Plough Hill

Plough Hill, Nuneaton

Plough Hill LLP appointed the practice to masterplan a 14 hectare site on the outskirts of Nuneaton, Warwickshire. The 300 dwelling scheme successfully gained Outline Planning Permission.

A co-ordinated and iterative approach to design, planning and technical input has enabled the development proposals to respond in both a positive and sustainable way to the site and its context.

The site benefits from a nature reserve (the Shuntings) to the eastern boundary, and a watercourse to the south. These existing constraints to the site provided an opportunity to enhance the biodiversity and create meaningful public open space that incorporates the existing assets.  As such the public open space is centred around a woodland corridor incorporating the Shuntings, and a wetland corridor incorporating the watercourse. In addition these areas would include provision for a children’s equipped play area (LEAP) and sustainable drainage attenuation features (SuDS).

The residential development is designed to be outward facing, with dwellings facing onto streets and areas of open space. A hierarchy of streets together with distinct character areas, will assist in creating a sense of place.

Development of the site will bring the following benefits:

  • A high quality, well-designed place providing up to 300 new homes of mixed size and tenure, addressing in part the need to maintain a five year supply of housing land and also meeting local demand.
  • Provision of multifunctional areas of Public Open Space (POS).
  • Highways works to include junction improvements at Plough Hill Road and Coleshill Road , and traffic calming measures introduced along Plough Hill Road.
  • Enhancement of existing footpaths and cycleways, to include extending existing network to maintain good linkages with Nuneaton and surrounding settlements.
  • Retention and enhancement of existing hedgerow boundaries providing opportunities for enhanced bio-diversity across the site.
  • Existing woodland corridor along the stream retained and enhanced, and linked with new pedestrian access.
  • North-South greenway created along the eastern edge, incorporating new planting sensitive to the adjacent Local Wildlife Site, ‘Ansley Mineral Line/The Shuntings Reserve’.

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CASE STUDY: Internal Wall Insulation

The Master’s House, St John’s Hosptial, Lichfield.

Assessment of historic fabric to ensure a secure understanding of the historic fabric, and how appropriate breathable insulat ions and secondary glazing could be sympathetically installed.

Solution: A breathable IWI Sheep Wool Insulation and lime mortar on wood wool. Sympathetic interiors following the completed installation of secondary glazing, breathable insulation, lime plaster and breathable decorations. The property has reduced its winter energy costs and enjoys a more comfortable thermal environment.

Internal wall insulation, The Master's House, St John's Hospital, Lichfield — BHB Architects conservation services
Breathable insulation installation, The Master's House, Lichfield — BHB Architects
Completed interior, The Master's House, St John's Hospital, Lichfield — BHB Architects
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CASE STUDY: BREEAM Office Fitout

Arca, Birmingham

CAT A fitout Office project located in Birmingham City Centre which achieved Excellent under the BREEAM UK Refurbishment and Fitout criteria. Careful design decisions chosen alongside consulting with BREEAM Professionals allowed us to achieve the required Excellent BREEAM Rating and achieve a modern, flexible and focus driven working space interior fitout.

Our design teams can identify when thermal modelling software, daylight assessment or building fabric analysis is required for U-value calculation or other aspects of building performance.

Arca Birmingham CAT A office fitout — BREEAM Excellent interior design by BHB Architects
Arca Birmingham office interior — architectural interior design services by BHB Architects
Arca Birmingham office fitout — commercial interior design, BHB Architects
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CASE STUDY: Church PV

St Peters Church, Maney Hill.

Works undertaken to provide solar panels to the south facing pitch of the nave, to reduce operational running costs.

Solar panel installation, St Peters Church, Maney Hill — sustainable architectural services by BHB Architects
Church PV solar panels, St Peters Church, Maney Hill — BHB Architects sustainability services
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Biodiversity

The role of a building and site in supporting and enhancing ecosystems and native species.

Examples of Solutions:

  • Create green roofs and walls to support pollinators and wildlife.
  • Design with native and local plant species in landscaping.
  • Incorporate wildlife corridors or habitats (e.g., bat boxes, bird-friendly designs).
  • Minimize site disruption during construction and restore degraded areas.
  • Reduce artificial lighting to avoid disrupting nocturnal species.
Biodiversity design — BHB Architects sustainable architectural services
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Embodied Carbon

The greenhouse gas emissions from the lifecycle of building materials, including extraction, manufacturing, transport, construction, maintenance, and disposal. The conservation team has an especially thorough understanding of how different building materials respond to climate and weather in the short and long term. This expertise helps us to avoid costly errors when specifying building materials.

Examples of Solutions:

  • Use low-carbon or carbon-negative materials (e.g., timber, recycled steel, hempcrete).
  • Design for material efficiency, reducing waste and unnecessary mass.
  • Incorporate recycled or reclaimed materials, such as bricks or aggregates.
  • Opt for modular construction to minimize waste and enable reuse.
  • Source materials locally to reduce transportation emissions.
Embodied carbon — BHB Architects sustainable architectural services
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Operational Carbon

The greenhouse gas emissions from energy consumption required to operate a building (e.g., heating, cooling, lighting, appliances). The engagement of Services and Energy consultants from the feasibility stage onwards helps our clients to explore lifetime energy consumption and improve efficiency.

Examples of Solutions:

  • Design for passive heating, cooling, and ventilation.
  • Enhance insulation and airtightness and fabric performance.
  • Install energy-efficient appliances and LED lighting.
  • Integrate smart building technologies for energy monitoring.
  • Use renewable energy systems (solar panels, wind turbines).
Operational carbon — BHB Architects sustainable architectural services
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Water Use

The amount of water consumed during a building's operation and its broader impact on water resources.

Examples of Solutions:

  • Install low-flow fixtures and water-efficient appliances.
  • Collect and reuse rainwater for irrigation or flushing.
  • Design landscapes with permeable surfaces
  • Incorporate greywater recycling systems.
  • Utilize water-efficient cooling systems in HVAC designs.
Water efficiency — BHB Architects sustainable architectural services
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Health and Wellbeing

The impact of building design and materials on occupants' physical and mental health. We guide clients through all their options when it comes to occupant well being and technology.

Examples of Solutions:

  • Maximize natural light and views of nature.
  • Ensure good indoor air quality with proper ventilation and low-VOC materials.
  • Design acoustically comfortable spaces to reduce noise pollution.
  • Use biophilic design elements, such as greenery and natural textures.
  • Incorporate flexible, user-centred spaces promoting comfort and ergonomics.
Occupant wellbeing — BHB Architects sustainable architectural services
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