A project that has been working with communities in Swansea and Bristol to co-design liveable homes to go ‘Beyond Net Zero’ will run for a further two and a half years, thanks to additional funding of over £3 million from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC).
The Transforming Housing and Homes for Future Generations project is also featuring in an exhibition at London's Design Museum, which opened earlier this week.
The project aims to redesign housing built by councils between 1920-1940, which account for approximately 1.1 million homes still lived in the UK today.
The team, made up of Bath researchers and colleagues from the GW4 universities of Cardiff, Bristol and Exeter along with businesses, local authorities and community groups, has been working to co-design, test, implement and monitor innovative prototype solutions to improve the quality of existing housing.
Dr Robert Grover, a lecturer in Bath's Department of Architecture & Design and a member of the Centre for Regenerative Design & Engineering for a Net Positive World (RENEW), said: "Local residents are co-designing change to their homes and neighbourhoods using natural building materials, alongside the Transforming Homes team. It's great for the work to be continuing thanks to this additional funding, and for the project to be featured in the exhibition which showcases how design research can support a green transition."
Project Lead Professor Jo Patterson of the Welsh School of Architecture at Cardiff University, said: “This project is about transforming homes rather than just retrofitting them. It is very disruptive to go into a home and retrofit it fully; it is very costly too.
“So, what we’re trying to do is plan and design changes that go beyond energy, working with residents, owners and the supply chain to create better, healthy homes for the future. This helps us look at the wider way that a home is used and makes the transformation process more efficient.”
The team’s two demonstration projects – in Bristol and Swansea – are due to start in January 2026.
A programme of outreach activities with local authorities, residents and community groups has informed the design of the demonstrations helping to understand what challenges they face and how the transformations can help to overcome these. Incorporating bio-based materials, harnessing renewable energy and designing more liveable spaces, the team is testing ways to future-proof our homes and address the UK’s housing crisis.
“We are monitoring the homes to understand what their energy use levels are like now, as well as temperatures, humidity and internal conditions, so we can paint a picture of the homes pre-transformation,” explains Professor Patterson.
“We’ll use that information together with the experiences of local authorities, residents and community groups to see where the issues may be.”
Tools for Transition exhibition at Design Museum
The free Green Transition Ecosystem exhibition in the Design Museum in London will showcase the work of the Transforming Homes project alongside three other research projects from across the UK that are driving change in housing, healthcare, local planning and resource management. Together, they show how design-led research can be translated into practical tools to transition into a greener future.
Tools for Transition is curated by Future Observatory, the Design Museum’s national research programme for the green transition. Future Observatory is coordinated by the Design Museum in partnership with the Arts and Humanities Research Council.
The display features four commissions which have brought together researchers and designers to create a visual response to each of the Green Transition Ecosystems’ ongoing research.
Second phase of Transforming Homes
Announced at the exhibition's launch, the second phase of the programme will run from October 2025 to March 2028, and is supported by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) with additional funding of £3.1 million.
Dr Rebecca Leithall, Interim Head of GW4, welcomed the news, saying: “We are thrilled to see this project receive further funding, enabling it to continue its pioneering work in transforming homes into healthier, more energy-efficient spaces. Originating from a GW4 research community, this initiative demonstrates the power of collaboration and what can be achieved - not only by working across universities and disciplines, but also with our external partners.”
In this second phase, the project will continue to support growth and the UK’s transition to Net Zero through scaling up design interventions and engaging diverse public audiences with the power of design through its flagship partnership with the Design Museum.
They will focus on real-world benefits and impacts of transforming homes for future generations, transitioning from research to recognising and implementing benefits.
The Future Observatory will also continue to act as both a coordination hub for the nationwide programme, as well as a research department within the museum.
The project has secured its additional funding as part of the AHRC’s support for the suite of Green Transition Ecosystem (GTEs) projects.