Arboreal Architecture

Arboreal Architecture Arboreal is an RIBA Chartered architecture practice in London, designing regenerative, low-energy buildings across the UK.

We create nature-positive, biophilic spaces that combine architecture, landscape and interiors with deep sustainable thinking.

What actually makes a home ecological? Is it solar panels? A heat pump? A green roof?They can all help - but ecological ...
07/10/2026

What actually makes a home ecological?

Is it solar panels? A heat pump? A green roof?

They can all help - but ecological architecture is about much more than a list of green features.

We look at the whole building and its whole life.

Can an existing building be retained and improved?

How does its orientation affect daylight and solar gain?
What is it made from, and how much carbon is embodied in those materials?
How much energy will it need to operate?
How can water be used and managed more responsibly?
Can the landscape support biodiversity?
Can the building be repaired, adapted and enjoyed for generations?

At Arboreal Architecture, we bring these questions into the design process from the beginning - whether we are working on a deep retrofit, a Passivhaus or a new ecological home.

Read the full article on our website.






29/09/2026

Progress. Quality. Materials. Details. Finishes. And whether everything being built is staying true to the design and contract.

We’re not running the site - that’s the builder’s job. Our role is to represent the client and keep a close eye on the work, making sure the architecture being built matches the drawings, specifications and agreed design.

28/09/2026

We loved this exhibition at Proposition Studios in Bethnal Green. Exhibiting selected works from the Architectural Association.
Tom was cheering some of his students for such amazing work!

From this to that…The design process is a creation in itself, a combination of imagination, experience, observation and ...
28/09/2026

From this to that…
The design process is a creation in itself, a combination of imagination, experience, observation and landscape.

Every project begins with a particular place. We design for that specific spot, responding to its character, views, light, materials and surroundings. Ideas are explored, discussed with the client, tested, refined - and sometimes discarded altogether before starting again.

The final drawing is only one part of the process. Behind it are countless conversations, sketches and iterations, gradually shaping an idea into architecture that belongs to its place.

Back at Haw Lane Passivhaus in the Chiltern Hills.We spent a day taking photographs and video of the house, but one of t...
23/09/2026

Back at Haw Lane Passivhaus in the Chiltern Hills.

We spent a day taking photographs and video of the house, but one of the highlights was simply sitting on the balcony and watching the red kites. They were everywhere - soaring over the fields, riding the thermals and calling to each other.

It’s hard to imagine a better backdrop to a home.

Red kites are now a familiar sight across the Chilterns, although they were once extinct in England. Their successful reintroduction is one of the UK’s notable conservation stories.

We also talked about how the house has been performing through the summer heatwaves. Despite the temperatures outside, the interior has remained remarkably comfortable, with external blinds and the Passivhaus envelope helping to control solar gain and maintain a stable temperature.

It’s always rewarding to return to a completed project and see how it actually works as a home - particularly one in such an extraordinary setting.

More from Haw Lane soon.
In collaboration with: Wilkinson Passiv Homes





Why are we called Arboreal Architecture?Arboreal means relating to trees. For us, the name reflects a way of thinking ab...
14/09/2026

Why are we called Arboreal Architecture?

Arboreal means relating to trees. For us, the name reflects a way of thinking about architecture - looking to trees and living systems for lessons about growth, adaptation, resources and time.

Trees take from their surroundings, but also give something back. They grow, change, support other life and become part of a much larger system.

These ideas inform our approach to sustainable architecture: retaining what already exists, using natural materials, reducing waste, designing for longevity and considering buildings as part of their wider environment.






Designing together We have been working on a series of visuals for a 1930s house in Lambeth, exploring ideas together wi...
31/08/2026

Designing together

We have been working on a series of visuals for a 1930s house in Lambeth, exploring ideas together with our clients.

The conversation moves between architecture, interiors and sustainability - from the shape of new extensions and material choices to daylight, solar panels, insulation, ventilation and heating.

The existing house is the starting point. We are looking at how much of its structure and fabric can be retained, while improving its performance and reducing embodied and operational carbon.

Timber construction, wood fibre insulation, airtightness, high-performance glazing, passive ventilation, solar shading, PV and an air-source heat pump are all part of the conversation. The garden is also an opportunity for planting, biodiversity and rainwater collection.

The visuals help us test these ideas together with our client. We develop, question and refine the design through conversation.

Architecture as a collaborative process and sustainability as something embedded in every decision.






Nature is remarkably good at making things.Growth, decay, renewal. Materials that come from the earth and, eventually, r...
26/08/2026

Nature is remarkably good at making things.

Growth, decay, renewal. Materials that come from the earth and, eventually, return to it. Complex structures formed at ambient temperature and pressure, powered largely by sunlight, water and soil.

There is still much to learn from this intelligence.

At Arboreal Architecture, we look to nature not simply as an aesthetic reference, but as a model for how we design and build. We question where materials come from, what they require to be made, how they affect people and the wider environment, and what might happen to them at the end of a building’s life.

This means looking beyond conventional solutions and towards natural, plant-based and low-impact materials that can be grown, used, reused and, where possible, returned safely to the earth.

But integrating with nature is about more than materials.

Every project is an opportunity to ask what is already living on a site, what should be protected, and what could be restored, re-grown or re-wilded. Good architecture should insulate us without isolating us from the world around us.


Visuals of our latest project.Sustainable architecture for us starts with the building fabric. Orientation, thermal perf...
13/08/2026

Visuals of our latest project.

Sustainable architecture for us starts with the building fabric. Orientation, thermal performance, airtightness, glazing and passive solar gain all influence energy demand before mechanical systems are introduced.

We also consider embodied carbon, material durability and reuse - particularly when working with existing buildings.

For us, sustainability is a question of building physics, material choices and long-term performance, integrated into the architectural design from the outset.

Do you have a project in mind? Get in touch.

Designing with Children in MindChildhood is fleeting, but the places we grow up in can stay with us for a lifetime.A fav...
12/08/2026

Designing with Children in Mind

Childhood is fleeting, but the places we grow up in can stay with us for a lifetime.

A favourite corner. A window seat. A place to hide, play, read or imagine. The small details of a home can become some of our most enduring memories.

When designing family homes, we think carefully about how children might experience and inhabit the space - creating opportunities for play, independence, exploration and connection, while allowing the home to work equally well for everyone.

For us, sustainability is also about longevity. A truly sustainable home should be able to adapt as family life changes: from the early years of childhood, through adolescence and into adulthood.

Address

St. Margaret's House, 21, Old Ford Road
London
E29PL

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