo customer car park, near Winchester in Hampshire.

Designed to deliver sustainable infrastructure to support the nationwide drive towards sustainable car charging, without adding a burden to the existing electrical grid, this project is a trail which we hope can be rolled out to more locations in the near future. This scheme is set to be live for three years, to test the unique, fully off grid electrical vehicle charging technology. Because of the temporary nature of the installation, the design does not involve the removal or alternation of any of the mature trees on the site, installing permanent foundations, or fixing, it has been designed to touch the ground lightly, and be removable.

In total the project will deliver over 20 car charging space, with solar panels installed on butterfly roofs, linked to battery storage, and a back up generator.

The design offering visitors to the zoo an opportunity to charge their cars sustainably. Supporting and aligning to the zoo’s strong commitment in this area, other initiatives include generating their own power through solar power, and their ‘Zoo Poo’ project which recycles animal waste to heat buildings.

The project works in collaboration with the FEVER research project, led by the University of Southampton in partnership with Universities of Sheffield, Surrey, and Portsmouth, and funded by the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).