The practice has formed a Sustainability Research Unit to demonstrate MBA’s practical application of its sustainable principles on past, current and future projects. This will focus on the economic, social and environmental strategies embedded in MBA’s designs.

The unit is the responsibility of James Donlon, an Associate of MBA. He is supported by Robin Bates who has extensive job-running experience of complex residential and conservation projects.

James is the project architect for the design of Oriel College Oxford’s new houses for fellows and graduates, located in the Bartlemas Conservation Area. This scheme embodies MBA’s key sustainability principles, incorporating:

• Closed loop ground source heat pump
• Exploitation of passive solar gain through orientation, shading and solar chimneys
• Biomass fuel burner
• Triple glazing to windows
• Bio-diverse green roofs
• Breathing walls of timber frame construction with sheep’s wool insulation

Due to the on-going growth in our architecture practice,  MBA have moved to a new home in the heart of Wimbledon:

The Old Post Office,
1 Compton Road,
Wimbledon,
London.
SW19 7QB

The purpose built post office was converted in the 1990s to provide an elegant double height space with mezzanine above. The move allows plenty of space for the expanding team of architects and provides MBA with good meeting and library facilities.

Located in the centre of Wimbledon next to the Library, the new office preserves good transport links and gives MBA a street presence.

MBA are appointed to design a film studio, low energy theatre incorporating natural light, dark drawings archive, naturally lit design studio, lift and access improvements forming the first part of a spine across the whole campus for the Wimbledon School of Art, part of the University of the Arts London.

Wimbledon School of Art is an internationally acclaimed school of theatre, lighting, costume design, sculpture and fine arts interlocking to become University of the Arts London.

MBA’s foyer for Wimbledon School of Art completed in March 2006.

MBA’s new boarding house at Clifton College in Bristol – Watson’s House, is one of eight buildings awarded the Bristol Civic Society’s Environmental Award in their centenary year.

MBA are appointed to carry out an urban design assessment of a conservation area in Oxford, UK. This will include a landscape and wildlife conservation plan, as well as a master plan for the long term management of the site.