Barefoot Architects

Barefoot Architects Barefoot Architects is an RIBA Chartered Practice based at the Paintworks in Bristol. We work on hom

REWORK SYMPOSIUM Wow, what a day. Like others said, it’s nice to get out, share ideas, working practices, thoughts and p...
05/09/2026

REWORK SYMPOSIUM

Wow, what a day. Like others said, it’s nice to get out, share ideas, working practices, thoughts and processes with a group of like minded people.

Environmentally, culturally, politically, socially - It’s never been more important to consider how we can re use our existing buildings, and today demonstrated some extraordinary projects, passion, professionalism, and downright plucky courage to get stuff done!!

Buildings carry stories. They exist in time. Personal and community memories are shared and stored in their bricks and mortar. Our beings are shaped by them.

Change challenges people. Quite understandably. But. Change manifested over time, with creativity, playfulness, understanding, compassion and commitment to community - becomes perfectly poetic.

Meanwhile magic, self build spaces, shared shopfronts and shops, evolving narratives of places, painting streets with imaginary animals, nurturing and nourishing disused unloved places, are some of my takeaways from today.

And damn, that was a good lunch.

Hats off to .c.williams_ - understated brilliance for pulling it together. Great chairing by Eleanor Young, and an incredible venue Glove Factory Studios which it turns out isn’t in Trowbridge 😂 glad I brought the Brompton after all!

A delight as ever to see Morton- what a wonderful asset to RIBA South West Region she and Shula Granville are. And always nice to see Richard Williams bringing the delight for architecture and daylight.

Thanks to everyone for a really superb day.

Spot the difference... just the fence? When working with listed buildings, we hold client aspirations in one hand and he...
04/09/2026

Spot the difference... just the fence?

When working with listed buildings, we hold client aspirations in one hand and heritage impact in the other. We sketch, we research, we discuss, we push in one direction, then the other, all to find the perfect balance between the two.

In Devon, the clients wanted to convert the previous owner's holiday home into their forever home. Our initial discussions led to a pre-app with the council, where the case officer focused in on the view from the road. From here, we worked with the client and to develop a scheme which met all the client's needs whilst hiding in plain sight.

Planning decision incoming...

We’re delighted that over 5000 people have joined us on our journey to become the most ethical architectural practice in...
03/09/2026

We’re delighted that over 5000 people have joined us on our journey to become the most ethical architectural practice in the UK. If you don’t know who we are, we’re an architecture studio putting people and the planet before profit. We love ecological materials and collaborative design, but most importantly our mission is to empower and enable everyone to design and build their own home, and transform the way they live with the vision and values we hold as a practice.⁠
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We have studios in Bristol, Devon, and Dorset, but our work stretches across the country.⁠
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If you have a project in mind, we look forward to hearing from you!

02/09/2026

COHOUSING EVENT: Building the Neighbourhoods We Need in the South-West

📍 Paintworks Event Space, Bristol
📅 30 September

We’re celebrating 10 years of Barefoot Architects Ltd with a special event in partnership with the UK Cohousing Network and we’re delighted to welcome legendary cohousing architect and author Charles Durrett as part of his UK tour.

Come along for an evening exploring how we can create the community-led, sustainable and affordable neighbourhoods we need for the future.
Tickets are limited and we’re expecting to sell out soon!

If you’re involved or interested in cohousing, community-led housing, affordable housing or innovative approaches to creating better neighbourhoods, we’d love to see you there.

Please share this with anyone who might be interested!

Book your place here: https://shorturl.at/r0tos

How do you secure planning permission for a replacement dwelling in a conservation area?By starting with a deep understa...
28/08/2026

How do you secure planning permission for a replacement dwelling in a conservation area?

By starting with a deep understanding of what makes the place special—and designing a new home that strengthens, rather than diminishes, its character.

We explored the history of the original building, the qualities of its remarkable site and its relationship with the surrounding Conservation Area. Working closely and collaboratively with our clients, we carefully co-designed a home that responds both to how they want to live and to the sensitivities of its setting.

Through constructive engagement with the Design Review Panel, neighbours, the local community and the planning department, the proposals evolved into a scheme that has now secured planning permission.

We’re thrilled with the result and looking forward to beginning the technical design, and bringing this project to life next year.

What we do matters.Our Design Circle is where our environmental responsibility comes together with our approach to archi...
28/08/2026

What we do matters.

Our Design Circle is where our environmental responsibility comes together with our approach to architecture.

We don't see sustainability as a single objective.

We consider health, energy, carbon, biodiversity, water, materials, circular economy, resilience and beauty as interconnected parts of good design.

Our B Corp assessment gave us a score of 31.3 for this area.

Looking ahead, we want to:

→ embed our Healthy by Design standard across projects
→ measure whole-life carbon and operational energy
→ increase the use of healthy, low-carbon and circular materials
→ expand post-occupancy evaluation
→ develop a biodiversity strategy
→ reduce our own operational carbon
→ continue developing our retrofit expertise
→ share our research and learning more widely

For our clients, this means helping you make informed decisions about energy, carbon, materials, health and the long-term performance of your building from the outset.

We want our projects to do more than reduce harm.

We want to help move the built environment from extractive towards regenerative.

Our Ethical by Design impact report is available to download from our downloads page on our website, including our environmental goals and the actions we’re taking forward.

How we work matters.Our Systems Circle is about our people and the systems that support them.Our team is the foundation ...
27/08/2026

How we work matters.

Our Systems Circle is about our people and the systems that support them.

Our team is the foundation of Barefoot.

We’ve intentionally built a collaborative, supportive and flexible workplace where everyone is encouraged to contribute, develop and thrive.

Our B Corp assessment gave us a score of 31.6 for this area.

Our next steps include:

→ clearer career development and progression
→ more training and CPD
→ regular personal development plans
→ stronger wellbeing and flexible working
→ greater transparency around business performance
→ improved profit sharing and reward
→ formal mentoring and knowledge sharing
→ regular staff engagement surveys
→ continuing to improve diversity, equity and inclusion
→ exploring long-term employee ownership

For our clients, investing in our people means creating a team with the knowledge, experience and confidence to bring their best to your project.

We believe that a healthy, motivated team creates better outcomes for our clients, our communities and the wider profession.

Designing an ethical practice is just as important as designing great buildings.

Our Ethical by Design impact report is available to download from our downloads page on our website, with more detail on our approach to people and the actions we’re taking forward.

Who we work with matters.Our Marketing Circle is really about our customers and the relationships we build with them.We ...
26/08/2026

Who we work with matters.

Our Marketing Circle is really about our customers and the relationships we build with them.

We see clients as partners in the design process.

Our co-design process gives you as much or as little input as you want, helping you understand the choices available and make informed decisions about your project.

The best outcomes come from listening carefully, co-designing solutions and building relationships based on trust, transparency and shared values.

Our B Corp assessment gave us a score of 1.5 for this area.

That score also gives us a clear opportunity to improve.

We want to strengthen how we listen to clients and learn from projects by:

→ introducing formal client satisfaction surveys
→ undertaking more post-occupancy evaluation
→ sharing project performance data where available
→ developing a Client Charter
→ strengthening co-design
→ improving feedback and complaints processes
→ making our communications more accessible
→ sharing lessons learned across the practice

For us, the relationship shouldn't end when a project is complete.

We want to understand how the places we design actually work for the people who use them and use that learning to improve what we do next.

Our Ethical by Design impact report is available to download from our downloads page on our website, including our full set of customer commitments.

Where we work matters.Our Community Circle is about the places, people and communities that surround our work.We believe...
25/08/2026

Where we work matters.

Our Community Circle is about the places, people and communities that surround our work.

We believe architecture should strengthen local economies, empower communities and create lasting social value.

That means working with communities on affordable housing and community-led development, supporting local procurement, sharing knowledge and creating opportunities for people to take part in shaping the places they live.

Our B Corp assessment gave us a score of 19.1 for this area.

Looking ahead, we want to:

→ increase staff volunteering and community service
→ build more partnerships with local organisations
→ deliver more free workshops
→ publish practical resources for communities and homeowners
→ increase pro bono support
→ strengthen local procurement
→ improve how we gather community feedback
→ advocate for community-led housing and ethical practice

For our clients, this means helping create places that respond to the people who will live in, use and be affected by them.

We’re rooted in Bristol, Devon and Dorset, while remaining open to where our work might take us next.

Good architecture is part of a wider community.

Our Ethical by Design impact report is available to download from our downloads page on our website, including our community commitments and actions.

Photo credit:

Why do we work?Our Management Circle is about governance - the structures, policies and decisions that shape how Barefoo...
24/08/2026

Why do we work?

Our Management Circle is about governance - the structures, policies and decisions that shape how Barefoot operates.

For us, good governance starts with purpose.

We want our mission to remain at the heart of the decisions we make, balancing the needs of clients, communities, our team and the environment alongside the commercial realities of running a practice.

Our B Corp assessment gave us a score of 14.6 for this area.

But the score is only part of the story.

We’re now working towards:

→ an independent Ethical Advisory Board
→ regular governance and impact reviews
→ clearer stakeholder engagement
→ measurable impact KPIs
→ an ethical decision-making framework
→ greater transparency around our performance

We want our values to remain embedded as Barefoot grows.

For our clients, that means working with a practice that considers not only what we can do, but what we should do and why.

Our Ethical by Design impact report is available to download from our downloads page on our website, including the full set of governance actions we’re taking forward.⁠

Address

Bristol
BS43EH

Telephone

+441179070971

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