/team_a season of change
With the warmer weather finally making an appearance we've been enjoying seeing the gardens around us spring to life and the sound of the bees busily enjoying the flowers in bloom. It's not only the gardens around us that are blossoming, we as a team are also growing and we have welcomed another new member to the STUDIO/gather team.
We welcome Emma from the sunny climes of Scotland. She joins us with a passion for sustainable architecture and is already getting stuck into one of our more complex near PassivHaus retrofit projects based on the South Coast.
/projects_in the spotlight
Our 'spotlight' project this month has been a labour of love for all involved and works have commenced on site at 'White Wings'. A technically challenging and forward-thinking project has only come to fruition from the passion of our clients and the unwavering technical optimism of both Pete and Dan who are leading this near-passive house project in Falmouth. You can read more about the project here.
This complex build of hidden gutters, a floating staircase and disappearing corner glazing complete with a timber frame and plenty of steico products. We can't wait to see Ollie and his team at Berryman Construction bring this project to life.
/scope_IPCC
We were both saddened and shocked at the article published by the IPCC. The IPCC "prepares comprehensive Assessment Reports about the state of scientific, technical and socio-economic knowledge on climate change, its impacts and future risks, and options for reducing the rate at which climate change is taking place". We will be talking more in-depth about this soon as we, as a practice, create a strategy to ensure we are doing absolutely everything we can to be a part of the solution and not the problem.
If you haven't read the IPCC report yourself you can find a link to it here. AR6 Synthesis Report: Climate Change 2023
/sustain_a deep retrofit story on the north coast - update
Our project on the North Coast is nearing completion and this extension/renovation has recently undertaken an air tightness test and reached incredibly good results now the plaster is on the walls. With Dan's knowledge and attention to detail, he has been keeping the contractors on their toes with experimental material, Diathonite. Diathonite is a cork and lime mixed internal insulation which allows walls to breathe, the capillary motion of solid construction to not cause issues, improves thermal performance, creates an air tightness layer and is a full natural application.
/create_a parish council reaction
As a practice, we strive to design and build sustainable, future-proofed homes sometimes pushing the boundaries of 'normal' materials and processes. As we continue to learn and try to put this at the heart of every project we do, it's a delight when our schemes are met with such positivity and applause. Our most recent Parish Council meeting for a house in Praa Sands got a resounding thumbs up and we are excited to see this Scandi beach house progress.
/close_3
‘As we hit the midway mark in the year we also hit 2 years of STUDIO/gather. From a humble garden studio to an inspiring and creative team of 6. With projects on site, some nearing completion and plenty of things in the pipeline we are looking forward to seeing what the future brings!
STUDIO/gather was built on the foundations of a team with a shared optimism that the built environment can offer a transformative effect against the current climate and biodiversity global crisis.
By us learning from a building's natural setting, we can enhance and protect it through architectural intervention.
We are already seeing this manifesto play out in which properties and sites that we have worked on with the return of rich and diverse flora and fauna in their garden and into the lives of the owners. Buildings running on only renewable energy creating a happy and healthy place to live.
This increased connection to our surroundings brings positive energy to us and our client's lives. This feeds back into allowing more time for play, for time with family and friends and to do more of what makes us feel at our best. We feel this can only be seen as what sustainability is - when the dividing forces are in equilibrium and everyone begins to benefit. Having these goals means to design individually with each house/home being unique to its setting and to our clients. We explore what this means together, collaborating on the design and journey and becoming a stronger team for it. This makes us happy architects, with engaged clients and a creative architectural output.
Cheers to each and every one of you who have been with us on this journey since the start and those who have joined us along the way, we wouldn't be here without your continued support.'
Julian J Mills.
Founding Director