CARVELL ASSOCIATES
ARCHITECTS & PLANNING
Sustainability statement
Our pledge to clients.
As domestic architects we work with clients to provide sustainable architectural solutions. Considered design and analysis helps reduce embodied energy and running costs.
We look to provide the optimum design solution for any given budget.
Our design strategies.
We aim to utilise the following concepts in our designs.
Heat from our sun
It is easy to overlook how much useful heat the sun produces, even in mid-winter. We study each site and its relationship with the sun throughout the year, considering building orientation and strategically locating windows that let in valuable heat and light during the heating season. New build homes and extensions are designed to reduce heat from direct sunlight in the summer months, and we are increasingly looking at ways to use the building itself as a heat store. This is demonstrated in its simplest form in our sun room designs.
Natural dayight
Natural daylighting as important to wellbeing as fresh air and exercise. this is particularly important when undertaking house extensions. We prioritise our internal spaces to take full advantage of the surrounding site. We look to optimise what is readily available for each project.
How much daylight?
'As part of our design service we offer daylight analysis using local weather files allows us to evaluate the design to inform the decision process.
Material selection.
We investigate alternative solutions to suit your requirements. We are constantly researching alternative solutions and construction methods to reduce the carbon in our buildings.
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Whilst most small extensions are built using traditional methods using blockwork cavity construction, we Offer an alternative design service that looks at smarter ways to build. These include factory built roof construction including timber construction and modular design with innovative insulation technologies.
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We encourage the use of timber in construction as timber is a ideal carbon sink.. By using timber we effectively trap carbon dioxide away in our buildings. Timber is also a flexible, warm and a beautiful material to work with.
Thermal Mass
Thermal mass is one of the most overlooked concepts in building design. As a general rule heavier materials are able to soak up heat, like a sponge soaks up water. Absorbed heat is released slowly into the building. solar radiation is absorbed during the day and released again at night. Buildings with a greater thermal mass tend to retain heat well with reduced temperature fluctuations. Hight thermal mass is an important consideration when designing buildings that rely on solar gains through large South facing windows.
Simple Solutions on Site
Simple solutions are not always the most obvious. We seek to develop the design to make sitework more straightforward. Our goal is to provide simple design proposals that can be easily followed on site to provide buildable solutions. Our 3d models communicate the design to the design team, ensuring the design intent is effectively communicated at the outset.
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