Welcome to NMB News: Spring edition

March 2023

Spring at New Makers Bureau

Welcome to the Spring edition of NMB News. It’s been a fine start to 2023…. and we’ve got a spring in our step (sorry)…. so, where to start…. perhaps a few ‘firsts’…. we’ve: finished our first building (our rammed earth arts centre in Kampala); won our first competition (the Architect Pitch see below) and have our first off-grid house project just going into planning.

It does feel like a whirlwind sometimes, and one of the pleasures of writing this is that it gives a chance to reflect and see the fruits of our labour. I hope the first few months of your 2023 have been just as fruitful!

Winner Net Zero Neighbourhood Architect Pitch

The Net Zero Neighbourhood competition was run as part of the Archiboo Architect Pitch series and was delivered in partnership with Max Frodham. The brief asked us to to re-imagine the future of neighbourhoods in the face of the climate and biodiversity emergency. Our proposal focussed on the use of construction waste and reclaimed materials taken from within a 50 mile radius of the site and kept them in a closed system of re-use. Our pitch was delivered by Laura Keay (from NMB) with poise, gusto and cool - and all in just 3 minutes!

There were seven brilliant architects shortlisted - all with different approaches, great ideas and a real sense of shared purpose in finding the solutions to planet friendly architecture.

Phase 1 of the Arts Centre launch event

James will be heading to Kampala in a fortnight for the launch of the first phase of the Arts Centre. The launch event will include a programme of talks, tours and performances to celebrate the milestone - many years in the making, and now it’s realised in the flesh (well earth). The event will take place over three days starting 23rd March. And we simply can’t wait.

Long Life, Low Energy: Designing for a circular economy exhibition

Our Downton Avenue project is featured in the RIBA’s Long Life, Low Energy: Designing for a circular economy exhibition at 66 Portland Place. The project is an example of how to retrofit and refurb on a domestic scale whilst improving energy performance, and building using low carbon and circular techniques.

The display will be presented as a new concluding section to the current exhibition, which has now been extended until the end of April.

Earth Building: what can the planet provide? Architect@Work event

Laura will be joining Steve Webb (Webb Yates) and Andrew Waugh (Waugh Thistleton) in a conversation on ‘Earth Building: what can the planet provide?’ chaired by Vanessa Norwood. The event takes place at The Truman Brewery, 23rd March. If you haven’t booked yet, do it. There’s loads of great stuff happening.

Architect@Work

Fri, Jan 06

What’s in 2023

As it's the start of a new year, we spoke to James (our founder) about what’s in store for 2023….

What are the goals for NMB for 2023 and beyond?

Become a B Corporation, we’ve started the journey of

Wed, Sep 07

A first review

Sometimes, its good to let others do the talking. Words by architectural photographer Timothy Latim who recently took some wonderful photos of the Arts Centre project during construction and wrote the

Thu, Nov 04

Building Magazine

James has been featured in the 'How to save the world' series in Building magazine. He discusses the immediate actions our government must take to shift the construction industry to low and zero carbo