"Sustainability is not an add-on to our work; it is the foundation of our design philosophy. For over two decades, our practice-based research has focused on creating low-carbon, climate-resilient architecture that works with natural systems rather than against them. Internationally recognised for our expertise in flood resilience, waterfront design and climate adaptation, we embrace water as a generative design force and a vital asset in shaping future communities."
We adopt a passive design approach to minimise operational energy, reduce embodied carbon and optimise comfort. Our strategies include solar optimisation, natural ventilation, thermal mass, renewable energy integration, water efficiency and circular economy principles such as designing for disassembly, reuse and long-term adaptability. Where appropriate, projects are guided toward recognised standards including BREEAM, LEED and Passivhaus, with multiple projects achieving the individual ratings.
Location: Hollybush Lakes, Aldershot, UK
Energy Assessment: ' Very Good' BREEAM Assessment
Client: Drayparks
Building Type: Sports Leisure Centre
A landmark mixed-use destination featuring four iconic towers rising above a vibrant boutique mall and waterfront marina. Designed with bold ambition, it blends luxury living and next-generation workplaces with smart, sustainable engineering
- including seamlessly integrated flood-mitigation systems.
Location: Hollybush Lakes, Aldershot, UK
Energy Assessment: ' Very Good' BREEAM Assessment
Client: Drayparks
Building Type: Sports Leisure Centre
The Sport Leisure Centre design achieved a ‘Very Good’ BREEAM pre-assessment rating with a score of 60.1%, reflecting strong performance in water and energy management, responsible material selection, waste reduction and health and wellbeing.
This score is expected to rise as the design evolves.
At Hollybush Lakes, the project reinforces these principles through extensive ecological restoration, delivering a 12.45% habitat net gain and a 277% gain in linear features. New wetlands, reedbeds and regenerated lake habitats demonstrate a commitment to sustainable land management, supporting biodiversity while enabling low-impact recreation and long-term resilience.
Location: Ashwicken Lakes, Norfolk, UK
Energy Assessment: ' Very Good' BREEAM Assessment
Client: Norfolk Farms
Scope: Clubhouse with pool, 250 lodges, PV array, on site package treatment plan, SUDS, +10% net ecological gain
The Clubhouse and Spa design achieved a ‘Very Good’ rating in the BREEAM pre-assessment, scoring 57.37% with potential to increase as the design develops. This rating reflects strong performance across water and energy management, responsible material selection, construction and operational waste reduction, and measures that prioritise health and wellbeing.
We collaborated with conservation specialists to enhance local habitats, integrating features that support biodiversity and minimise ecological disruption. Buildings are positioned around existing landscape character, treehouses sit lightly within woodland canopies, and villas avoid wildlife corridors. Rewilded zones now support species such as bitterns, otters and barn owls, demonstrating a holistic sustainability strategy that aligns with BREEAM’s environmental goals.
Location: Nottingham, UK
Energy Assessment: Passivehaus
Client: Euromillionaire Winners
Scope: Design, full planning permission secured. Developed to RIBA Stage 5.
Passivhaus Certification requires: space heating demand ≤15 kWh/m²·yr, cooling demand ≤15 kWh/m²·yr, primary energy demand ≤120 kWh/m²·yr, and air-tightness n50 ≤0.6 h⁻¹. As a comfort and quality standard, Certification may be withheld if performance is uncertain.
Key comfort criteria include: overheating of <10% of annual hours above 25°C, openable windows in all living spaces, internal surface temperatures above 17°C in winter, and user-adjustable ventilation and temperature controls.
Serenity House includes three rooms that could become future bedrooms, giving a potential maximum of 16 occupants. For verification, Cocreate will apply PHI’s minimum occupancy density of 50 m²/person while optimising the design to the building’s realistic family-scale use.
Location: Nottingham, UK
Status: RIBA Stage 2
Client: Private
Scope: 6-bedroom house
This countryside home is conceived as a low-energy exemplar, shaped by its woodland setting and designed to blend naturally into the landscape.
Its circular, courtyard-focused form tracks the sun to optimise daylighting and passive solar gain, while a green roof and Corten lattice help the building settle into the surrounding trees. The dwelling employs best-practice fabric efficiency, a holistic environmental strategy and a substantial suite of renewable technologies to minimise operational energy.
Our approach integrates nature-based solutions, blue-green infrastructure and innovative building typologies to reduce reliance on carbon-intensive engineering. Landscapes are designed to store, slow and clean water, enhancing biodiversity, improving urban cooling and supporting human wellbeing. This is coupled with advanced architectural responses, including elevated, floating and amphibious buildings, collectively known as aquatecture, enabling developments to remain functional during floods, droughts and long-term climate change.
Our LifE, Long-term Initiatives for Flood-risk Environments, framework, developed for the UK Government's Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, pioneered a shift from flood defence to adaptive planning, demonstrating that resilient, zero-carbon development can be cost-effective over the lifetime of a place.
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Across masterplanning, housing, resorts and infrastructure, our sustainability agenda delivers resilient places that protect ecosystems, support communities and demonstrate that sustainable living is achievable today, not a future aspiration.
