Design and Consultancy

Low-energy projects can feel complex - especially when decisions carry long-term consequences. We help reduce that uncertainty.

We support projects to deliver better outcomes, from early ideas and project briefs through to detailed design and on-site airtight support. Working alongside your team, we provide practical, independent guidance that reduces risk, supports better decision-making, and brings clarity to complex design and delivery challenges.

Like sustainability itself we cover a broad array of services, if you’re looking for something specific we’ve got more detail of our work below. However, we find it’s easiest to talk options through, if you’d like to set up a call email us.

Passivhaus · AECB · Net Zero Carbon Buildings · Low Energy Building · Air-tightness · Thermal Bridging · PHPP · TM54 · Whole Life & Upfront Carbon · Overheating & Comfort · Air Quality · Condensation Risk Assessment · Daylighting · Retrofit & Estate Strategies · Building Commissioning & Setup · Technical Support & Witnessing

We provide support for the whole industry; our clients include contractors, end clients, project managers, architects and consultants.

Whether you need focused input on a specific issue or full project involvement, our role is to ease pressure and help teams deliver low-energy buildings with confidence; ensuring they perform as intended in use, not just meet a standard.

Our consultancy is always grounded in real-world experience, with a focus on performance, buildability and outcomes that truly last. We pride ourselves on taking the time to make sure our solutions fit and adapt to your needs with regular check-ins.

Detailed services

If you’re after something specific look below, alternatively if you’re not sure we’re always happy to have a chat.

Here are some examples of our Design and Consultancy work

• Coastguard Flats Refurb - Reducing risk on a complex retrofit
• City of York Housing - 253 low-rise homes - optimisation is critical to good performance at low cost.

Passivhaus & Low Energy Consultancy

If you want a building that works really well no matter what else you ask for, Passivhaus is an excellent starting point: we have proven it delivers healthy spaces and low consumption across building types.

As one of the first consultancies offering Passivhaus in the UK we have applied it to a multitude of building types and budgets; many projects have been certified but we have also used it as a guiding principle.

Not sure its for you? Give us a ring, we’d be happy to talk.

In an industry which has limited quality assurance building Certification gives you the confidence that you’re getting what you paid for. We were the first Passivhaus certifiers in the UK, see our services here

Example project: Bluebird · bury and blyth schools · City of York housing

Whole Life Carbon

Since our founder, Peter, published a book on material use with Kieth Hall in 1998 we have had a deep interest in the wider environmental impact of buildings, not just energy use.

We need to choose and use materials carefully, and across our projects we have shown how any project – no matter what the budget – can reduce the building footprint through good design decisions. We provide advice and modelling from project inception to inform the design.

We have also supported full RICS assessments and post completion reviews against various whole life carbon standards.

Example project: York Housing

Zero Carbon Building Standards

We are committed to delivering sustainable buildings, and aiming for zero carbon is an essential part of this. A deep understanding of both building fabric and services are essential and our multi-disciplinary team can help you through the process with ease.

The recently launched UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard is a great stride forward and to support this we were part of the pilot scheme.

We also undertake Net Zero Carbon assessments for healthcare and education buildings to help with compliance and offer CIBSE TM54 Evaluating Operational Energy Use which can be used for all building types to understand and compare energy use across projects.

AECB Standard

We have had a strong relationship with the AECB since its inception, and as AECB expert advisors regularly present webinars for them.

We are the consultants and certifiers for the largest UK certified building, Anncoats Green, an exceptional project for Our City.

Example project: Anncoats Green

Building Testing and Setup

Getting buildings set up right is an essential part of our work, see here for our services.

Airtightness Design and Testing

Done right, for both new and existing buildings improving airtightness (reducing drafts) can be a cheap and effective way of improving energy performance and this is why we offer specialist support in this area.

We have worked on some of the most airtight buildings in the UK and bring practical solutions for airtight success. We know how to design, plan and deliver airtight buildings.

Our services include:

Design audits: We can help you understand the risk, cost and quality control implications of a design. We support quantity surveyors and contractors to get buildings right from the start.

Design support: you may need more than this, we often help with design advice, specifications and site strategies to achieve the air-tightness you need.

Air testing: we go beyond compliance testing give you a deep understanding of the defects and how to remediate and learn from them.

Example project: St Sidwell’s Point Leisure Centre

Building Services Optimisation

Building services consultants provide a design, we go further and make sure it will perform. This is not the norm, and our bespoke approach means the full potential of the building is met.

Like many of our services we can help with a targeted assessment to give rapid feedback, or get more involved with services such as:

Performance specifications · System Options appraisals · Ventilation commissioning and fault finding · Commissioning witnessing · Fault finding & diagnosis · TM54 Evaluating operational energy use at the design stage

Example project: coastguards flats · bury and blyth schools

Thermal Bridge Modelling and Optimisation

The devil is in the detail – thermal bridge modelling lets you assess the heat loss at junctions, a key requirement of our building regulations as well as for Passivhaus and other building standards.

We are experts in modelling 2D & 3D junctions and can quickly assess details, tell you what you need to model and what you can avoid, as well as advice on how to make improvements to the thermal performance, buildability and practical considerations.

This kind of modelling is complex and easy to make mistakes; our deep understanding of the modelling tools, conventions and real buildings means we can accurately assess the performance of your designs.

We also regularly QA and provide technical support to other modellers.

Example project: Ordsall

Retrofit and Existing Building Solutions

Upgrading existing buildings is worthwhile but challenging; even working out where to start can be confusing. We know because we’ve done it on our own buildings, this practical experience coupled with our deep technical understanding means we can be relied upon to give the best support.

If you are interested in reducing energy bills, improving health and comfort, or need help to meet carbon targets we can support you. We specialise in helping you make sense of your building or estate, where you are now and what pathways will serve you best.

Our advice balances performance with practicality, ensuring every pound spent delivers maximum impact. Identifying cost-saving, low-carbon upgrades – offering actionable advice with clear ROI to help you reduce energy costs and meet carbon reduction goals.

We have worked to a range of building standards including EnerPHit.

Example project: St Andrew’s Road · Coastguard Flats