/ SG news | STUDIO/gather

/2024 summer newsletter

/team_a season of change

As the temperature finally rises, we find ourselves amidst a season of wonderful change at the studio here in the grounds of Potager. ThisSummer promises is shaping up to be an exciting one, as we near completion on projects and break ground on new ones. In this edition, we will meet our new team member, take a look at our near finished highly sustainable project in Falmouth and join us as we explore the world of thatching! We also have some news on an up coming event we are putting on and some time in the 'lime light' for one of our team.

We welcomed Ian to the studio at the beginning of May and with a bounty of knowledge in sustainable architecture and Passivhaus, he has fitted in seamlessly, getting stuck into various projects in the Helford Passage and his current home County of Devon.

Ian joins us with a back ground in delivering bespoke homes from PassivHaus new builds to community housing projects. He has worked with some of the South West's finest such as SE3 Design and GYA. Having been involed on large multi-scale schemes, historical restorations and bespoke contemporary style residential homes both as project lead and also on the tools putting together the detailed packages. He has also gained further commercial experience by working in Australia for a few years but the draw of the West Country was all too strong and he now resides in Exeter and travels to Cornwall a couple of times a week to see the team and scout for his perfect location to build his very own Passivehaus.

/projects_nearing completion

The end is in sight for one of our long-awaited, highly sustainable projects, 'White Wings,' in Falmouth. With the scaffolding coming down as the seasons changed, we have been thrilled to receive 100% positive feedback so far. As the contractor, Berryman Construction, apply the final touches to the interiors and watch Z P Landscapes work their magic on the surrounding grounds, our excitement is building to share more photos with you soon. Stay tuned as we unveil this remarkable project that stands as a testament to sustainable design, innovation, creative thinking and being built by true craftsmen.

/scope_cornwall climate care

We recently were approached to take part in filming for Cornwall Climate Care at our deep retrofit in Crantock. "Cornwall’s Climate Stories is a series of documentaries highlighting the impacts of climate change already being felt across Cornwall, as well as the fantastic local businesses, researchers and community groups working hard to prepare us for the challenges coming our way." - CCC .

Julian was interviewed on the importance to update and reuse our existing housing stock and what it meant to be part of a team of client, architect and contractor exploring the use of alternative materials.

Did you know that retrofit is not only about creating a happy and warm home, but also about locking in the carbon created in its original construction?

/sustain_resilience roll call

Mark your calendars for October 8th, as we ignite a conversation on resilience and carbon reduction at our upcoming 'Resilience Roll Call' in collaboration with RIBA South West. Set against the backdrop of the stunning Mount Pleasant Eco Park, join us for an immersive experience aimed at exploring the transformative power of reuse and circular economy thinking in architecture.

The event promises a dynamic lineup of speakers who will illuminate the path toward carbon reduction through innovative design practices.

Engage with fellow industry professionals, exchange ideas, and discover practical strategies for integrating circular economy principles into your projects whilst gaining insights into how the principles of circularity can shape the future of sustainable architecture. This will not be for those wanting to just sit in their seats. Rolling ones sleeves up will be part of what’s on offer - it should be fun, it should brings something different and it should ultimately allow individuals to leave with things they can put in place straight away.

Save the date: October 8th - 9:30-4:30 - Mount Pleasant Eco Park.

/create_thatching a way forward

Embarking on a mission to redefine sustainable living and put focus on the use of alternative and natural materials, along with focsuing on land based employment, the studio is collaborating with Ambos, a community land trust, to design and implementation a 100% 'creatively sustainable' housing scheme nestled on the outskirts of Falmouth.

The proposal is a commitment to creating a community through thoughtful design, innovative materials, and energy-efficient solutions. We're not just building homes; we're nurturing a way of life that's both eco-conscious and accessible to all. Every aspect of the project reflects our dedication to minimizing environmental impact while maximising quality of life. We hope to see a transformation of this once-vacant land into a vibrant hub of sustainable living.

As part of our exploration into land-based commerce and the use of alternative natural materials, we embarked on a day of learning how to thatch with the wonderful Toby at South West Thatching. This hands-on experience provided valuable insights into traditional building techniques and the sustainable use of natural resources.

/close_time in the saddle, time to reflect

‘Firstly, I have to say a huge thank you to my family, the STUDIO/gather team and all our clients and consultants for all the support, not just over the last few weeks but also in the months leading up to what ended up being quite a momentous point in my calendar. As I sure many of you will know, I took on my first ultra cycle race, raising money for Cancer Research while pedalling nearly 700km cross country from Lands End to Kent in 4 days. Spending the best part of 16 hours in the saddle a day, getting on the bike before the sun came up and getting off after it went down gave me plenty of time to reflect on life and the way we go about it. Being present, pushing beyond the comfort zone, accepting support, keeping things simple, cherishing the down times, enjoying the journey, all become so apparent.

The ride has certainly made me look at how I put myself forward both in life but also very much in work. Learning that you can move so much further when you put your mind to it, rather than sitting and over thinking.. It has also, perhaps unfortunately, reassured me that the long hard grind does pay you back with one hella buzz when it is all said and done. As such, do expect more lyrca clad meetings and more long stints on the bike experiencing times of great reflection – who knows what will come to mind on the next one.'

Julian J Mills.

Founding Director

/2023 summer newsletter

/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

/2023 winter newsletter

/team_we welcome a new team member

Is it too late to wish you all a happy and healthy 2023? We are well and truly back in the swing of things and have lots of new, old and exciting news to share with you all. First up, towards the end of last year, we welcomed another new member to the team. Pete Dangerfield joins us with a wealth of knowledge, detail and general unwavering optimism for the most complex of projects and as soon as we have dug him out from under a mountain of technical drawings we will gather a few words from him for our next newsletter instalment.

The growth of the business has also meant that we have outgrown our most humble of offices and it was time for us to say goodbye to the /Holly tin we are now located at the wonderfully creative and inspiring Potager garden. We look forward to hosting many of you around our table for meetings in the near future.

/projects_in the spotlight

We start the year by pointing our spotlight to a 'hidden-rural' project based on the Roseland. The vision for this new dwelling is inspired by the agricultural buildings which form its setting and are designed to ensure there are uninterrupted views of the rugged coastline inside it. This project has already evolved in many ways and whilst we are still working through the final design iterations, you can find us stomping across the coast path on the Roseland as we delve deeper into how this building can settle into its new surroundings.

This project has followed the guidance from the Architects' declare handbook which sets out a methodology for reviewing, adapting, exploring and analysing projects to make sure they achieve beyond sustainable design and onto regenerative design. This lead us to undertake a demolition audit to see if the replacement was right - reuse to reduce. This has given both us, the client and the future contractor a breakdown of items to reduce, reuse, recycle and recover where possible. It also set out metrics for how we kick off our life cycle calculations when looking at the replacement dwelling. We are always striving to 'do better' with intelligent design, sustainable practices, and environmentally beneficial products and this project is pushing us and our ethos to strive for 'better'.

/scope_studio gather in the community

Working in the community is just as important to us as working on the community and we have been heavily involved for the last few months in working alongside the local Parish Council of Constantine. As part of this, we have designed and presented a way of re-purposing the former local village hall. Our hope is for the asset to continue offering a multi-use space for our rural community for many years to come and future-proof our communities resilience in the face of a climate emergency. We were also kindly invited to attend the local community day and with over 150 people in attendance it was an opportunity for us to help people understand how they can make their homes more energy efficient. From simple solutions such as additional insulation to more information on more intensive retrofits. As part of this presentation, we were delighted to share the case study of our team member Pete's PassivHause retrofit.

It was such a fantastic way to open up the conversation around energy use, and sustainable practices and products. We can't help but wonder if more people would benefit from a little ‘Ask the Architect’ pop-up in your local community. please do get in touch, we would love to help.

/sustain_a deep retrofit story on the north coast

Our project on the North coast is well underway and consists of a deep retrofit & renovation. Dan has been spearheading the project along with Samuel Winn Design & Build and Martin Perry Associates. The cement render has been painstakingly hacked off with a new lime render replacing it. Rotten floors have been dug out and a new insulated slab poured in its place. The small rooms have been opened up and connected to create more space and light and the exposed steel structure is certainly taking centre stage. Internal cork insulation has been sprayed on, triple glazed windows replacing leaky UPVC and timber along with inset PV on the roof, MVHR and air source installed.

Dan has specialised training under the AECB retrofit programme giving him more than just a book read knowledge on this subject. He has certainly been put to practice with what has turned out to be a very complicated retrofit; three different wall types, two different wall types, party wall issues, build-over agreements, highly crafted finish aspirations and a humble budget. The existing building has not made it easy, but it feels like we are now on the home straight.

/create_why model making is for you

We all know the benefits of digital design, 3D realities, renders, and montages but as a studio that prides itself on creativity, we find both ourselves and our clients glean a lot from physical models. As such, this year we will be putting more time aside to just /create. The process is not only therapeutic but also gives us an idea of how a home sits in its current and proposed environment, how the light will move around, the unique spaces inside and outside feel and how it will be viewed by the many that will pass it for years to come. Model-making sparks imagination which opens up a realm of collaborative creativity which some other mediums we use fall short. It’s a fantastic design tool for our clients to get a hands-on approach and they can quickly see the before and after of the proposal.

/close_the lone surfer

‘The lone surfer.

One finds many parallels between being a sustainable architect and paddling out into the sea where mountains of water move. For one, you have to have a certain drive and confidence that what you believe in will happen. Secondly, although there might be some falls, some setbacks, and some cold starts, the energising feeling when all the hard work pays off is second to none.

As a practice, one could see this surfer as a metaphor for a sustainability agenda. You don’t need to be riding every big wave, but if you are still getting in, suiting up and training for the day you make it out back, that is good enough.

A goal and or vision for the future.'

Julian J Mills.

Founding Director