Architects of Ambition

In this episode we reveal how UK Architects are spearheading a sustainable revolution, addressing rising costs, VAT issues, and material challenges in line with carbon neutrality goals, championing COP28 policy reforms and industry education to reshape the nation's architectural future. James Rixon from Rixon Architecture says "I think there's a certain amount of trial and error. I think it's come from experience. I think going back, I graduated from university in 2011. And that at the time, again, sustainability was just it was going to happen in terms of sustainable design. That was a time of code for sustainable homes. It was something I was very interested in and quite passionate about. It made complete sense that, hey, if we're going to make a positive contribution to the environment, it could be within the work that we do. At the time, there wasn't necessarily a need". https://www.rixon-architecture.com/ https://www.instagram.com/rixon_architecture/

In this episode we reveal how UK Architects are spearheading a sustainable revolution, addressing rising costs, VAT issues, and material challenges in line with carbon neutrality goals, championing COP28 policy reforms and industry education to reshape the nation's architectural future. Giacomo Calisti from beyonddesign says "IWe live in a world of commodity, right? In which everybody like things, they can buy quickly and have the dream and then they are faced with the reality in which your Pinterest kitchen, like that you saw with the nice lining of the drawers, actually, you know, it's a very high expensive ticket item which you cannot afford in your budget. And then when you need to add sustainability to it, it's just too much of a challenge for them to accept that there's even more cost associated with it if you want to get sustainable". https://beyondd.studio/ https://www.instagram.com/beyondd.studio/

In this episode we reveal how UK Architects are spearheading a sustainable revolution, addressing rising costs, VAT issues, and material challenges in line with carbon neutrality goals, championing COP28 policy reforms and industry education to reshape the nation's architectural future. Anthony Grieveson from Studio Grieveson says "I think in terms of retrofitting housing stock, when it's solid brick walls, the obvious solution is wood fibre or cork internal insulation with a breathable plaster. When you tender that, it often comes back very expensive. Because it's different materials, it's not what your average domestic contractor is used to working with." https://studiogrieveson.com/ https://www.instagram.com/studiogrieveson/

In this episode we reveal how UK Architects are spearheading a sustainable revolution, addressing rising costs, VAT issues, and material challenges in line with carbon neutrality goals, championing COP28 policy reforms and industry education to reshape the nation's architectural future. Ashvin de Vos from Variant Office says "I think architects are like naturally curious minded, hardworking people, right? Our education system encourages think outside of architecture, experiment with new ideas, and approach the design practice. And you can see as well when you pick up magazines, go onto Dezeen and various other Ezines as well, you see a lot of practices really pushing boundaries." https://variantoffice.com/ https://www.instagram.com/variantoffice/

In this episode we reveal how UK Architects are spearheading a sustainable revolution, addressing rising costs, VAT issues, and material challenges in line with carbon neutrality goals, championing COP28 policy reforms and industry education to reshape the nation's architectural future. Matteo Sarno from Boito Sarno Architects says "I think today to be an architect, you also have to be an activist. And that's definitely been my story. And I think with the climate crisis and the climate emergency, you can't just build and then not challenge the situation that we are in.” https://www.boitosarno.com/ https://www.instagram.com/boitosarno/

In this episode we reveal how UK Architects are spearheading a sustainable revolution, addressing rising costs, VAT issues, and material challenges in line with carbon neutrality goals, championing COP28 policy reforms and industry education to reshape the nation's architectural future. Hugh McEwen from Office S&M says “I think it's often having those conversations with clients early and bringing them on board. Some clients are completely dedicated and already interested in what can they do to push the sustainability of projects. Because often there is a bit of a cost premium or there's something that a particular material unusual or innovative, there are a number of questions that kind of come up.” https://officesandm.com/ https://www.instagram.com/officesandm/

In this episode we reveal how UK Architects are spearheading a sustainable revolution, addressing rising costs, VAT issues, and material challenges in line with carbon neutrality goals, championing COP28 policy reforms and industry education to reshape the nation's architectural future. Gavin Hegarty says "Clients quite often come with interesting ideas or things that they want to do, or just staying aware of what's going on in the architectural world, the press, conferences. I've been [a] qualified architect for quite a while now, it's so important to like stay abreast of what's going on." https://www.gha.studio/ https://www.instagram.com/gavin_hegarty/

In this episode we reveal how UK Architects are spearheading a sustainable revolution, addressing rising costs, VAT issues, and material challenges in line with carbon neutrality goals, championing COP28 policy reforms and industry education to reshape the nation's architectural future. Viktor Westerdahl, Director of Westerdahl explains “I've tried to push [sustainability] in every project. I think the challenge really is when you come up against the cold, hard reality of budget, then people often scale back on those ambitions. It can be really small things like you might have an air-to-air heat exchange in a bathroom and it's cheaper to just put in a normal one. What I do try to bake in is putting good insulation in, because you have to put that anyway and it's not so much more expensive.” https://www.westerdahl.co.uk/

In this episode we reveal how UK Architects are spearheading a sustainable revolution, addressing rising costs, VAT issues, and material challenges in line with carbon neutrality goals, championing COP28 policy reforms and industry education to reshape the nation's architectural future. “There's probably a wider discussion about this country's economy and the desire for house prices to continue to rise at 5-7% a year. I think the government needs to do more to counteract the negative stories in the press, particularly for heat pumps. There's lots of misinformation out there. You know, we have to get rid of gas. We have to stop using gas boilers. We have to decarbonize.” John Stack, Partner at North Architects https://www.instagram.com/northarchitectsn16/ https://www.northarchitects.co.uk/

In this episode we reveal how UK Architects are spearheading a sustainable revolution, addressing rising costs, VAT issues, and material challenges in line with carbon neutrality goals, championing COP28 policy reforms and industry education to reshape the nation's architectural future. Davide di Martino, Founder of Unagru and NoMoreGas.org explains “The grid in the UK is rapidly decarbonising so the emissions coming from electricity production is falling. This means that [electric] alternatives to gas boilers are more eco-friendly. It used to be that electric alternatives would use electricity on site, but then that electricity was produced by a very carbon-intensive grid. Therefore, the two alternatives were not that different, whereas the grid is decarbonising very quickly. The [combined emissions] of all the gas boilers in the UK (17million), are much higher than the combination of all the UK's power plants.” https://www.instagram.com/unagru_architecture_urbanism/ https://www.unagru.com/

In this episode we reveal how UK Architects are spearheading a sustainable revolution, addressing rising costs, VAT issues, and material challenges in line with carbon neutrality goals, championing COP28 policy reforms and industry education to reshape the nation's architectural future. “This is always a conversation of what is sustainability?" explains Remi Connolly-Townsend from remi c.t. studio. "I think it's a good topic that will probably run through the conversation. You know, sustainability is, you know, from material, methodology, the usage, the lifestyle, and well-being within a building. It's the beauty of the building. There's so many, it's an umbrella term, sustainability. And I think that designers and architects consultants within the built environment have a great theoretical knowledge about sustainability. I think it is about pushing forward and analyzing, and my belief is taking that to the practical. I think that the knowledge is there. I think it is about how... you know, the consultancy group bring it into the practical.” https://www.instagram.com/remict_studio/ https://remict.com/

In this episode we reveal how UK Architects are spearheading a sustainable revolution, addressing rising costs, VAT issues, and material challenges in line with carbon neutrality goals, championing COP28 policy reforms and industry education to reshape the nation's architectural future. “I found out when I was studying retrofitting that the use of wood fibre insulation was found to work best with period properties, and the best results had been with wood fibre or cork. They'd put monitors between the brick wall and the wood fibre and they were able to monitor the effect of this over a number of years and see if there were any problems with moisture” explains Natalie Black, Founder of Enbee Architecture and Design. “Made out of a grown material, it's absorbing carbon when it's growing, you put it into the building and carbon in that material is then locked into the building for the duration of its time in the building.” https://www.instagram.com/enbeearchitecture/ https://www.enbeearchitectureanddesign.com/

In this special bonus episode of Architects of Ambition, we're diving deep into how these architects envision the evolution of residential architecture in light of the significant role that small architectural practices are poised to undertake. Join us as we gather insights and perspectives from renowned architects: 🌟 Dan Marks, MATA Architects 🌟 Benjamin Machin 🌟 Jonathan Fashanu, DASH 🌟 Richard John Andrews

In this episode, Richard John Andrews joins the conversation to discuss the nuances and driving factors behind small architectural practices. Richard, offering a blend of personal anecdotes and professional wisdom, shares his journey in the field of architecture. He describes the establishment of his practice, its core principles, and the types of projects they typically handle. The talk highlights the distinctiveness of small practices in contributing to the field of architecture, particularly in how they adapt to and influence design and architectural trends. https://www.instagram.com/richardjohnandrews/ https://www.richardjohnandrews.co.uk/

Jonathan Fashanu's episode delves into the specificities and challenges of operating within the UK's residential architecture sphere. The discussion opens up with Jonathan detailing the geographic and project-based scope of his practice. He shares insights on what differentiates his approach in the architecture field, particularly focusing on how his firm tackles the unique demands and challenges of residential projects. Jonathan's commentary sheds light on the distinct aspects of residential architecture, emphasising creativity, functionality, and client engagement. https://www.instagram.com/jonathan.fashanu/ https://www.instagram.com/studiodashuk/ https://studiodash.co.uk/

In the conversation with Dan, the focus shifts to the experiences and perspectives of founding and running an architectural firm. Dan, as the founding director of MATA Architects, shares the story of the firm's inception, its evolution, and the dynamics of partnering in the business. He touches upon the professional journey of starting as Dan Marks Studio and then transitioning to MATA, along with his former partner Tye. Dan's narrative is rich with insights into the business side of architecture, including the decision-making processes, handling of partnerships, and the evolution of his role within the firm. https://www.instagram.com/mata_architects/ https://www.mata-architects.co.uk/

⁠Architect Benjamin Machin⁠'s philosophy is reshaping how we think about architecture. His focus is on being small, nimble, flexible, and innovative, ensuring quality takes precedence over quantity and cash flow. Machin believes in testing ideas and values, emphasising the importance of a diverse, empathetic group of architects who can share and expand on these principles. His vision is clear: Learning from small practices can lead larger developments towards more environmentally and socially responsible designs. https://www.instagram.com/b__machin/ https://www.benjaminmachin.co.uk/