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. 

New Forest Building Design Award Win

We are so happy to have had our Brockenhurst House recognised in the New Forest Building Design Awards this year, picking up the award for Best Residential Project – our second award for this project to date!

Our project has reimagined the distinctive 1970s chalet-style home set on the edge of Brockenhurst village. Our design was guided by three key ambitions: improving spatial flexibility, enhancing environmental performance, and strengthening the connection between house and garden. The finished project has created a contemporary, sustainable, and accessible home, without compromising the architectural quality of the spaces.

The judges commented that the project had a ‘noteworthy combination of modern, forward-thinking ideas, which referenced the local vernacular in materials, and employed good green credentials.’

They went on to praise the project, which they felt was ‘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’.

This would not have been possible without our wonderful and inspiring clients, and our hardworking team of collaborators who brough this scheme to life – congratulations to us all.

Build It’s Best of Self Build & Renovation

We’re delighted to see Brockenhurst House featured in Build It’s Best of Self Build & Renovation supplement, which showcases the award-winning projects from the 2025 Build It Awards.

Brockenhurst House was the winner of the Extensions & Renovation category. The judges praised the project for its beautifully detailed, fabric-first approach, highlighting how thoughtful design can be truly transformative, even within an average budget.

The scheme reimagines a tired 1970s property as a contemporary, low-energy home. Carefully tailored to support the owners’ needs, the design incorporates a high degree of flexibility, ensuring the house is resilient, adaptable and future-proofed for years to come.

December Studio Update

In this months roundup, we’re pleased to share highlights from Darren’s recent talk at the RIBA conference, the opening of our Winchester art installation, and the exciting news of our award win for Brockenhurst House.

To keep in touch with our news, you can sign up to the practice updates here. 

Photography by Karla Gowlett

RIBA Conference, Guerrilla Tactics

Darren was invited to present at this years RIBA Guerrilla Tactics conference themed “The DNA of Practice: Shaping Identity Beyond the Portfolio,” explored what defines a practice’s true identity beyond its built work.

His talk was titled, “Making Meaning: Communicating Practice Values with Clarity and Confidence”, reflecting on his own experiences as founder of Studio BAD nearly seven years ago, and the importance of establishing and staying true to a set of guiding principles that underpin every aspect of our work. You can read more about the event here. 

Architecture Award Win

We are absolutely thrilled to have won the ‘Best Architect for an Extension Project’ at this year’s Build It Awards for our Brockenhurst House project. The design has taken a tired 1970’s chalet home set within the New Forest National Park, and transformed it into a stunning, contemporary home to perfectly suit the clients’ needs.

The brief had been to extend and reimagine the property, to deliver a low energy home that could support the owners evolving needs, while remaining true to principles of beauty, sustainability, and architectural integrity, elevating everyday living while responding to change. You can read more details about the project here.

Art Installation Opens

We were delighted to attend the official opening of Allegra Ambition Installation this month, a project that delivers a free-to-use outdoor fitness space and sculptural seating area beside the Winchester Sports Centre at Garrison Ground, Hampshire. Our design was selected as the winner of the public art competition for the charity, Allegra’s Ambition.

Lucy Whittome, Trustee of Allegra’s Ambition, stated about the design:

“We have tried to create something truly special here. It is a place that welcomes people and children of all ages to gather, sit, play, and exercise, with a focus on calisthenics.”

Best Architect Award

We are absolutely thrilled to have won the ‘Best Architect for an Extension Project’ at this year’s Build It Awards for our Brockenhurst House project.

The design has taken the tired 1970’s chalet home, and transformed it into a stunning, contemporary home to perfectly suit our clients’ needs. Their ambition was to extend and reimagine the property to deliver a home that could support their evolving needs, while remaining true to principles of beauty, sustainability, and architectural integrity.

The result is a refined, low energy home that champions passive solar design, natural materials, and renewable technologies, demonstrating how thoughtful architecture can elevate everyday living while responding to environmental challenges.

Our client stated;

‘From our very first meeting with Darren and Studio BAD team, it was clear that we had found someone who was listening and importantly hearing our ideas, priorities, and intentions. As we are of a mature age and this is to be our forever home. A warm and comfortable, accessible, and environmentally responsible property was our goal and with Studio BAD’s design and assistance we have been able to score it.
‘We are delighted with our completed home and are able to enjoy life without worrying about changing situations regarding aging, mobility and access etc.’

 

You can find full project details here. 

November Practice News

In this month’s update we have put together some frequently asked questions to help explain the SIPs build system following the onsite success at our Courtyard House project, we are celebrating our shortlist in the Build It Awards, and have an update from The Granary.

To keep in touch with our news, you can sign up to the practice updates here. 

FAQs about SIPs

We often get asked questions from our clients about SIP’s as a potential method for building. To help you get a better idea about the benefits of this system, we have answered a few of the most frequently asked questions; including what are the benefits, what are the disadvantages, and is the system cheaper to build with.

Read the full article here. 

Award Success

Our Brockenhurst House has been shortlisted in this year’s Build It Awards, in the ‘Best Architect or Designer for a Conservation or Renovation Project’. The annual industry awards that celebrate the most inspiring architectural projects and inventive products in the self-build sector, judged by industry leaders.

Brockenhurst House exemplifies how thoughtful, design-led architecture can elevate everyday living. What began as a tired 1970s chalet-style property has been transformed into a refined, low-carbon contemporary home, designed to support its owners’ evolving needs while treading lightly on the planet.

Full project details can be found here. 

The Granary update

It was great to see such positive progress on site at The Granary, our heritage project in the New Forest National Park set within the curtilage of a listed building.

The project has thoughtfully designed a scheme which converts and infills an existing open carport space on the ground floor aspect of the building, providing an additional bedroom on the first floor and extending the living accommodation on the ground floor.

The project is so close to completion, we cannot wait to share some professional photos with you soon. You can find full project details here.