Lofthouse Group

Practice Architecture worked alongside hemp farmers to erect this zero-carbon home in Cambridgeshire, England, from pre-fabricated panels in just two days. Flat House is located on Margent Farm, a 53-acre farming facility in rural Cambridgeshire that aims to show off the capabilities of hemp – a fast-growing strain of the cannabis plant. Hemp is already used commercially to manufacture everything from clothing to biofuel. It's increasingly being employed as an eco-friendly building material because of its ability to sequester carbon. Margent Farm cultivates its own supply of hemp, and challenged Practice Architecture to use the plant to create an on-site residence with "incredibly low embodied carbon". The resulting house is also off-grid, with heating and power provided by a biomass boiler and a photovoltaic (PV) array – a system of solar-energy panels – on the roof. Practice Architecture saw the project as a chance to trial using hemp and pre-fabricated building techniques on a large scale. Developing an offsite system allowed them to build efficiently, at speed and to build through the colder months of the year – something that can be difficult with standard hemp construction. Working off-site with engineers and material specialists, the studio developed large panels made from hempcrete – a mixture of hemp and lime. These were then transported back to the farm and, over the course of just two days, erected to form the structural shell of Flat House. The property was constructed over the footprint of a pre-existing barn. The panels have been left exposed on the inside of the house, creating warm, textured surfaces throughout the living spaces. This is complemented by several timber elements like the doors, staircase balustrade and support columns. The materials are breathable meaning they regulate the moisture in the air, resisting damp and mould and leading to a healthier environment and air quality. Bedrooms and a bathroom are arranged across the home's ground level, along with a double-height sitting area that's almost entirely fronted by glass. Its dressed with an array of wooden furnishings and woven floor coverings. The project additionally saw Practice Architecture and Margent Farm develop hemp-fibre tiles, which have been used to clad the house's external façade. Each tile is bound with sugar-based resin sourced from agricultural waste. #sustainability #hempcrete #architecture #archilovers

Architecture studio Polysmiths used cork panels to clad internal and external surfaces at Cork House in east London, which was built using materials available during the Covid-19 lockdown. Polysmiths director Charles Wu adopted the roles of architect, client and developer for the Cork House project, which he designed as a home for himself and his partner. Wu purchased a rectangular brownfield plot in Forest Gate in 2020 and set about producing plans for a three-bedroom house that was to be built using conventional blockwork and timber frame construction. Lockdowns during the coronavirus pandemic led to a shortage of materials such as concrete, plasterboard and plywood, which became too expensive to use in the project. This prompted Wu to look for more affordable and less commonly used alternatives. They researched and opted for materials that didn't have supply chain issues and could also enhance the building's sustainability credentials. The house is built using locally sourced timber and lime plaster, with cork panelling applied to the internal and external walls. This material palette gives the interior an earthy and cocooning feel. Cork is harvested from the bark of the cork oak tree, the material is highly insulating and was treated to meet fire-proofing regulations. Building regulations limited the overall height of the building, so part of the site was excavated to drop the floor level by half a storey, resulting in a split-level interior. Wu described the project as an example of "beautiful sustainability" that showcases an experimental approach to self-building using unusual materials and methods driven by difficult circumstances. #architecture #architecturedesign #residentialdesign

Today I want to shine the spotlight our incredible regional office space. When we aren't in London, we are working from our second office in Bishops Stortford. Bishops Strortford is a great strategic location for us to reach a lot of major regions quickly. Short direct trains to London and Cambridge, close to the M25 for access to the home counties and on the M11 so easy access to the Midlands and Yorkshire/Manchester via the A1. We are surrounded by natural beauty outside with fields, trees, plants and wild animals - great for wellbeing. Loads of brilliant running routes, places to walk and outdoor seating to work and enjoy the sunshine. We share the office space with several other small business owners and entrepreneurs, working in sectors such as interior design, architecture, lighting design, accountancy, property consulting, finance, IT... the list goes on. Loads of collaboration happens and diverse ideas come together. We have home made cakes in the office, social events, puppies to pet, puzzles to socialise over and lots of reasons to be excited to come to the office every day. Lofthouse Group's performance over the last 12 months has been exceptional and moving to this new office space 1 year ago has played a huge part in that. If you get your working environment right and surround yourself with the right people, everything else falls into place much easier. Big shout out to Karen Tait and The Residence Coworking Bishops Stortford for having us over the last year!

Interested in working for an Architect-Developer? Calling all one-off residential architects! If you have experience working in a small-medium sized studio on beautifully designed residential projects, get in touch! #architecturejobs

Great opportunity for an experienced residential architect with stage 5 experience.

What does a day in the life of a Recruiter look like? Here is our very serious, absolutely accurate recreation of what we do in a typical day. In all seriousness, well done to our work experience student Juliette who did a great job on this not so serious video! We actually take our work very seriously, but always do it with a smile on our face! Recruitment is a tough job, so finding the time to have some fun is really important.

Well done to our 2 work experience students who are doing a great job this week!

Senior Architects! Interested in working for an Architect Developer? Sick of being a small cog in a big machine? Want a smaller company where you can make a bigger impact and have more freedom in your role? If this sounds good check out the vacancy below: https://lnkd.in/eSwNBx88