Sustainability in Practice and Education: The ARCO₂ Journey
Sustainability isn’t a buzzword for us — it’s the foundation on which ARCO₂ was built. From our earliest projects to today’s award-winning homes and community buildings, we’ve always asked the same question: how can we create architecture that enriches lives while protecting the planet?
Roots in Education and Community
Our story began with a voluntary project for Lanlivery CP School. Designed as a low-energy building with a focus on natural materials, it went on to win the 2004 International RICS Award for Sustainability. That success highlighted the appetite for genuinely sustainable design in Cornwall and inspired the formal creation of ARCO₂ Architecture in Bodmin.
From the outset, our mission was clear: to champion innovative, natural, and local materials, while proving that sustainable buildings could be affordable, robust, and beautiful.
Practising What We Preach
When we converted our own studio in a redundant Forestry Commission building, we turned the project into a living case study. Using sheep’s wool insulation, straw bales, FSC-certified timber, and recycled glass, the building became both our workspace and a showcase for our clients. It demonstrated how sustainable principles could be put into practice without compromise.
Education as a Testbed for Innovation
In the early years, many of our most important projects were in the education sector. Schools across Cornwall and the South West became canvases for cob, straw, wool, and other natural materials — buildings that didn’t just house pupils but inspired them. Watching children at Padstow CP School help to build cob walls captured the spirit of what we believe in: hands-on, environmentally conscious design that connects people to place.
A Phase of Learning and Innovation
As we grew, we explored different ways to challenge traditional procurement models and construction methods. This period of research and development — including prefabricated sustainable systems — provided invaluable lessons in material performance, speed of delivery and the importance of collaboration between designers and builders. Although some of those ventures have since ceased, they laid the foundation for how we operate today. They reinforced the importance of bridging the gap between architectural design and construction delivery — lessons that directly influenced the creation of ADD Sustainable Construction.
The Growth of ADD Sustainable Construction
Founded as our sister company, ADD Sustainable Construction (ADD SC) was born out of the desire to deliver projects with absolute control over quality, sustainability and detail. By combining ARCO₂’s expertise in low-energy architectural design with ADD SC’s skill in sustainable construction, we now offer clients an integrated service that ensures ideas are built exactly as intended.
Today, ADD SC is delivering some of the finest low-energy homes in the UK — robust, super-insulated, healthy, and award-winning properties that push the boundaries of sustainable construction. The collaboration between ARCO₂ and ADD SC has resulted in multiple national and regional awards, recognising not only the architecture but also the craftsmanship and delivery.
https://www.fmb.org.uk/resource/2025-housebuilder-award-winner-add-sustainable-construction-ltd.html
Collaboration That Raises Standards
While ADD SC plays a key role, we also work with carefully selected local contractors who share our values and commitment to quality. This blended approach allows us to deliver a wide range of projects while maintaining the highest standards of sustainability, performance, and design integrity.
Looking Ahead
Every stage of our journey — from voluntary school projects, through our research and development phase, to the growth of ADD Sustainable Construction — has shaped who we are today: recognised leaders in sustainable, low-energy design.
As Director Nathan Davis explains:
“Our early years taught us the importance of experimentation and learning. Today, with ADD Sustainable Construction and our trusted local partners, we’re delivering some of the very best sustainable homes in the UK. Each project is proof that architecture can be both exciting and responsible — enriching lives while protecting the environment.”
At ARCO₂, we remain committed to proving that sustainability and outstanding design go hand in hand. The homes we’re delivering today aren’t just award-winning — they’re part of a much bigger legacy: to create a healthier, lower-carbon future for generations to come.
