Eco Homes
Our expert team of sustainable architects design eco homes across Dorset, Hampshire, Wiltshire and the South of England.
Our approach makes environmentally friendly design effortless
From affordable eco homes and beautiful Passivhaus designs to inspiring contemporary self-builds, we are committed to reducing environmental impact and helping you realise your sustainable design ambitions.
Designing Your Dream Sustainable Home
When it comes to sustainable homes, we know that their look, feel and impact on people and the planet matter. Whether you have grand designs for a new Passivhaus home, or are looking to self-build a low-cost sustainable home, at Footprint Architects we work with you through every step to create a bespoke, sustainable house design that meets your needs and aspirations.
Creating Your Unique Eco Home
From restoring a Grade II listed farmhouse to designing accommodation for ex-service personnel, no two projects are ever the same at Footprint Architects. However, we know how to overcome the common challenges you might face along the way when designing your sustainable home.
Whatever your brief, we’ll focus on providing sustainable solutions informed by Passive House principles to create a home for the future, while respecting your budget and timelines.
Why Choose Us?
We’re a RIBA Chartered Practice
Footprint Architects is a RIBA Chartered Practice. This means that we are dedicated to the highest standards of architectural professionalism and ethics. All of our architects hold the relevant architectural qualifications and are registered with the Architects Registration Board (ARB).
Specialist Knowledge of Sustainable Homes
Committed to sustainability, we integrate eco-friendly practices and materials into all our sustainable homes. We have worked on a number of new-build homes and have successfully incorporated affordable sustainable features such as high-quality, responsibly sourced timber, reclaimed bricks and integration of renewable energy systems.
Assist in Gaining Planning Permission
We know the planning process can feel daunting, but our team have developed strong working relationships with local planning authorities and have a good understanding of what will and won’t likely be accepted. Our experience over the years helps us identify potential constraints early as we guide you through each stage of the process.
Visualising Your Home Through VR
We’re adept at using the latest VR technologies to help you visualise your home Our team have led and delivered a wide range of homes using virtual-reality (VR) technology to help our clients better understanding spaces, materials and views before constriction begins.
Our Home Projects
Delivering Modern, Affordable Homes within a Dense Urban Setting
An Award Winning Affordable Self-Build, Eco-Friendly Home focusing on Passive House Design Principles
Our Sustainable Home Design Services
- Passive House Buildings
- Self Build Homes
- Sustainable Homes
- Low-Cost Residential Development
- Low-Energy Eco Homes
- Contemporary New Builds
- Affordable Housing and Apartments
- Green Architecture Developments
- Conservation and Refurbishment of Listed Buildings
- Residential Community Developments
Our Simple Approach to Designing Your Dream Eco Home
1. Fabric First
Footprint Architects adopts a fabric-first approach to all new homes that we design. Enhancing the thermal envelope and airtightness is a simple but highly effective way to reduce energy consumption.
- High levels of insulation in the walls, floors and roof to keep the heat in
- Maximising airtightness to reduce cold draughts
- Positioning windows to maximise heating from the sun in the winter
- Using thermal mass to keep homes cool in the summer and warm in the winter
- Opimising orientation and shading to reduce unwanted summer heat gain
This low-tech approach ensures that the buildings we create are easy to use, have low running costs, are simple to maintain, and provide healthy, comfortable environments to live in.
2. Passive House
Passivhaus, or Passive House, is a highly effective energy and comfort standard for sustainable house design. Buildings designed to Passivhaus standard use high levels of insulation, airtight construction, controlled fresh air, natural daylight and passive solar gain to create high-performing homes that maintain a constant temperature, all year round.
It’s an exciting alternative to conventional heating methods. Instead of standard, inefficient boilers and radiators, a Passivhaus building combines a highly insulated and airtight envelope with a simple, low-energy ventilation system, dramatically reducing the need for conventional heating even during the winter.
At the start of a project we carefully analyse your site, taking full advantage of it’s orientation, landscape and natural features when we design your dream home. We work closely with expert energy assessors to provide virtual modelling of your new eco house design, enabling us to optimise the building specification and achieve Passivhaus certification where required. Our approach means that a Passive House design can create beautiful, comfortable buildings that are low energy and cheap to run.
The Benefits of Passive House
- A large reduction in energy and carbon usage
- Extremely low energy bills
- Airtight, draught-free homes – around 20 times more airtight than standard!
- Consistent internal temperatures and improved year-round comfort
3. Sustainable Materials
At Footprint Architects we like to select sustainable, locally sourced building materials that look beautiful and have low embodied carbon. We prefer to select products that are easy to maintain, last a life time and can be recycled or repurposed in the future. In recent projects we have:
- Used low-carbon concrete that replaces 80% of the cement with waste by-products from other industries
- Reused 52 tonnes of hardwood to create sustainable cladding
- Used products made from 100% recycled plastic
- Incorporated recycled newspaper insulation into our designs
We also consider durability, responsible sourcing, maintenance and the ability to dismantle or reuse materials at the end of a building’s life.
4. Renewable Energy
Installing renewable energy systems in your home, such as solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, solar thermal hot-water or air-source heat pumps, is a valuable way to reduce carbon emissions and energy bills. At Footprint Architects we advocate the inclusion of renewable energy sources to all new modern eco homes that we design.
Renewable technologies are most effective when combined with a well-insulated, airtight building fabric that has already minimised energy demand.
5. Reuse and Retrofit
The idea is simple: demolish as little as possible and reuse the existing structure to reduce carbon emissions. Retrofitting typically involves a significant improvement in the thermal performance of the existing building fabric to create a warm and comfortable home.
At Footprint Architects we use our expertise to carefully and sensitively design relevant energy efficiency improvements to existing properties, making them fit for modern living whilst reducing energy consumption.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can You Upgrade an Existing Home to Passivhaus Standards?
Yes, you can retrofit older properties so that they function according to many of the same passive house principles, although it’s not usually possible to reach the same levels of insulation as a new build, significant energy saving of between 75 and 90% may be achievable, depending on the building and the extent of the work.
The Passivhaus Institute offers a separate certification standard for suitable retrofit projects, known as EnerPhit: ‘Quality-Approved Energy Retrofit with Passive House Components.’
How Do I Get Planning Permission?
We pride ourselves on our planning success rate and have built productive working relationships with the local planning authorities in Dorset and Hampshire. Our record of successful applications means we understand how to approach the process, but as with every project, the route to consent varies according to the site, brief and planning context.
Do You Work with Listed Buildings and Projects in Conservation Areas and National Parks?
Yes! We have a very strong record of securing and listed building consents, including projects within the Green Belt and the New Forest National Park. We were also winners of the New Forest National Park Building Design Awards for Best Conservation Scheme for our work to a listed farmhouse.
How Much Will My Project Cost?
This is dependent on many varying factors, including whether you are extending, renovating, converting or building a new home. There are also a number of different elements that will affect the final cost, including varying site conditions, the age and existing condition of your property, the site’s planning and construction history, and more.
It is common to quote square metre rates and while this is a good starting point, the overall project spend must also account for:
- The specification of interior finishes and fixtures, which can significantly affect the total cost
- Abnormal site conditions – ground conditions, site access, drainage, tree roots etc.
- Legal and professional fees, finance costs and surveys
- Renewable energy investment
- Contingency, inflation and unforeseen work to existing buildings
We have a wealth of experience from our varied projects delivered since the practice was founded in 2009, so please feel free to contact us and we will be able to help you build a picture of the likely cost and the factors that may influence your project budget.
There are also some great online resources and we’d recommend visiting the Home Building and Renovating website, which is a great place to start.
Get Your Project Off The Ground
Get in touch today to kick-start your project. Let us know a few details and we’ll be in touch to discuss bringing your vision to life. Or call us on 01202 818 966