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Sustainability through design

Latest Projects

Locale Forestville

AfC is helping Commercial Retail Group with the redevelopment of this unique South Australian site in Forestville, combining a bustling market square with retail and services, outdoor dining and play spaces, short-stay accommodation and apartments. Of particular note is the what will be South Australia's first rooftop urban farm, to be managed by the new learning alternative, Youth Inc.. This ​independent, senior secondary school is targeting Living Building Challenge certification.
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Sofie's 2nd Edition of The Environmental Design Pocketbook is out!

The 2nd edition of The Environmental Design Pocketbook is out! Read more about what is new here and what people say here. 

The 2nd Edition is out!

Ground floor heat-loss in Victorian Houses 

Sofie talks about her PhD research  and initial findings (5 mins) 

  Feasibility for environmental improvements  
  to a tower block, London

  The Environmental Design Pocketbook

  AfC advised development of Sefaira Concept

We didn't win the big prize, but AfC are one of three "very high quality finalists"!
www.IHDC.org.uk

(Click on images above to enlarge)

Our proposal centres on the existing built stock, and how an individual or large scale ‘rehabilitation’ can not only decrease energy use and fuel bills, but can also support biodiversity at different scales.

"Because 80% of what will exist in 2050, exists now", Stephen Choi

This unique retrofit of two existing homes combines an emissions-reduction-driven-retrofit with a socially-driven refurbishment whereby two hard-to-treat properties are "knocked through" to create one larger property for larger families, much needed in the area. Measures include extensive insulation and airtightness works, solar thermal panels, MVHR, triple-glazing and a gas-fired micro combined heat and power (CHP) unit.

Integrated Habitat Design Competition

With Chloe Rayfield and Cristina Blanco Lion
Read more here.

Retrofit for the Future,
Brierfield

Granville New Homes is a 110 dwelling development with a youth centre, built to advanced building fabric standards.

Architect: Levitt Bernstein
Client: Brent Housing Partnership

Research Project: Post Occupancy and building Performance Evaluation. (Summer 2011-2012)

(image copyright Levitt Bernstein)

How do buildings really perform?

UEL Architecture students designed and built a tree seat, composting bins and raised beds for St Lukes Community Centre, all with reclaimed scaffolding palettes and a budget of £200.

Tutor: Sofie Pelsmakers
Project Manager: Joseph Peskett
Client & Users: St Lukes Community Centre, Canning Town

Economy of Means

MA Sustainability & Design students designed and built 2 small test cells, one to building regulations and the other to Passivhaus standards. Cubes of ice were then monitored to compare the diference in melting time.
Tutors: Stephen Choi & Sofie Pelsmakers
Client: Cutting the Carbon & Uk Passivhaus Conference Steering Group

The ice Challenge

Watch movie from construction and testing process here.

Architecture students designed and build a community room in a north london allotment site with reclaimed palettes.

Tutor: Sofie Pelsmakers
Construction Budget: £1500 (from Haringey Council's 'Making a Difference Grant')
Client: White Hart Lane Allotment Society

  Recycled Palette Community room

Also published on Hattie hartman's AJ Footprint blog

Architecture students designed and build a rammed earth, thermally massive greenhouse and shed to prolong the growing season. The shed materials were recalimed wood (cladding from palettes) and reclaimed OSB boards.

Tutor: Sofie Pelsmakers
Construction Budget: £500
Client: Private Client at North London alloment site

  Rammed earth Greenhouse & shed
  North London Allotment site