A blog from Associate Alex Watson from Boyle & Summers.

I am very pleased to be leading this exciting new challenge, both for Boyle & Summers and myself.

Our new home in the South West will allow us to expand on and refer to our existing experience in the region, as well as extend in to sectors and services well established at our Southampton hub.

Our new base is at Clifton Future Leap, a carbon neutral co-working space in Bristol. Future Leap provide the space, knowledge, and tools to accelerate the sustainability journey, showcasing innovative solutions, facilitating future-thinking discussions and fostering collaborations. As a carbon neutral practice ourselves, this aligns perfectly with Boyle & Summers values, and will help us engage with sustainable focused businesses and likeminded individuals.

In the last few years we have designed residential schemes in Cornwall, Devon and Dorset, a city centre residential conversion in Exeter and a highly-sustainable, one-off dwelling in Somerset. As well as expanding our geographic reach, our move in to the South West offers me greater scope to extend my leading role in driving the company towards carbon net zero.
My focus in the region will be on sustainable development in all its forms, with a specific goal of delivering low energy and net zero carbon architecture and retrofitting existing building stock. We hope to play an important role in decarbonising our existing buildings to create healthy, happy and inclusive spaces fit for the 21st century.

A big drive for me will be to work collaboratively to provide truly affordable, healthy, and passive design solutions that can be built at speed, for those desperately in need.

On a personal level the move represents a return to the West Country where I grew up, before moving to the south coast to study Architecture, prior to joining Boyle & Summers in 2014. Having been part of the team from the start, this is the right time for us both to take on this next step to grow the business and brand together. Growing up in rural Somerset, the region is of great importance to me, and I therefore take great pride in my new role. I am convinced that the West Country should lead the way in creating sustainable businesses and communities that will preserve the areas natural beauty, and remain an outstanding place to live, work and visit for generations to come.

I am loving working at their recently opened Clifton space, a beautiful and brightly lit chapel conversion, with ecclesiastical features and I welcome you to drop in for a coffee if you are in the area.

We are all buoyed by the challenge ahead and would love to hear from you if you are considering a low energy development or upgrading your existing property in the west, to listen to your requirements and help establish a set of targets and goals tailored to your aspirations.