Notes From A Small Practice

To be a success, a Paragraph 84e home needs three key ingredients; a great site, an engaged client and the right design team.

In this blog, find out why using a cheap architect is a false economy and a better architect will save you money on the rest of your project.

In this blog, discover why airtightness is important to create a warm, low-energy home that's healthy and draught-free.

We retrofitted this home in Oakham, Rutland to perform higher than most new build homes and it cost £200,000 less.

Having lived with the benefits for a few years, I wanted to tell you a bit about the transformation our retrofit and extension has made to my family’s life.



This Autumn, the HEM Architects studio visited The Burrows, an earth-sheltered self build Passivhaus on the Sheffield / Barnsley border.

In this blog, we give a summary of the different types of planning permission and why you might use one over another.

In this blog, Ruth Testa, Director at Lakeway Ecological Consultancy, explains what Biodiversity Net Gain is, who it applies to, and what you’ll need to do if you’re building a home or a small development.

This blog explains why a well-designed MVHR system matters more than the product, and how it can improve comfort, air quality, and energy efficiency in your home.

In this blog, we explain how to prevent overheating in your home with expert tips on solar shading, ventilation and insulation.