Create Home Design - Architecture and Engineering

08/08/2026

What can an architect do for you?

In the residential sector we come up against people who can draw plans all the time. Yet there's a bit more to it than simply drawings - in fact, drawings are just the output after all the design, discussion and thinking is done. For us, getting the brief right in the first place plays a key role in the creation of beautiful functional spaces for our clients.

Need some help defining your brief - check out our blog:

Do I Need an Architect? We Help You Define Your Problem | Develop Your Ideas and Re-Think Your Home | Better Way of Living | Arrange An Initial Chat

04/08/2026

Structural Engineer Wanted!

Know anyone who'd like to work with us? We're currently recruiting for a structural engineer. Our sister brand Michael Aubrey Structural Engineers support all our projects here at Create Home Design - so if you know someone who is a well rounded, enthusiastic, detail oriented structural engineer - send them our way!

https://www.mapl.co.uk/chartered-or-near-chartered-structural-engineer/

18/07/2026

Enhancing our offering...

We start most projects with hand sketches, its a quick and effective way to explore various design layouts and allows us to work through ideas with clients without getting too hung up on the detail at an early stage.

This week I've been looking at how AI can enhance our offering, turning one of my quick sketches into something stylised and believable, and I'm pretty pleased at striking the balance on this Property Potential Concept where we're simply looking at what's possible.

It's not about using AI to design, but rather to help present our ideas in a way that's easier to visualise.

16/07/2026

The team get stuck into Whole Life Carbon Assessment...
..and yes it is as complicated as it sounds! We're taking steps to upskill our team on whole life carbon assessment to ensure our design process takes a holistic approach - looking at how we can help client's make the right decisions for their projects.

With Part Z of the Building Regulations on the horizon we want to ensure we're being proactive. Whilst it's unlikely to impact one off residential development from a regulatory standpoint (in the first instance) we want to ensure we're informed on whole life carbon. This involves considering how decisions made in the design phase impact the embodied carbon of the building from material manufacture, transport, and construction alongside operational energy used in the home. Ask us about sustainable choices.

15/07/2026

Building your dream home...

When we're approached by early retirees, they're often coming to us with a desire to fulfil their dream of a lifetime - building their own home. It's an exciting time, they come full of ideas and have often spent years toying with the idea, but before getting stuck into the fun bit it's important to get a handle on three key things: Your Team, Your Budget and The Process. We begin to explore those issues in this blog:

Top Tips For New Build | Replacement Dwelling | Design Team | Budget | Self Build Home

09/07/2026

Is air con the answer?

Sure it solves the problem, but you'd be better off avoiding the problem in the first place. In fact with new build homes, overheating is regulated through Part O of the Building Regulations, and air con is a very last resort once you've exhausted all other avenues and often then not always allowed.

We'd rather take a passive approach and design your building to help mitigate overheating, where your building does the work by not letting the heat in, in the first place. Be that with roof overhangs, or external shutters to limit the heat of the mid-summer sun combined with careful consideration of cross ventilation to ensure heat is easily let out again - there's a lot to be said for getting the design right so that your home remains comfortable in a warming climate.

09/07/2026

Another beautiful day for visiting our riverside build with our structural engineer, I learned how to read the rebar drawings, and we played a game of spot the difference...

08/07/2026

Is Planning Guaranteed?

Planning permission for many projects, is a check box exercise - keep the design within the obvious constraints, obtain the relevant survey information, get the neighbours on board.

And whilst we can't guarantee your outcome, we've enough experience to know that if you take our advice, it'll usually work out all right in the end. We know what we can and can't negotiate, and we're not afraid to push back at the local authority if we feel there's a compromise to be reached.

It's not a case of limiting design flair, or playing it safe, but it goes without saying that you'd likely want to have a positive Planning outcome!

We also know when things aren't so straightforward that the Pre-Planning advice service offered by many local authorities can be worth pursuing. An opportunity to test ideas, without getting too far into the detail of proposals. Plus you can state in your Planning application that you sought advice (and you took, at least some of it, on board), giving you a much stronger chance at gaining your approval.

Interested to find out more about what's involved in a Pre-App? Read our blog:
https://createhomedesign.co.uk/pre-apps-how-early-feedback-can-shape-your-self-build-project/

06/07/2026

Ready for another week of heat? How does your home perform in the hot weather? If you're sleeping downstairs on the warmer nights, you're not alone. I even camped in my garden a few weeks back - not only was it cooler but it had the bonus of feeling of being on holiday!

25/06/2026

Our riverside build is underway!