The Advice Centre

I have been lucky enough to work as an architect for a good many years. Ten years ago I established my own practice in the heart of Bristol. It is a youthful and diverse practice with four other talented young architects - we work on projects for co-build and community groups, self builders, charities and creative businesses. Working ethically and sustainably is at the heart of our business. We aim to make a difference for those we work with. We also have a lot of fun.

www.askewarchitects.co.uk

BiBO is an RIBA Chartered Practice of Architects established in 2018 to offer a more joyful approach to designing and delivering architecture.

BiBO = better in, better out. It’s our reimagining of the computing principle that if you put garbage in, you get garbage out.

The ‘better’ that we put in at BiBO is based on 3 simple ideas: Curiosity, Integrity & Joy.

Curiosity
We promise to always question whether there is a cheaper, simpler, nicer, better way.

Integrity
“If I wouldn’t want to live/work/learn/play there myself, I won’t draw it”.

Joy
Life is short, enjoy it. We’ve learned that we do our best work when we are happy.

When we’re happy, we’re engaged. When we’re engaged, we’re better at communicating and more excited about our work. When we’re communicating and excited about our work, our clients are happy.

bibostudio.com

Haydn Bennett has a background in Health Care, Local Authority and Private Housing and School design as well as some industrial and commercial developments.

He established his own practice in 1990 and has almost exclusively worked on new houses, extensions and alterations to meet the needs of the owner-occupiers.  Most projects have been designed to improve on the energy efficiency and sustainability of the constructions leading to recent projects for new houses being designed to the Passivhaus standard.

bennarch.co.uk

We are architects.

We listen.

We learn.

We design.

We make spaces better, healthier and more inclusive. We add value.

We enjoy what we do.

We have experience in a range or projects from domestic extensions and one off 'grand design' homes through to housing masterplans, museums and school design. We believe it is more important 'who' we are working for than 'what' we are working on

We offer the full range of traditional architectural services from conception to completion. We can offer the full VR experience of our designs or just provide the basic 2d drawings depending on the project and what level of service our clients desire. We excel in sustainable design and its integration into the historic built environment. We also design external spaces and gardens that work in harmony with the buildings around them.

http://www.joma.studio

Jonathan Hetreed worked for four years on site and in design and build, then at Feilden Clegg for 16 years – 12 years as a partner – on a wide range of environmental projects.

He established his own practice in 1997 to refocus on medium and smaller projects more closely related to clients and occupants, where vitally important environmental design can be closely and pragmatically matched to people’s needs and aspirations. Project experience in recent years has included new and refurbished houses designed to Passivhaus principles together with bespoke community and commercial schemes.

Jonathan believes strongly in designing to first principles, in the delights of place, light and natural materials and in celebrating craftsmanship on site.

The HRA practice celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2011.

www.hetreedross.com

Director of Greenspace Architects Ltd, an eco-architectural practice with extensive experience of producing high quality, low energy and carefully-crafted architecture underpinned by sustainable design principles. Quite simply, we create fantastic places, spaces and buildings that exceed the aspirations of our clients.

Our approach is based on dialogue and collaboration: we listen carefully to you, our client, to establish a strategic brief, bringing our experience to bear to realise the opportunities the brief presents. We encourage you to ‘dream’, to draw-out your true aspirations for your project, then find a way to attain the most important elements for the available funds.

www.greenspacearchitects.co.uk

mjwarchitects are an award-winning RIBA chartered architectural practice established in 2000, based in a converted chapel just outside Bath in Somerset. We are ideally located to serve Bath, Bristol, Bruton, Frome and Wells and all surrounding areas in the South and South West.

We have the necessary skills and over 25 years of experience to work on a whole range of projects, but residential projects are our specialty. We have completed over 300 projects and gained a successful reputation for obtaining planning permissions and listed building consents on often difficult and sensitive sites.

Our success is based on our creative and flexible design approach, our ability to gain community support for schemes and our skills in working well with planners. We aim to meet client aspirations through creative, innovative and sustainable design, that exceeds expectations, and is delivered successfully on time and within your budget.

www.mjwarchitects.com

Philip Easton founded Western Design Architects in 1986. We are a multi award-winning Dorset practice specialising in the design of contemporary and traditional homes.

Phil has over 30 years professional and extensive site experience, practical knowledge and understanding of building construction and trades. Phil specialises in building conservation, as an accredited RIBA Conservation Architect he is frequently working with listed buildings, including Grade I and II, buildings within conservation areas and in areas of outstanding natural beauty.

Phil has an in-depth knowledge of the planning system. He has been responsible for the design of many hundreds of buildings for a variety of private and public sector clients including Local Authorities. He is an enthusiastic promoter of sustainable design and construction, with the ability to effectively incorporate sustainable systems into tour buildings.

www.westerndesignarchitects.com

MIME is a ‘young’ company but Russell has 22 years of experience of working in architecture across the Southwest and London. This includes:

• Private houses
• Social housing
• Bespoke interior fit outs (London townhouses and apartments)
• Work on listed buildings including contemporary extensions
• Barn conversions
• Self build
• Community projects (UK and overseas)

We specialise in Planning Consultancy & Strategy and can provide full architectural services, from site assessment to building completion. We find creative solutions for sensitive locations, difficult urban and heavily constrained sites and have a proven track record in achieving successful planning applications in National Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Listed Buildings (Grade II & II*) and sites with unsuccessful planning histories.

MIME’s current workload includes planning consultancy, large domestic extensions (£130k upwards), a housing development for a Community Land Trust and barn conversion for a self builder. These are within Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, the Cotswolds and Oxford.

mimearchitects.co.uk

Terry is a chartered architect with over two decades of experience having worked in large practices to small conservation architects on a number of high profile schemes across the country prior to setting up PAAD in October 2010. His passion is a belief in sustainable, ethical design that is accessible to all, and to provide buildings that are right for their location and owners whilst enhancing the environment. Terry strongly believes in giving something back to his community and to this extent he is a mentor with the Stephen Lawrence Foundation, and also an enabler with Glass House.

www.pa-ad.co.uk

Tom is Creative Director at Orme - an innovative and award-winning architecture practice based in Somerset, offering bespoke design solutions and services to a wide range of domestic and commercial clients across the UK.

Tom has an absolute passion for well-designed bespoke private houses and prides himself on delivering a first class design service.

He is a member of the Royal Institute of British Architects and Architects Registration Board. Over the last 15 years he has worked on a wide variety of projects from university halls of residence, multi-million pound mixed-use regeneration projects, through to bespoke community and fitness centres.

More recently Tom has led the design and implementation of award winning passiv-haus standard residential projects.

www.orme-architecture.com