The Quiet Test Every Home Should Pass

by Sean Hill on Jan 7, 2026

Low-energy residential extension designed by RISE Design Studio, glowing warmly in winter snow, demonstrating strong heat retention, airtight construction, and sustainable fabric-first design that reduces energy demand and improves comfort.

Winter has a way of revealing truths.

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Topics: Sustainable architecture low energy home Winter Performance

How Sustainable Architecture Is Redefining London Homes

by Sean Hill on Jan 7, 2026

Sustainable low-energy home extension in London during winter, with snow outside and warm interior light visible through high-performance glazing, demonstrating fabric-first architecture and improved thermal comfort.

London woke up cold this week. Snow settled briefly on rooftops, pavements turned white, and inside many homes the familiar winter ritual began again – turning the heating up, blocking draughts, layering jumpers, and bracing for the next energy bill.

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Topics: Sustainable architecture low energy home Winter Performance

Sustainable Architect London - designing low-energy homes with purpose

by Sean Hill on Dec 28, 2025

Low-energy contemporary brick house in London designed by a sustainable architect, featuring fabric-first detailing, deep reveals, high-performance windows, and a robust, climate-responsive envelope focused on long-term comfort and reduced energy use.

If you’re searching for a sustainable architect in London, you’re likely asking bigger questions than just layout or finishes.

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Topics: London Architecture low energy home Sustainable Architect London

Notting Hill Architects: Designing Homes That Respect Heritage and Shape the Future

by Sean Hill on Dec 28, 2025

Stone clad and timber-framed rear extension to a Notting Hill townhouse, designed by a sustainable architecture studio, featuring full-height glazing, natural materials and a strong connection between house and garden.

Notting Hill is not just a postcode. It is a mood, a rhythm, a layered story of terraces, mews, gardens and quiet streets hidden behind confident façades.

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Topics: Designing with Stone Notting Hill Architects

What Architects Can Learn from Leonardo da Vinci About Craft and Sustainability

by Sean Hill on Dec 27, 2025

Immersive exhibition space inspired by Leonardo da Vinci, showing monumental staircases, arches and geometric structures, with visitors seated inside. The installation explores craft, structure and observation — key lessons for contemporary architects designing sustainable buildings.

Visiting Leonardo versus Michelangelo in Barcelona wasn’t a nostalgic look backwards. It was a reminder that many of the questions architects face today - about craft, performance, and responsibility - were already being asked over 500 years ago.

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Topics: Leonardo Da Vinci

Origami House: A Low-Energy Victorian House Extension in London

by Sean Hill on Dec 23, 2025

Interior of a low-energy Victorian house extension in London, featuring sculpted folded ceilings, rooflights and a playful kitchen space designed around daylight and thermal comfort.

Victorian terraces are some of London’s most enduring buildings. Their calm brick façades, rhythmic windows and tight urban grain define whole neighbourhoods. Yet behind those familiar elevations, many struggle to meet the demands of modern life and a low-carbon future.

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Topics: Sustainable architecture low energy home Victorian Extension

Clay Plaster in Sustainable Architecture: A Conversation with Adam Weismann of Clayworks

by Sean Hill on Dec 18, 2025

Sean Ronnie Hill of RISE Design Studio and Adam Weismann of Clayworks pictured together, discussing clay plaster, natural materials and sustainable architecture for healthier, low-energy buildings.

An exploration of clay as a living material - breathing walls, healthier homes, and architecture rooted in nature. Sean Ronnie Hill in conversation with Adam Weismann, co-founder of Clayworks, exploring clay plaster as a living material that supports healthier, low-energy architecture …

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Topics: Building materials Sustainable Natural Materials Clay Plaster Interior Finishes

Overheating in UK homes: why fabric-first design matters more than ever

by Sean Hill on Dec 17, 2025

Green concrete canopy with timber brise-soleil shading a glazed extension, demonstrating passive solar control, reduced overheating risk and low-energy design principles in a modern London home.

For years, the UK built homes to keep heat in. Now we are discovering the uncomfortable truth: many of them cannot keep heat out.

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Topics: low energy home Overheating

How Sustainable Architecture Is Redefining London Homes

by Sean Hill on Dec 10, 2025

A sustainable home extension in London covered in snow, showing warm interior light through large insulated glazing, copper-clad exterior, and brick walls with ivy. The design illustrates low-energy architecture and fabric-first renovation principles for improved comfort and reduced energy use.

In London, every square metre matters. A well-designed renovation or extension can unlock space, light and flow in a way that transforms daily life. But the real shift we’re seeing is deeper than aesthetics or resale value.

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Topics: low energy home Sustainable Architect