Stonewood Design is an architectural practice, based just outside of Bath in a village called Corsham. Their office is a historic Grade II Listed 17th century malthouse, which they call Delicious House.
The practice started in 2010, and since then has grown to become a thriving practice, with a workload across cultural, residential, educational, heritage and commercial sectors.
Stonewood Design have completed three significant museum projects; The Story of Gardening Museum, The Roman Villa Museum, and The Story of Emily Museum.
They have received a number of RIBA Awards over the years, recognising the quality of their work:
RIBA South West Award 2024: Matter Studio
RIBA South West Award 2023: Roman Villa Museum
RIBA South West Project Architect of the Year Award 2023
RIBA National Award 2021: Story of Gardening museum
RIBA South West Sustainability Award 2021: Story of Gardening museum
RIBA National Award 2019: Kingswood Preparatory School and Nursery
RIBA South West Project Architect of the Year Award 2019
RIBA National Award 2015: Myrtle Cottage Studio
RIBA South West Award 2015: Pod Gallery
We work by listening
Individuality
We encourage people to express themselves. We believe embracing our individuality can lead to greater creativity and innovation.
Authenticity
We’re not afraid to be ourselves, even if it means going against the grain. We’re confident in our skin and willing to share our thoughts and feelings. Expressing our unique personality and style, we don’t feel the need to conform to others’ expectations or opinions. We work creatively without fear of judgment or criticism.
Openness
We are open to new ideas, perspectives, and experiences. We believe our openness is crucial for our personal growth and development. It allows us to challenge our own beliefs and biases, which can lead to a greater understanding and appreciation of others.
Integrity
We act with integrity. We are honest and transparent in all our dealings and interactions. Our integrity is essential to building trust and fostering strong relationships with our clients, colleagues, and partners.
Sustainable Approach
Our definition of sustainable development is a truly holistic one. We recognise that operational and embodied energy in a building are critical and a priority in terms of reducing carbon.
But we also lift our heads up to a wider worldview about what makes a building development sustainable. We place an importance on “softer” issues such health, happiness, culture and community.
We have lectured internationally over many years on sustainable design. We are qualified Passivhaus designers, are signatories of Architects’ Declare and the RIBA 2030 Climate Challenge, and have a Carbon Reduction Plan.
Our Story of Gardening Museum was awarded a RIBA South West Sustainability Award for its innovative design approach.
We have created our own Stonewood Design Sustainability Principles. These act as a practical way to set our own project sustainability targets, which we review at each RIBA Project Stage. We also undertake early design stage assessments using bespoke industry tools.
We adopt a simple “Mean, Lean, Green” energy hierarchy with our projects. This means we seek to limit building energy demands through passive measures and efficient fabric design prior to considering renewables.
We love exploring the use of different low carbon materials in our projects as varied as rammed earth, thatch, oak shingles, wattle and daub and hemp.
“Stonewood Design had plenty of experience navigating sensitive historic contexts at its RIBA Award-winning Roman Villa Museum. This hugely challenging project involved both a new build museum and a full-size recreation of the villa on a nearby site to the archaeological remains. Visiting it this spring, it’s clearly been well worth the labour of love.
In spring 2024 Stonewood Design completed The Creamery. A former milk factory from the early 1900s, this brick building has been extended, restored and converted into a cheese making facility, along with associated retail and a café/restaurant.
The Story of Emily Museum in the village of St Ive, Cornwall, also completed in 2024. This tells the story of feminist and humanitarian Emily Hobhouse, who spoke out against the UK’s use of concentration camps in South Africa during the Boer War.
Stonewood Design is proud of its distinctive, rather quirky practice culture, which combines a no-nonsense attitude with a sense of joint endeavour, not only within its own team but with clients and collaborators as well.
This approach is compatible with its nurturing ‘Do Life’ practice ethos, enhanced by a 4.5 day–working week. There is a continued commitment to pro bono projects. The practice recently completed the Hermanus boxing centre in South Africa and is a supporter of local charity Jamie’s Farm.
With this renewed sense of energy, the practice is now looking forward optimistically towards the next ten years, with a clear sense of what it does best.
It certainly feels as if Stonewood Design is well placed to go far, armed with a strong portfolio of juicy built projects that look likely to open ever-bigger doors.
I look forward to what comes next.”
Extracts from interview with Pamela Buxton, May 2024. For full interview, take a look at our book.
‘What makes us stand out from others is the way we do things, both internally and externally,’ says du Pisanie. This means trust, straight-talking and a no false deadlines, no blame-culture’.
Email: admin@stonewooddesign.co.uk
Delicious House
67 High Street
Corsham
Wiltshire
SN13 0EZ
Stonewood Design is a RIBA Chartered Practice, and is ISO 9001 and 14001 accredited. Stonewood Design is the trading name of Stonewood Design Ltd. Company Number 12222871
