Arbor Architects

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With a focus on natural materials and optimising building performance, Arbor Architects design beautiful spaces that are holistically low energy.

09/10/2026

Ever wondered what goes into completing your final architectural qualifications while managing live client projects day-to-day?

The journey to becoming a fully registered architect through the Part 3 qualification is a major milestone. It requires combining rigorous legal, contractual, and management study with real-world practice on site.

In our latest journal entry, Michelle reflects on how she navigated this balancing act at Arbor, from running site meetings and developing early-stage design concepts to studying in the evenings.

She also shares how direct, hands-on experience with client briefs and low-energy detailing feeds straight back into her academic work, making theory far more tangible and practical.

Read more: www.arborarchitects.co.uk/journal/learningthroughpractice

02/10/2026

Do I need planning permission?

It's the first question almost every client asks us, and the honest answer is rarely a simple yes or no.

Permitted development rights allow a surprising amount without a formal application, but those rights aren't universal. An Article 4 direction can remove them, conservation areas can restrict them, and they don't apply to listed buildings, where even internal changes may need consent.

Scale matters too. A modest extension might be determined in around eight weeks. A replacement dwelling or change of use moves into a different tier entirely, often needing a pre-application conversation before we develop the detailed design.

Site context can alter things again, green belt, an AONB, proximity to a listed building, flood risk, protected trees. Any of these can turn a straightforward project into one that needs a careful planning strategy from day one.

That's why our process always starts with a planning assessment, not a design. Understanding your site's real constraints early is what keeps a project on budget and on programme later.

Not sure where your project sits? That's exactly the conversation to have with us first.

30/09/2026

Concept Design in Progress ✨

One of the most rewarding parts of the design process is the concept stage, where ideas, aspirations, and a deep understanding of place begin to take architectural form.

We're currently developing proposals for a replacement dwelling set within a beautiful rural plot for clients with a background in jewellery making and craft. From our earliest conversations, it became clear that this home needed to do more than provide shelter. It should connect its owners with the landscape, celebrate the movement of the sun throughout the day and across the seasons, and create a rich and uplifting experience of living.

The clients' appreciation for craftsmanship has inspired a design approach that embraces the language of architecture itself: carefully considered proportions, honest material junctions, and handcrafted details that reveal how the building is made. Every element is being explored as an opportunity to create delight, texture, and meaning.

Just as importantly, this will be a high-performance home that challenges the notion that sustainable architecture must be simple boxes. We're exploring ways to create depth, shadow, shelter, and layers, allowing the building to respond to its environment while enriching the experience of those who inhabit it.

This project is rooted in light, landscape, and craftsmanship, and we're excited to keep shaping these ideas in collaboration with our clients.

24/09/2026

If you own a large garden plot, an underutilised rural infill, or a potential multi-home development site, bringing land through the planning system can feel like a high-risk gamble. The typical choice has been to sell out to volume housebuilders or take on eye-watering upfront consultancy fees with zero guarantees.

Our Land initiative offers an ethical, low-risk route to unlocking your land's potential while keeping design quality, sustainability, and community value at the centre.

How We Work Together:

1. You put forward a site.
2. We complete a free initial assessment
3. Development is not dependent on planning policy compliance
4. If the site has potential, we agree a ‘win fee’
5. You benefit from higher land values and better-quality homes

If you have land with development potential and want to explore a sensible, landscape-first approach, let’s start with an initial appraisal.

18/09/2026

Replacement dwelling or deep retrofit?

When embarking on a new project, one of the biggest questions is whether to preserve and upgrade an existing building or start fresh with a modern low-energy new build.

Deep retrofit allows you to retain the historic character and embody the original carbon already tied up in existing foundations and masonry walls. However, achieving airtightness and upgrading thermal performance in older structures requires careful, specialist detailing to prevent moisture entrapment. On the flip side, a modern new build offers a blank canvas to optimise solar orientation and achieve strict Passivhaus standards with total freedom.

Both routes can yield extraordinary, ultra-low-energy spaces, the right choice depends entirely on your site, budget, and long-term goals for the property.

Which path would you choose for your next project, a sensitive deep retrofit or a custom eco new build?

16/09/2026

Jalan House is a Passivhaus Plus-certified replacement dwelling located within the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The home has been carefully configured around a cranked plan that maximises south-facing views towards Coppet Hill. Large openings frame the expansive views and strengthen the relationship between the house and garden, allowing living spaces to extend naturally outdoors. Generous roof overhangs provide effective summer shading to the glazing, reducing overheating while creating sheltered terraces and external living areas.

The material palette has been selected to respond sensitively to the character of the site. A rusticated stone base with corten detailing is complemented by charred timber cladding at high level, drawing on the colours, textures and tones found within the rural landscape. These materials will weather gracefully over time, developing a patina that will further embed the building within its natural setting.

This project was a true collaboration with the clients, whose background in design and exceptional eye for detail played an integral role in shaping the outcome. The result is a highly individual home that combines outstanding environmental performance with a sensitive response to its setting. Reflecting the clients' personal vision and character, the house stands as a testament to their commitment, dedication and meticulous attention to detail throughout the design and construction process.

10/09/2026

When we talk about sustainable design, it’s easy to focus on solar panels or air source heat pumps. But the real performance story starts much deeper, right within the skeleton of the building itself. Choosing timber frame construction isn't just about picking a bio-based material; it's a deliberate strategy that changes how a house feels, performs, and lasts.

Unlike energy-intensive steel or concrete, timber is less conductive, better able to manage moisture and it works within a natural carbon cycle. At the end of a building's lifecycle, sustainably harvested timber elements can be repurposed, recycled, or biodegraded rather than sent to landfills.

Moving away from wet, heavy masonry trades allows us to build smarter, faster, and far more sensitively, proving that the most forward-thinking structures are built from the ground up with nature.

07/09/2026

We’re thrilled to share that planning permission has been granted for an annexe near Tenbury Wells.

Of all the projects we’ve worked on this year, this is one that feels particularly significant because of what it means for our clients and their family.

The annexe has been designed as a purpose-built home for our clients’ daughter, who is currently bed-bound and extremely sensitive to both light and sound. More than simply providing additional accommodation, the project creates a carefully considered environment to support rehabilitation, recovery, and independence.

Every aspect of the design has been focused on creating a calm, controlled, and restorative setting. A highly insulated building fabric will help minimise external noise, while integrated shutters provide complete control over daylight levels. A simple palette of natural, bio-based materials has been selected to create a healthy and uplifting environment that promotes comfort and wellbeing.

Crucially, the annexe will provide independent living accommodation, giving our client’s daughter a space of her own as she continues her journey towards recovery. While designed around highly specific needs, the building aspires to be much more than a functional solution. It is a piece of contemporary architecture that takes cues from the architectural language of the adjacent house, creating a building that feels both distinctive and connected to its setting.

This project is a reminder that architecture can have a profound impact on people’s lives. We are incredibly excited about the next stages of creating this space that offers dignity, independence, and hope for the future.

04/09/2026

A truly great building isn't just dropped onto a plot, it grows out of its surrounding landscape.

The first stage of our process focuses on deep site analysis and discovery. Before drawing a single floor plan, we spend time analysing the microclimate, prevailing wind patterns, topography, and existing ecological features.
Mapping daylight angles and natural shading early on allows us to harness solar gain while avoiding summer overheating.

By taking the time to understand your site's unique opportunities and constraints upfront, we eliminate expensive planning surprises down the road and lay the groundwork for a genuinely low-energy build.

Planning a new home or extension this autumn? Get in touch, and we can start the process with a free site visit.

Address

Hereford
HR12QR

Website

http://www.arborarchitects.co.uk/

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