Our Designs
 
Studio Sam Causer is committed to understanding the environmental and social impact of our buildings. Whilst everybody has a responsibility to form good relations with our environment, we believe that the architect is well placed to balance the physical and temporal elements that together create spaces worthy of our collective capability.
 
One quarter of global fossil fuel emissions come from buildings, with a further ten per cent coming from the construction industry.  We are therefore extra committed to exercising our professional skills in protecting the environment and reducing our impact on natural resources.
 
We value the careful research of buildings and sites, understanding the layers of change, and relating the physical fabric at micro and macro scales. From the scale of pegs and mortar to towns and fields, we use this historic and material analysis to inform and respond to future change.
 
As a RIBA-accredited Conservation Architect, we champion the re-use of existing building stock, the specification of appropriate building technologies, the careful use of natural materials, and encourage the skills and techniques of craftspeople. 
 
We are constantly improving our knowledge of sustainable building techniques, and are committed to the following:

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• Seek to hire and build a team of professionals who care about the environment and want to find ways to improve their practice and its impacts;

• Work with and educate our clients on best sustainable building practises, operation and maintenance of their building;  

• Aim to work with consultants and contractors who share a like-minded, sustainable ethos;

• Conduct more than the required CPD (Continuing Professional Development) in all RIBA core curriculum subjects, but often with particular interest in: i) Architecture for Social Purpose, ii) Sustainable Architecture, iii) Inclusive Environments, iv) Places, Planning & Communities, v) Building Conservation & Heritage and, vi) Design Construction & Technology; 

• Extensive studies in how to specify natural building materials and techniques that often:

o   Have a far lower environmental impact compared to synthetic materials; 
o   Create a much healthier living environment by allowing the building to ‘breathe’ and discouraging the build-up of moulds;
o   Have a lower embodied energy, often through being local; 
o   Are easier to reuse or recycle at the end of the building’s life, further lowing the environmental impact;

 

• Champion strong and detailed surveys, studies and design that will allow us to make best use of the orientation, shape and constraints of the existing building’s fabric, and/or site, to reduce the need for artificial forms heating, cooling and ventilating;  

• Build to or exceed current Building Regs to reduce the building’s energy use;

• Research and propose appropriate renewable energy generation and control systems for heating/cooling, lighting and air handling for each project;

• When using timber, ensure that at all times we specify the most appropriate and sustainably sourced species;

• Encourage where possible, the protection and enhancement of existing biodiversity;

• Encourage the use of building services that are inherently efficient, controllable and metred to encourage monitoring and management of resource; 

• Ensure that buildings are commissioned fully before handover, and that complete operating manuals are provided;

• Support clients in the first few months of operation by providing on-site training and advice to ensure that systems are fine-tuned and operate in accordance with the design intent.