Insights

What is Placemaking?

Placemaking is more than the materiality of a group of buildings, it involves aspects such as sociability and connections to create bonds between people and generate a sense of place. Centring the needs, aspirations, desires and visions of a community strongly requires participation. “People live in places, not just homes. It’s important to provide a What is Placemaking?

What are ‘brownfield’ sites and why do we build on them?

A brownfield site refers to previously developed land, which is or was occupied by a permanent structure. If we develop on brownfield land we encourage urban regeneration and add value back to derelict land. Making use of previously-developed land promotes sustainable development and reduces the pressure on greenfield sites. Brownfield development also reduces infrastructure costs What are ‘brownfield’ sites and why do we build on them?

Top Five Things to Do in Yorkshire

Living in Yorkshire Whether you were born and bred in God’s Own Country or have been welcomed as an adopted Yorkie, you’ll be familiar with the county’s vibrant personality and verdant landscape. With friendly, bustling communities and a strong sense of humour, the reasons why Yorkshire is the best place to live are endless!   Top Five Things to Do in Yorkshire

How to design a successful roof garden

Plants wouldn’t naturally choose to grow on a rooftop. This is a completely different experience from designing a garden on the ground, where lots of plants happily grow. There are several key things to consider: how much weight can your roof bare? will they survive their environment? and will they get too big for the How to design a successful roof garden

How to increase biodiversity in your garden

According to The Wildlife Trust, the UK has roughly 24 million gardens, all of which are larger than our National Nature Reserves combined. As they point out, that’s a lot of extra space for wildlife! If you want to attract wildlife to your garden, plants are the best place to start. From forget-me-nots in Spring, How to increase biodiversity in your garden

5 reasons to buy a new build home

Whether to go for a period property or move into a brand-new home is a personal choice. It’s a common misconception that new houses all look the same – they don’t. A Sky-House is a great example of how you can get the character of a period property, and all the benefits of a new-build… 5 reasons to buy a new build home

How can energy efficiency benefit you: 5 key features to look out for

We often talk about energy efficiency, but what does it mean and how can it benefit you…? An efficient home is one that reduces the need for excess energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions and the demand for non-renewable resources. At the same time, it provides more sustainable living conditions. In contrast to period properties, new How can energy efficiency benefit you: 5 key features to look out for

Benefits of buying a freehold property

What is a freehold? The freeholder of a property owns it outright, including the land it’s built on for as long as you wish. On the other hand, a leasehold property is only owned for a set period and the land the property is built on is not owned by the property purchaser. There are Benefits of buying a freehold property

5 Ways to make your interior design more sustainable

In contrast to the average 6 tonnes that a standard housebuilder produces per property, a Sky-House produces 1.7 tonnes. Promising as this might sound, the work doesn’t stop here. The interior features and furnishings of a property, amassing on average to 50kg of carbon per square metre, bring the projected carbon released through décor alone 5 Ways to make your interior design more sustainable