The Story of The Arbour

In June 2024, in the wake of The Arbour winning the RIBA London Award 2024, RIBA London Sustainability Award 2024, and RIBA National Award 2024, Michael Lynas was invited to deliver a case study presentation during the PiP Design for Sustainability Webinar 2024.

This webinar, hosted by the RIBA Journal, offered members the opportunity to discover the latest industry innovations through case studies from architectural experts, presenting a diverse array of projects, showcasing sustainable architecture and design. This year’s focus was exploring the collaboration between architects, consultants, and manufacturers, and how this helps to create inspiring, sustainable and future-proof buildings.

During the seminar, Michael explains the project’s ambition to create a "Planet Positive" development, with a focus on carbon-negative, energy-positive, and zero-waste principles. The presentation then moves through the imperative planning and design phases, highlighting the integration of environmental considerations, such as reducing exterior surface area to minimise heat losses through the building fabric, optimising building orientation, and designing out waste by reusing materials from the site. The construction phase featured considerations such as the use of local materials, renewable energy, and air-tight construction methods, which was probably the most monitored process on site, with each house being tested before carrying on with the build. Listen to the full presentation to gain a comprehensive understanding of the whole process, from concept to construction and beyond.