Journal: Ideas & Insights for Sustainable Homes and Retrofits
Our Journal shares expert guidance, creative inspiration, and practical advice from eco-friendly, sustainable architects in London. Whether you’re planning a low-energy extension, a sensitive retrofit of a period property, or a future-ready new build, you’ll find insights here on Passivhaus principles, natural materials, and planning advice to help you create a brighter, warmer, healthier home that works beautifully today and tomorrow.
Architectural Interiors: A Holistic Approach to Bespoke Joinery, Kitchens and Bathrooms
Architectural interiors are not decoration added at the end — they are part of the architecture itself. From kitchens and bathrooms to bespoke joinery, Studio CMA designs interiors as integrated, sustainable elements that create calm, coherent and timeless homes.
How To Use Artificial Light In Your Home
Have you ever walked into a room and instantly felt a shift in mood, energy, or even productivity? The secret often lies in the lighting, an integral aspect to making beautiful buildings. In our fast-paced, technology-driven lives, understanding how to harness the power of artificial light can transform not only your living space into an outstanding design but also impact your well-being.
Artificial lighting is an integral part of modern everyday life, influencing everything from our sleep patterns to our creativity. As we spend an increasing amount of time indoors, striking the right balance between brightness and darkness becomes crucial. However, the overwhelming options and often conflicting advice around lighting design can leave many of us confused about how to create an environment that supports our health and lifestyle.
This article outlines what to consider when designing artificial light (for evenings and nights), the best architectural practices and design solutions for residential projects, and how darkness plays an essential role in a healthy, sustainable home.
The Case For Daylight
Have you ever wondered how natural light can transform a space, bringing warmth and vitality into your home? Conversely, have you thought about the potential challenges it can create? Striking the right balance between embracing daylight and managing its drawbacks is essential in residential design.
Daylight has advantages and disadvantages. An outstanding design should consider both.
This article outlines the aspects to consider, giving tips and creative design solutions for drawing daylight in to your new or refurbished home.
The Elements That Make A Healthy Home
In my last article, I discussed the relationship between the Passive House standard and the making of a healthy home. I spoke about how the Passive House standard, which can be considered a measure of peak fitness, can serve as a strong foundation for your healthy home, a home that will also embrace more holistic issues.
What Is A Healthy Home And What Does It Have To Do With Passivhaus?
When we tell people that we make healthy homes, they often look confused. And that is fair given the unhealthy state of the UK building stock which is the oldest and poorest performing in Europe. As architects, we have met successful people, middle to upper-class families, whose homes were so rotten they found slugs in their shower and insects in the children's cereal. If these experiments in indoor biodiversity were the spark for their refurbishment project, you don’t need statistics to say that we are accustomed to a low standard for our homes.