RISE Design Studio Blog: Modern Architecture & Design Insights (2)

How to Retrofit a London Home to the EnerPHit Standard

by Imran Jahn on Jul 30, 2025

Rear view of a Victorian London home featuring a contemporary timber-clad extension with triple-glazed sliding doors, designed to EnerPHit standard for low energy use, airtightness, and sustainable performance while respecting the original architecture.

How EnerPHit retrofit principles are shaping London's low-carbon future

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Topics: Building energy Sustainable architecture enerphit

Building on Brownfield in 2025

by Imran Jahn on Jul 26, 2025

Row of contemporary brick houses with pitched roofs and timber detailing, designed by RISE Design Studio on a redeveloped brownfield site, showcasing sustainable urban housing with landscaped frontages and integrated solar shading.

Why the Future of Housing Might Be Hiding in Plain Sight

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Topics: Sustainable architecture Sustainable Affordable Homes Brownfield Development

Breathing New Life into Homes: Why MVHR Matters in a Low-Energy Future

by Sean Hill on Jul 26, 2025

Interior of a low-energy deep retrofit home by RISE Design Studio featuring natural timber finishes, large skylight, MVHR-integrated design, and garden connection through full-height glazing.

At RISE, we believe homes should do more than shelter. They should nurture. Heal. Breathe. And in our journey to design spaces that tread lightly and live deeply, Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR) has become a quiet revolution — quite literally.

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Topics: enerphit mvhr Sustainable Interiors Sustainable Architect Sustainable Extensions

Building from the Ground Up: How to Get Planning Permission for a New Build Home

by Sean Hill on Jul 22, 2025

Modern self-build home with brick and timber façade, large glazing, green roof, and landscaped approach. Designed with sustainable principles and planning sensitivity, showcasing low-energy architecture in a contemporary UK residential context.

How to secure planning permission for a new build or self-build home

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Topics: Sustainable architecture New build New Build House

Seeing Past the Plaster: Reimagining a Mews House for the Low-Carbon Age

by Sean Hill on Jul 22, 2025

Dilapidated Maida Vale mews house with faded façade and garage door, symbolising the potential of low-energy retrofits to transform London’s historic homes into sustainable dwellings.

In Maida Vale, one of London’s most quietly charismatic neighbourhoods, a crumbling one-bedroom house has just sold for £2 million.

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Topics: Retrofit Mews House Retrofit

Designing a Better Future, One Extension at a Time

by Sean Hill on Jul 17, 2025

Sustainable rear extension with full-height glazing, reclaimed brick walls, and natural light connecting the indoor living space to the garden, showcasing energy-efficient, low-impact design by RISE Design Studio.

At RISE, we believe your home should tell a deeper story.

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Topics: Sustainable Extensions

The Cost of Cutting Corners: Why Building Standards in the UK Need a Rethink

by Sean Hill on Jul 17, 2025

Aerial view of a terraced house undergoing a major renovation, fully covered in scaffolding and protective sheeting, highlighting the scale and care involved in a professional construction project managed by RISE Design Studio.

At RISE, we’ve seen the ripple effects of poor construction up close. The hidden costs. The broken trust. The dreams that crumble faster than the plaster on an uninspected wall. It’s a painful truth: too many people in the UK have entrusted their homes – their lives – to builders who …

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Topics: Cowboy Builders