Journal
Designing for How People Actually Learn
A classroom is never just four walls and a whiteboard. The quality of daylight, the acoustics and the outlook all shape how well a student can concentrate and how effectively learning happens. Education architecture carries a responsibility that goes beyond aesthetics. Get it wrong, and the building quietly undermines the very purpose it was built for.
Navigating the 2026 Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) Regulatory Changes
Biodiversity Net Gain has been a defining feature of the planning system since it became mandatory for most developments, requiring schemes to meet measurable ecological improvements. It has also, for smaller sites and self-builders in particular, added a layer of complexity that often felt disproportionate to the scale of the project.
The UK Government has now introduced significant updates to the BNG regulations, recalibrating how the rules apply to small-to-medium developments. For Arbor clients working on infill plots, extensions, self-builds, and regional housing schemes, this is a meaningful shift in how ecology and planning meet on your project. And it isn't finished yet, several further changes are already confirmed or under consultation for later in the year.
Learning Through Practice: My Part 3 Journey
Michelle has now completed Part III to become a fully qualified architect, but what is it really like to study and work at the same time? She reflects back on the past year and how she managed it all!
The Ground Has Shifted: What the New Planning Framework Means for Rural Landowners
For decades, the planning system has largely treated land outside settlement boundaries as an exception. New homes were directed towards allocated sites, strategic extensions and locations identified through local plans, with very limited opportunities for rural sites that sat beyond the red line on a planning map.
That ground has just shifted.
The new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), the first comprehensive rewrite of national planning policy since 2012, introduces something that rural landowners, farmers, estates and developers have never had before: nationally defined criteria for assessing homes outside settlement boundaries.
For Arbor clients, this is potentially one of the most significant changes to rural development policy in a generation.
But what does this mean on the ground?
Studio Culture and Project Lifecycle
Embarking on a building project is a transformational journey. Architects act as both creative thinkers and strategic problem-solvers, guiding projects from initial ideas through to completion. Beyond aesthetics, our role is to navigate site complexities, unlock spatial opportunities, and create lasting value for our clients and wider communities.
July Site Updates - NMITE Centre for Innovation and Future Skills
Excellent progress has been made on site over the past few weeks, with the building now entering the final stages of completion.
Case Study: Hawksfield - Re-visiting a Passivhaus a Decade After Handover
A recent site visit, several years after completion, offered a compelling look at how Hawksfield has settled into its rural Herefordshire landscape. Set in the village of Clifford, the project was conceived as an architectural response to the land rather than an imposition upon it.
Adopting a Fabric-First Approach Keeps UK Homes Cool Without Costing the Earth
Through intelligent, passive, fabric-first design principles, we can create high-performance homes that stay naturally comfortable and cool during the hottest months of the year. These buildings not only reduce the risk of overheating but also lower energy demand and carbon emissions, delivering healthier, more sustainable places to live for the long term.
Regenerative Architecture Index 2026
We are delighted to have been selected to be part of the Regenerative Architecture Index 2026. Launched by Architecture Today and UK Architects Declare, the index showcases practices whose work is going beyond ‘doing less harm’ towards positively contributing to the environment and the long term sustainability of the built environment.
Self Build and the Planning System: Creating Opportunities for Better Homes
Across much of Europe, self build housing is a well‑established route to delivering high‑quality homes. In the UK, however, the system remains far more challenging to navigate, and as a result, we lag significantly behind our neighbours in both the quantity and ambition of self‑built homes.
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