Climate Emergency

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The built environment is a major contributor to global carbon emissions, resource consumption, and ecological impact. To achieve net zero by 2050, the UK faces the critical task of dramatically improving the energy efficiency of millions of existing homes and meeting higher standards in new ones. Currently, it’s estimated that around 44% of homes in the UK have an EPC rating of D or below, which means high energy bills, uncomfortable living conditions, risk of damage to the building fabric, and ultimately an unsustainable response to the climate emergency.

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TJA's Response​

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Transforming concern into meaningful action, TJA provides professional services for a more sustainable built environment. In particular: Design for resilient homes.

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First and foremost, the most valuable starting point is to explore the potential in what has already been built. Then, whether adapting old housing stock to modern standards or building anew, TJA promote a fabric-first approach: Maximising the performance of the building envelope before investing in new MEP equipment such as solar panels. This is about improving air-tightness, heat-loss and moisture management in buildings through strategies such as upgrading insulation, intelligent use of thermal mass, managing solar-gain and improving ventilation.​​​

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Credentials

 

Rebecca Liebermann champions sustainabile design services within TJA and is a member of the AECB. TJA has been a member of the Green Building Register since 2025.

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Resilience For You​

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You may be interested in retrofit upgrades in their own right, or as pieces in a larger renovation/extension puzzle. You may be interested in sustainable design for a new-build project. To suits different needs, TJA's services can be constrained to a lite retrofit programme, or provide full architectural services from concept to completion. An example scope of services is shown below.

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TJA's design process follows a whole-house approach, ensuring all elements of the building's structure, envelope, finishes, fittings, services, and landscaping work together. By implementing a whole-house approach, TJA can help you to plan your project holistically to avoid unintended consequences of poorly implemented upgrades and save costs in the long-term. A well coordinated strategy can enable you to:

• Reduce your energy costs

• Access available government funding

• Improve your living comfort and health

• Make your property resilient and well-adapted to climate change​​​​

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RIBA’s Plan Of Work sets out six milestones, where each provides an opportunity to pause and review the evolving picture of cost, time and quality. TJA’s full architectural services deliver each of these milestones as shown in the retrofit & extension project example below. To suit different needs the work can cover a range of requirements or be trimmed to a lite programme.

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Retrofit & Extension Project Example

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​RIBA Stage 0: Initial Survey​

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• Visit your home and survey the existing conditions.

• Ask the right questions to understand your needs and establish your priorities.

• Understand if your building has specific assessment requirements e.g heritage assessment. 

 

RIBA Stage 1: Assessment & Briefing

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• Review the survey findings and identify the key areas where improvements can be made.

• Develop an in-depth project brief that outlines the main aims and challenges of your retrofit. 

• Advise you on sustainability standards and certifications that may be achievable for your project e.g EnerPHhit, AECB CarbonLite.

• Advise you on available government incentives and grants that may be suitable for your project.

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RIBA Stage 2: Strategy Development

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• Develop a step-by step project strategy that breaks the proposed works down into manageable stages.

• Support you in appointing other consultants if required e.g building services engineer, structural engineer.

• Outline timings as a project programme with appropriate phasing of the works.

•  Support you in developing an indicative cost plan for the works based on your budget.

• Outline any statutory consents that may be required to carry out the works e.g planning permission in a conservation area.

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RIBA Stage 3: Design To Planning

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• Develop your project strategy into planning drawings that can be used to secure statutory consents if required.

• Support you with the submission of additional documentation if required e.g Heritage assessment, noise assessment ect.

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RIBA Stage 4: Technical Design

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• Develop your project strategy into pricing drawings that can be used to get cost estimates from builders. 

• Develop a design specification, outlining building materials, systems and components.

• Support you in arranging a party wall survey if required.

• Discharge any planning conditions as required.

• Support you in providing documentation for any funding applications.

• Prepare pre-construction information as required under BR & CDM (health and safety). 

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RIBA Stage 5: Construction & Project Management

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• Support you in the process of choosing a builder.

• Support you in choosing and administering a building contract.

• Develop the pricing drawings into a construction drawing set.

• Depending on the building contract, fulfil the role of Principal Designer and provide builder and homeowner with information as appropriate under CDM regulations.

• Depending on the building contract, follow on-site progress and respond to any queries the builder might have regarding the drawings or specification.

• Following project completion, support you in finalising sign-off of any sustainability certification or funding/grants you may have applied for.