Village & Community Halls : A Net Zero Design Guide & A Guide to Surveys
As part of our mission to help charities and community organisations we have produced design guidance to inform and inspire village hall committees who want to make their buildings more energy efficient and sustainable. The research was produced together with ACRE (Action with Communities in Rural England) and launched in March 2024.
It was fantastic to meet so many people who want to improve their village hall and we hope the guidance helps them.
click the image above to download the pdf from ACRE’s website
In the early part of 2025 we produced a second guidance document, in partnership with ACRE, ACT and funded by the National Lottery Community Fund. This guidance focuses on the various types of survey that village hall committees and other community building managers may need. In particular there is a strong focus on energy surveys which are an important starting point in establishing a holistic approach to improving a building.
click the image above to download the pdf from ACRE’s website
“Ben researched and wrote a Net Zero Design Guide for Village Halls on our behalf. His dedication to the project and the expertise he brought to the table was second to none. It would not have been possible to produce such a comprehensive and well-informed resource without his support. We would highly recommend Ben to colleagues in the community and voluntary sector.”
Richard Quallington, Executive Director, ACRE
We are keen to help village halls where we can but need to be mindful of travel. We believe in sourcing close to home as this is in the spirit of the guidance, using local knowledge, and strengthening community. Village Hall committees will therefore usually be best served by an architect who lives and works not too far from them, who can call in regularly and who knows the area. We are however currently developing a way to provide strategic assistance in order to help village halls remotely, particularly at the start of their journey, and so if you would like to get in touch please complete the form below. We are only a small company so will need to charge a fee for our work, but will always keep this reasonable and agree it with you beforehand.
