Back-to-Back Wins: gcp Named Retrofit Design Practice of the Year!

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We are thrilled to announce that gcp Chartered Architects has won Retrofit Design Practice of the Year at the  2026 Retrofit Academy Awards!

Michael Hanson and Matt Taylor were delighted to receive the new award in person at the National Retrofit Conference during Futurebuild at London’s ExCeL Centre. This incredible recognition comes hot on the heels of our 2025 "Retrofit Designer of the Year" win for Michael Hanson, marking a brilliant consecutive milestone for our team.

It has been an exceptional month for the practice. This latest accolade arrives just two weeks after we picked up the Insider Media 2026 Best Residential Development award for our latest Passivhaus project.

With deep retrofit and high-performance buildings, the devil is always in the design detail and in the commitment to coordination and collaboration to succeed. We have championed sustainable design from the outset, and we are both excited and humbled to see our rigorous technical approach recognised on the national stage. We are proud to keep leading the way in sustainability. If you are looking for an award-winning team to bring high-performance design to your next project, please get in touch today.

Planning for the Future: One Year On

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One year on from our Planning for the Future event and lots has changed for sustainability policy in the Southwest

Future Homes Standard (FHS)

At a national level, the Future Homes/Buildings Standard was launched on 24th March 2026 after close to seven years of consultation. This is the biggest step forward in built environment sustainability since the Zero Carbon Homes policy was scrapped in 2015.

As expected, the FHS looks to create ‘Net Zero Ready’ housing which will achieve Net Zero as the UK grid decarbonises towards 2050. The primary change to achieve this is embracing all-electric heating systems with increased efficiencies through heat pumps. There is also a significant shift to on-site energy generation whereby all new dwellings will be required to generate a portion of their own electricity, equating to south facing solar panels covering 40% of the building footprint.

Key design/specification items to be aware of include:

  • Design roofs to accommodate sufficient solar PV generation.

  • Site layout and building orientation will be key to managing roof forms.

  • Whilst gas boilers are not yet banned, it will be incredibly difficult to get gas boilers to pass on SAP 10.3 or HEM. Heat pumps or district heating should be specified.

  • Backstop u-values are unchanged, but the notional dwelling is improved which will have an impact on insulation requirements.

  • WWHR is being included within the notional dwelling. WWHR should be considered, and if not installed, other DHW efficiency measures may be required to achieve compliance.

  • Site grid connection requirements may increase with the requirement of additional solar PV generation and no mandated site storage.

gcp applauds the adoption of improved sustainability targets, however we feel relying too heavily on technology will leave houses vulnerable to energy price rises and climate change in the future. We would always recommend a fabric first approach for new build dwellings with a focus on reducing energy demand first before addressing how the energy is delivered.

This fabric first approach was recently achieved by gcp at the award-winning Wheatfield Barns development which achieved Passivhaus certification with only 16 solar panels across 15 properties. This specification left a typical annual energy import requirement of 1440kWh compared with 2620kWh for the FHS compliant equivalent.

Bristol Local Plan

At a local level, the Bristol Local Plan is still undergoing review, with final advice being issued late last year, and the council preparing their final schedule of modifications for approval.

In the last year we have seen some key policy changes:

  • Passivhaus removed as an alternative route to compliance.

  • Energy Use Intensity targets removed for operational energy with the recommendation to keep using SAP exports to analyse energy demand. Major developments will require TM54 energy modelling to address the performance gap.

  • Total energy operational targets replaced with regulated energy net zero target linked to SAP data.

  • A fossil fuel ban has been removed to allow consideration on a case-by-case basis.

  • Embodied carbon policy retained for major developments (10 or more dwellings)

Bristol City Council are picking up some of the slack left by the FHS, but through examination the Local Plan has been watered down. Building methodologies such as Passivhaus will be looked upon favourably, and embodied carbon targets will make a significant immediate impact on carbon emissions in the region.

In other regions, South Gloucestershire submitted their Local Plan for examination in November 2025 with expected adoption in December 2026. North Somerset submitted their Local Plan for examination in April 2026. Currently, both have draft policies for EUI total energy targets and embodied carbon targets. BaNES will undertake a Local Plan consultation through the summer.

gcp will be issuing updates on policy changes as they are announced.

Award Winner: Wheatfield Barns

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Incredibly proud to have won the Residential Development of the Year (<100 units) award for our PassivHaus scheme Wheatfield Barns at the Insider Residential Property Awards 2026 in Bristol. Thank you to the wonderful team at Brighter Places and Winsley White for the continuous support and collaboration, and to the Insider Residential Property Awards for hosting.

We were incredibly delighted to have been nominated across three other highly competitive categories which included Affordable Housing Development of the Year, Sustainable & Social Impact Award and Architectural Practice of the Year.

To be recognised across such a broad range of categories was a fantastic achievement in itself and a real reflection of the hard work by our team.

We are thrilled that our Wheatfield Barns development was Highly Commended in the Affordable Housing Development of the Year category, especially given the calibre of projects and practices we were up against.

Winning Residential Development of the Year (<100 units) is a huge achievement for the gcp team, Winsley White and Brighter Places and a testament to the hard work, creativity and expertise that goes into everything we do.

It was brilliant to have so many of the team there to celebrate together. A well-deserved recognition and a great evening enjoyed by all. A huge thank you to everyone involved in making Wheatfield Barns such a success and congratulations to all the other nominees and winners.

More Award Nominations for gcp

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gcp are proud to be nominated for the following awards at the Insider Residential Property Awards 2026 for Wheatfield Barn.

 

  • Affordable Housing Development of the Year

  • Residential Development of the Year (-100 units)

  • Sustainable & Social impact Award

 

Wheatfield Barns, Marshfield, delivers 15 certified Passivhaus homes designed for comfort, sustainability and the community. Set within the Cotswolds landscape, the scheme pairs a contemporary rural aesthetic with a farmyard-inspired layout, creating high-quality, affordable homes that foster both sustainability and a strong sense of place.

Driven by Marshfield Community Land Trust and delivered in partnership with a local landowner and housing association, the scheme showcases the power of collaboration through the Rural Exception Site Policy. Integrated bird boxes and wildflower meadows enhance local biodiversity, ensuring the scheme continues to give back to the Cotswolds landscape for years to come.

Warm, efficient homes. Thoughtful design. Lasting impact.

 

Appointed by Winsley White, gcp Chartered Architects led the Passivhaus technical design stages, delivering 15 certified homes designed for long-term adaptability. A fabric-first approach combines heat pumps, MVHR and solar power to ensure exceptional comfort, air quality and ultra-low energy use, backed by PHPP modelling and Passivhaus certification.

We’re also proud to have been put forward for Architectural Practice of the Year 🏆

This recognition reflects our commitment to delivering thoughtful, high-quality architectural design that responds to people, place and the environment. From Passivhaus-led housing to community-driven projects, our work is rooted in collaboration, technical rigour and a passion for creating buildings that perform well.

A huge thank you to our clients and team who make it all possible.

Customer Satisfaction Survey Results

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“gcp has been a pleasure to work with. They have been creative, professional, and attentive since we engaged them for the architectural and PD roles. They truly listened to our vision and elevated it with thoughtful, well designed solutions. Communication has always been clear, challenges were handled smoothly, and the final result is both beautiful and functional. We couldn’t be happier and would gladly recommend them to anyone seeking an architectural practice. ”
— Customer Satisfaction Survey Response
“We have been working closely with gcp over the last 10 years in Bristol and built up a strong working relationship. We find gcp informative, proactive, supportive and thorough in works undertaken. I would highly recommend their use for future projects. We look forward to undertaking future projects together. ”
— Customer Satisfaction Survey Response

At gcp, we pride ourselves on the high quality and reliable service we can provide clients. We have over 30 years’ industry experience and a Quality and Environmental Management System that has been in place almost as long.

Our system has evolved with us – from drawing tanks and lever arch files to a fully paperless office – but our focus on providing quality for each and every project has never wavered.

A first look at our most recent Customer Satisfaction Survey shows that a majority agree that we are highly responsive, reliable and high quality.

“gcp have a friendly, professional and proactive approach that contributes towards a successful project ”
— Customer Satisfaction Survey Response

gcp don’t just specialise in sports, we experience them too.

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gcp Chartered Architects don’t just specialise in sports, we experience them too.

Being Bristol based for 35+ years and supportive of women in sport, we loved supporting the Bristol Bears at the Big Day Out 2026 at the iconic Principality Stadium, Cardiff.

Congratulations to Bristol Bears Women and Harlequins Men on their well-deserved victories! 👏

A big thank you to Charlie Sherlock and Mark Williams at R&M Williams Ltd for the generous hospitality.

Jonathan Arnold had fantastic day and it was a pleasure to be part of such a brilliant event and maintain our professional relationships with Simon Haile from Aliva UK.

Swapping the Drawing Board for the Padel Court

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Tuesday night we swapped the drawing board for the court 🎾

At gcp Chartered Architects, as sports specialists, we’re currently working on a range of exciting padel projects and responding to a surge in enquiries across the sector.

A few of us headed to The Padel Team, Bristol for an office social and to better understand the sport we’re helping to shape.

Safe to say, there were some hidden talents in the team… with a few competitive streaks revealed 👀

Understanding the player experience firsthand allows us to design better, more functional faciltiies for our clients.

Looking to convert a space? Whether you have an underutilised building, existing tennis courts or even a car park you’d like to transform, our sports team is here to help. We can advise on: Planning & Building Regs; Robust Business Cases & Branding (with our partners at PADEL CONSULTING).

Drop us a message to discuss your vision!

RIBA Student Mentoring

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This year gcp's Nicola Mead and Richard Glass have been taking part in the RIBA Student Mentoring Scheme with students in their final year of study at University of the West of England.

The scheme gives students practice experience and an insight into the architectural profession whilst they study. It also gives architects the opportunity to connect with architectural schools and support students in their future careers.

Earlier this month, Nicola and Richard took their mentees to a live construction site managed by Raise Projects Ltd at Gloucestershire County Cricket Club. The students benefitted from seeing how drawings are translated to the built environment and an insight into the complex nature of a project. Thank you to everyone involved!

See more information about our work at Gloucestershire County Cricket Ground here: https://lnkd.in/e_Qpcqc7

How gcp Chartered Architects Designed the Most Inclusive Cricket Flooring at Headingley Stadium

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See our previous post on how we created the most inclusive cricket surface.

As we recognise Neurodiversity Week, it’s important to reflect on how design can shape experiences, performance, and wellbeing, especially in specialist environments like sport.

Neurodiversity in architecture refers to the design of built environments that accommodate the diverse ways people think, learn and process sensory information. It recognises that neurological differences, such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia, are natural variations in human cognition.

Designing with neurodiversity in mind means thinking beyond minimum standards and considering how environments are experienced by everyone. Inclusive design is not an extra, it is essential to creating spaces where all people can perform at their best.

It shifts the focus away from a “one-size-fits-all” approach toward creating flexible, sensory-friendly spaces that allow individuals to control their environment. This includes designing for sports facilties.

Get in touch with our sports team Richard Glass, Matt Bonney, Jonathan Platt and Owen Faunt to discuss your requirements for inclusive design.

gcp Shortlisted: Housing Development of the Year & Architectural Practice of the Year

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We are pleased to share that gcp Chartered Architects has recently been shortlisted for two awards recognising both our work and our wider contribution to the profession. Our project Wheatfield Barns, Marshfield has been shortlisted for Affordable Housing Development of the Year, and we have also been shortlisted for Architectural Practice of the Year.

These nominations reflect the hard work of our team and our ongoing commitment to delivering high-quality, thoughtful design.

The project is a landmark community-led scheme comprising 15 certified Passivhaus homes. The project marries Cotswold vernacular with technical excellence, setting a new benchmark for sustainable and affordable rural housing delivery.

The scheme was led by the Marshfield Community Land Trust, a not-for-profit organisation established to address the shortage of local affordable housing, in cooperation with the Ball family who provided the land and Brighter Places housing association by whom the properties are leased and managed. The homes are also the first in South Gloucestershire to be delivered through the Rural Exception Site Policy.

gcp Chartered Architects was approached by contractor WINSLEY-WHITE BUILDING CONTRACTORS & DEVELOPERS LTD. to provide Passivhaus expertise and technical design for RIBA stages 4-7. The layouts were developed to meet occupants’ changing needs over time in line with Part M. In keeping with the project’s fabric-first approach and by including energy efficient building services such as heat-pumps, MVHR and solar panels, gcp completed the Passive House Planning Package (PHPP) and detailed design to ensure the homes achieve Passivhaus certification. All homes also successfully achieved the Secured by Design Developers Silver Award.

International Women’s Day: A Reflection

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This International Women’s Day, we are reflecting on the importance of building a fair, inclusive and balanced architectural profession and the steps we continue to take within our own practice to support gender equity.

Over the past four years, we have been actively tracking the gender composition of our practice. In 2022, women represented 38% of our team, increasing to 40% in 2023, 45% in 2025 and now 48% in 2026. This steady progress reflects our ongoing commitment to achieving a balanced 50/50 workforce, which we believe creates a stronger, collaborative practice.

We are committed to ensuring that recruitment, appraisal, personal development and promotion processes are non-discriminatory and free from unconscious bias. Last year, our team completed unconscious bias training with Bristol Women in Business Charter, which has helped inform how we approach both decision and policy making across the practice.

We also have mentoring in place for team members currently undertaking professional training. While this support is not gender-specific, it is designed to provide equal access to guidance, experience and progression opportunities for everyone at gcp Chartered Architects.

Across the UK Architecture profession, women currently hold only around 15% of senior leadership roles. Within our practice, senior leadership is evenly split at 50%, which we are proud to see exceeding the wider industry average. We believe representation at leadership level is essential to creating a workplace where progression feels achievable for all.

For us, gender balance is not just a statistic - it contributes to a healthier culture, broader perspectives, and better outcomes for our team, our projects and our clients. We will continue working towards a profession where equal opportunity is the norm, not the exception.

Bristol Light Festival 2026

A few of us from the gcp Chartered Architects team headed down to the Bristol Light Festival 2026 last week and it did not disappoint ✨

It was great to see such a great range of installations spread across the city. We ended up making our own little trail and wandered between displays, before rounding the evening off with pizza.

It was a really nice reminder of how valuable and enjoyable it is to spend time with colleagues outside of the office. Looking forward to the next team outing!

gcp Plant More Trees!

Yesterday, a group of us from gcp Chartered Architects headed out to Lower Chew Forest for a fantastic day of tree planting with Avon Needs Trees – our fourth year returning to support this brilliant initiative.

It’s an opportunity to help create a thriving woodland rich in biodiversity, while also contributing towards offsetting our carbon emissions for this reporting period.

The weather was kind and stayed dry (though we came fully prepared with over trousers, wellies and raincoats just in case!). Once on site, we got straight to work planting new trees with biodegradable tree guards across the 422 acre site, making the most of every available space.

This year’s planting included:
🌳 130 Blackthorn
🌳 90 Field Maple

That’s a total of 220 new trees added to Lower Chew Forest in just one day.

A huge thank you to Avon Needs Trees for having us back again and for the incredible work you do in creating permanent woodland for communities and wildlife to enjoy for generations to come.

Well done to those who attended and thank you for your hard work - Michael Hanson, Rose Nicholson, Esther Slade, Katharine Hegarty, Hazel Bird (Momberg), Nicola Mead, Tina Vasilache and Joe Wood

Planning Permission Granted!

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We’re thrilled to have secured approval for 9 high-end apartments in Malvern, following submission in November 2024.

The site has stood vacant for several years after a previous scheme for three large family homes proved unviable. Our proposal reimagines the opportunity - delivering a viable, contemporary development that complements its neighbouring buildings of visual significance, while introducing a confident, modern architectural response.

A long planning journey, but our client, Crystalight, had a clear vision from the outset and remained committed throughout. The approved scheme will provide apartments with light spaces, private amenity, generous communal gardens and a standout penthouse with panoramic views across the Malvern Hills.

A fantastic outcome for a prominent site and a great team effort all round.

On site!

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Great to be on site this morning at Tintagel Close, alongside E G Carter & Co Ltd Contractors.

gcp Chartered Architects are excited to be working on this important scheme, having been appointed to deliver RIBA Stages 4–6, as well as SAP assessments for this new affordable, energy-efficient development of 45 homes for Curo Group.

Redeveloping the 1.5-hectare site of the former 1960s Tintagel Close flats, the scheme has been carefully developed by the project team to ensure Planning designs are fully realised. We’re particularly proud that the layouts provide a mix of M4(2) and M4(3) compliant homes, helping to create accessible, adaptable accommodation that will support residents to remain in their homes as their needs change. All homes are also designed to achieve an EPC A rating, which is the highest standard for energy efficiency. The inclusion of air source heat pumps, solar panels, and heat recovery systems ensures low energy bills and high sustainability.

A fantastic project to be part of, and one that will deliver lasting benefits for the local community.

gcp Shortlisted: Retrofit Design Practice of the Year!

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We’ve been delighted to receive the news this week that gcp Chartered Architects has been shortlisted as a finalist for Retrofit Design Practice of the Year at the 2026 Retrofit Academy Awards. This is great news for the practice that celebrates our commitment to breathing new life into existing buildings, and builds nicely upon the success of Michael Hanson winning Retrofit Designer of the Year in 2025 😊

Retrofit isn’t just about homes. Across every sector, from offices to sports to community spaces, reusing and transforming what we already have is vital for a net‑zero future. Our congratulations to all the nominees across the various categories 🏆and our thanks to The Retrofit Academy for continuing to challenge the industry with these awards.