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by Sean Hill on Nov 20, 2025
Every few years, a piece of research lands that quietly resets the direction of an entire industry. The latest benchmarking study on embodied and whole life carbon in UK new homes does exactly that. It offers something we rarely see in housebuilding: grounded, comparable, sector-wide data. Not theory. Not ambition. Actual evidence.
At RISE Design Studio, we see studies like this as more than academic exercises. They are mirrors. They show us where the homebuilding sector is standing today, and where those of us committed to low-carbon, human-centred design need to move next.
This blog distils the lessons we believe matter most for clients, developers, architects and the communities who will live with the decisions we make.
Construction in progress on a sustainable home, highlighting how early material choices shape the lifetime carbon story of every new build.
The Unseen Carbon in Every New Home
Before a single light switches on, every home already carries a heavy carbon legacy. Materials hold memories: minerals extracted, timber processed, steel forged, concrete cured. In the study, around three quarters of all upfront carbon comes simply from bringing these materials into existence.
This aligns with what we see across our own projects. A meticulously designed building envelope often outperforms complex systems later bolted on. When we focus early on the carbon cost of structure, substructure and envelope, we can influence the one thing clients can’t change later → the building’s starting footprint.
The report showed that for most low-rise homes, upfront embodied carbon tends to fall within a surprisingly tight band. This isn’t a limitation. It’s an opportunity. It tells us where the true levers are.
Timber and the Power of Choosing Differently
When the study filtered out everything except the fabric of the building, one insight was impossible to ignore: timber frame construction consistently performed better than masonry in both upfront and whole life terms.
The difference wasn’t dramatic, but it was meaningful. In carbon accounting, every kilogram saved is exponential when multiplied across an entire development.
At RISE, we’ve long believed that natural, renewable materials do more than express a design philosophy. They fundamentally shift the carbon business model of a home. Timber, cork, clay, hempcrete → these materials work for us, not against us. They carry stored carbon, improve wellbeing, and reduce the need for energy-hungry finishes.
This research strengthens something we already know: material choices are not aesthetic decisions alone. They are climate decisions.
The Silent Giant: MEP Carbon Over Time
Most people assume the structure is the biggest driver of long-term impact. The report challenges that assumption.
Once materials are installed, the systems inside the home take over. Heating, plumbing, ventilation, electrical components, finishes → these become the recurring carbon costs. Unlike foundations, they don’t last 60 years. They’re replaced, upgraded, repaired.
According to the study, these systems and finishes take up a much larger share of whole life carbon than upfront numbers suggest.
This is why at RISE we advocate a fabric-first mindset. If a home relies on oversized or overly complex systems to feel comfortable, it’s a sign the architecture isn’t doing enough of the heavy lifting.
A well-designed passive building uses systems sparingly and meaningfully. It doesn’t need to fight its own physics.
Heat Pumps, Gas and the Carbon Paradox
A fascinating tension appears when comparing heating systems. Heat pumps carry slightly higher embodied carbon over 60 years due to refrigerant leakage. But when operational energy is modelled over the same period, they dramatically outshine gas.
The study showed that homes using heat pumps created far lower operational carbon across their lifetime. That gap matters. It’s the operational side of the ledger that accumulates, year after year.
For a homeowner, this is more than a sustainability choice. It’s a resilience choice. As the grid continues to decarbonise, homes designed today will only grow cleaner in operation.
This aligns closely with the future we are designing for: homes that get better with time, not worse.
What We Measure Shapes What We Build
One of the most telling insights wasn’t about carbon at all, but about information.
The report highlighted big differences between assessment tools, largely driven by the proportion of product-specific environmental product declarations (EPDs) used. Projects with richer, more transparent data tended to produce more reliable, and often lower, carbon results.
In other words: uncertainty is a form of carbon.
At RISE, we rely heavily on verified material data because it sharpens the design conversation. When you see the numerical difference between a generic product and a natural or low-carbon alternative, priorities shift. Decision-making becomes clearer.
We believe the industry is moving toward a future where full EPD coverage is not optional. It will be expected. And it will be transformative.
Operational Carbon: The Long Horizon
Over a 60-year life, the operational side of the ledger becomes unavoidable. Energy use intensity varied in the study, but the direction was unmistakable. Homes that combine low-carbon materials, heat pumps and strong passive design principles outperform others significantly over time.
Every building leaves two shadows:
→ What it takes from the planet the day it is built
← What it demands from the planet every day it is lived in
A good architect tries to shorten both.
The Opportunity Ahead: A New Benchmark Culture
The study signals something deeper than data. It signals the emergence of a benchmark culture in British housebuilding. A culture where comparisons are possible, improvements are traceable, and innovation can be measured rather than assumed.
For practices like ours, it encourages a new question for every project:
How do we design a home whose carbon story earns its place in the future?
This is not about compliance. It is about leadership.
What This Means for Clients and Developers
Based on the insights, the next generation of homes will be shaped by a few unavoidable truths:
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Materials matter early, deeply and permanently
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Timber and bio-based options are powerful tools
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MEP carbon is a long-term cost that must be designed down, not compensated for
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Heat pumps are a long-term win despite small embodied penalties
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Better data leads to better decisions
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Whole life thinking must replace short-term thinking
Homes built today must make sense not just for the next handover meeting, but for the next half century.
A Final Thought: Architecture as Legacy
Every project we take on at RISE begins with a simple belief: architecture is a form of leadership. The spaces we design are not static objects. They are long-term citizens of the cities, towns and landscapes they inhabit.
The latest carbon benchmarks offer a rare moment of clarity about the responsibilities we hold. If we embrace the lessons now, we can shape a new era of British housing: low-energy, low-carbon, future-proofed and rooted in thoughtful, purposeful design.
This is not just a technical challenge. It is a cultural one.
And it starts with the decisions we make today.
Building homes that earn their place in the future
At RISE, we see whole life carbon as more than a metric. It is a way of asking better questions about every brick, every beam, every kilowatt hour. A low-carbon home is not just efficient on paper. It is a place that feels good to live in, uses less, wastes less and quietly respects the landscape it sits in.
Designing with whole life carbon in mind means creating homes that stand as evidence of what is possible now - not someday. Homes that are light on the planet, generous to the people who inhabit them, and robust enough to serve the next generation.
Exploring a new build or development and want to understand its true carbon story?
Let’s talk about how your project could cut carbon, raise quality and leave a positive legacy.
→ Email us at architects@risedesignstudio.co.uk
→ Or call the studio on 020 3947 5886
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