Barefoot Architects

Barefoot Architects Barefoot Architects is an RIBA Chartered Practice based at the Paintworks in Bristol. We work on hom

Who we work with matters.Our Marketing Circle is really about our customers and the relationships we build with them.We ...
26/08/2026

Who we work with matters.

Our Marketing Circle is really about our customers and the relationships we build with them.

We see clients as partners in the design process.

Our co-design process gives you as much or as little input as you want, helping you understand the choices available and make informed decisions about your project.

The best outcomes come from listening carefully, co-designing solutions and building relationships based on trust, transparency and shared values.

Our B Corp assessment gave us a score of 1.5 for this area.

That score also gives us a clear opportunity to improve.

We want to strengthen how we listen to clients and learn from projects by:

→ introducing formal client satisfaction surveys
→ undertaking more post-occupancy evaluation
→ sharing project performance data where available
→ developing a Client Charter
→ strengthening co-design
→ improving feedback and complaints processes
→ making our communications more accessible
→ sharing lessons learned across the practice

For us, the relationship shouldn't end when a project is complete.

We want to understand how the places we design actually work for the people who use them and use that learning to improve what we do next.

Our Ethical by Design impact report is available to download from our downloads page on our website, including our full set of customer commitments.

Where we work matters.Our Community Circle is about the places, people and communities that surround our work.We believe...
25/08/2026

Where we work matters.

Our Community Circle is about the places, people and communities that surround our work.

We believe architecture should strengthen local economies, empower communities and create lasting social value.

That means working with communities on affordable housing and community-led development, supporting local procurement, sharing knowledge and creating opportunities for people to take part in shaping the places they live.

Our B Corp assessment gave us a score of 19.1 for this area.

Looking ahead, we want to:

→ increase staff volunteering and community service
→ build more partnerships with local organisations
→ deliver more free workshops
→ publish practical resources for communities and homeowners
→ increase pro bono support
→ strengthen local procurement
→ improve how we gather community feedback
→ advocate for community-led housing and ethical practice

For our clients, this means helping create places that respond to the people who will live in, use and be affected by them.

We’re rooted in Bristol, Devon and Dorset, while remaining open to where our work might take us next.

Good architecture is part of a wider community.

Our Ethical by Design impact report is available to download from our downloads page on our website, including our community commitments and actions.

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Why do we work?Our Management Circle is about governance - the structures, policies and decisions that shape how Barefoo...
24/08/2026

Why do we work?

Our Management Circle is about governance - the structures, policies and decisions that shape how Barefoot operates.

For us, good governance starts with purpose.

We want our mission to remain at the heart of the decisions we make, balancing the needs of clients, communities, our team and the environment alongside the commercial realities of running a practice.

Our B Corp assessment gave us a score of 14.6 for this area.

But the score is only part of the story.

We’re now working towards:

→ an independent Ethical Advisory Board
→ regular governance and impact reviews
→ clearer stakeholder engagement
→ measurable impact KPIs
→ an ethical decision-making framework
→ greater transparency around our performance

We want our values to remain embedded as Barefoot grows.

For our clients, that means working with a practice that considers not only what we can do, but what we should do and why.

Our Ethical by Design impact report is available to download from our downloads page on our website, including the full set of governance actions we’re taking forward.⁠

Collaborative work on siteIt's been an exciting week of site visits, covering a range of projects - from things we're pi...
21/08/2026

Collaborative work on site
It's been an exciting week of site visits, covering a range of projects - from things we're pitching for, to projects nearing completion, big and small. It reminds us how important collaboration is how our work doesn’t (or shouldn’t) stop on the drawing board!
1. Initial Design Consultation for 70's bungalow in need of a total retrofit and extension.
2. Design development and testing of Barefoot Cabin components being 3D printed in Dartington.
3. Setting out and foundation started in Bristol for our first Cabin build.
4. Progress and Programme discussion with the contractor on a major reconfiguration and extension to a house in Dittisham.
5. Snagging visit in Totnes to a renovation and extension where the clients have had a difficult relationship with the builder and wished they'd kept us involved to do Stage 4b and Contract Administration. (More on this in a blog to come).

We’re a Certified B Corp!We’re pleased to share that Barefoot Architects has become a Certified B Corporation.For us, B ...
18/08/2026

We’re a Certified B Corp!

We’re pleased to share that Barefoot Architects has become a Certified B Corporation.

For us, B Corp is about looking carefully at how we run our practice, as well as the buildings we design.

The assessment looks at five areas: governance, workers, community, environment and customers. It has given us a useful framework for understanding where we have impact, where we are doing well, and where we can do better.

We achieved an overall B Impact Score of 98.2, above the 80 points required for certification.

We’re proud of that result. But we also see it as a starting point.

Our Ethical by Design impact report sets out what we’ve learned, the commitments we’re making, and how we intend to keep improving.

For us, B Corp is not a conclusion. It is a commitment to keep learning, measuring and doing better.

Our Ethical by Design impact report is available to download from our website via our downloads page.

Come and join us and US cohousing pioneer Charles Durrett for a series of regional discussions.Cohousing: Building the N...
17/08/2026

Come and join us and US cohousing pioneer Charles Durrett for a series of regional discussions.

Cohousing: Building the Neighbourhoods We Need

30th September at The Paintworks Event Space Bristol at 6pm.

Charles will share insights from more than 40 years of experience, alongside regional speakers exploring how cohousing can help tackle housing affordability, loneliness and climate resilience, and inspire the next generation of communities.

Meet developing and established communities, industry experts and like-minded citizens. Proceeds support the growing cohousing movement.

Tickets available here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/cohousing-building-the-neighbourhoods-we-need-in-the-south-west-tickets-1992429831260?aff=odcleoeventsincollection

We are delighted to share that the Nettle Cohousing project in Easton (Bristol) has been granted planning permission!Hug...
14/08/2026

We are delighted to share that the Nettle Cohousing project in Easton (Bristol) has been granted planning permission!

Huge congratulations to the Nettle group and the project team - we are proud to be a part of this affordable self-build housing scheme, and excited to see it come to life and become part of the wider East Bristol community.

We’ve enjoyed exploring concepts for a house in the Dorset countryside – we’ve worked closely with Goss & Parker Structu...
07/08/2026

We’ve enjoyed exploring concepts for a house in the Dorset countryside – we’ve worked closely with Goss & Parker Structural Engineers to explore the feasibility of reusing the foundations and/or structure of the existing building on site. Excited to develop the design further and explore more opportunities of the site – there is a small woodland planted for timber harvesting which now needs thinning, and a heavy clay soil which could be used in various ways.

For years, we've believed that great architecture shouldn't be reserved for large, bespoke projects.That's why we starte...
05/08/2026

For years, we've believed that great architecture shouldn't be reserved for large, bespoke projects.

That's why we started Barefoot Cabins.

We saw a gap between expensive one-off designs and generic, off-the-shelf garden rooms. People wanted spaces that were beautiful, sustainable and thoughtfully designed—but also more accessible, flexible and affordable.
Barefoot Cabins bring together the best of both worlds: architect-designed modular cabins that can be adapted to your site, your lifestyle and your budget. Whether it's a garden studio, guest space, home office or off-grid retreat, each cabin is designed with natural materials, careful detailing and low-impact construction at its core.

Our goal has always been simple: make good architecture available to more people, while creating spaces that tread lightly on the planet and enrich everyday life.

Read the full story behind why we started Barefoot Cabins here: https://www.barefootarchitects.co.uk/barefootblog/why-we-started-barefoot-cabins

Adam - back at Barefoot Architects for the summer!“On our team away day, it was a joy to present to the team a selection...
31/07/2026

Adam - back at Barefoot Architects for the summer!

“On our team away day, it was a joy to present to the team a selection of my Master's studio and research work exploring the creative use of on-site materials:
Initial site testing through the hands-on making of duradongos.
Working alongside Piers Taylor (Invisible Studio) and the Onion Collective at East Quay, focusing on community resilience and material sovereignty by testing site-sourced rammed earth, stabilized earth, natural plasters, and stains.
Collaboration with Tavs Jørgensen and Callum Purdue at the Centre for Fine Print Research (CFPR), pushing local materials further by developing compressed cob blocks utilizing high-clay site soil and exploring the integration of local nettle fibres.
Pairing these material experiments with our team visit to Jonathan Tuckey’s Rammed Earth House was brilliant real-world inspiration. I’m super excited to bring these low-carbon, site-responsive strategies into Barefoot’s upcoming projects!” - Adam

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Bristol
BS43EH

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