protaHOMES · Cambridge
protaHOMES was founded by Self Build Architect and Passivhaus Designer, Oliver Murray, with the mission of making the process of building your own home easier and more accessible.
What we do
New buildBarn conversionsFull house retrofits
By ‘high performance’, we mean homes that are designed and specified to meet the rigorous performance criteria of the Passivhaus Building Standard, and which deliver high standards of comfort and health for their inhabitants, whilst also being good for the environment. If you are unfamiliar with Passivhaus, or unclear regarding the benefits, we invite you to download our Passivhaus Infosheet which on a single page describes the key principles, features, advantages, and benefits.
By ‘self build’, we mean that we work with people who want to commission the design and construction of their own home, and who are therefore inherently interested and invested in creating homes that are both beautiful and functional. We know that while many people would like to build their own home, they never take that first step, simply because they don’t know where to start. It is for this reason that we created the Self Build Starter Pack, with a selection of simple worksheets to help aspiring self builders get started with their self build journey.
As highlighted by the name of our practice, we are specialists in homes. protaHOMES was founded to help people create homes that delight and enhance their quality of life. Please feel free to check out a selection of some of our projects by clicking the button below.
How to get started
To help aspiring self builders get their project off to a good start, we have developed a simple three-step process.
Featured in
The Times article describes Self Build Architect, Oliver Murray’s own fight with the planning system in relation to his own self build aspirations – a contemporary Passivhaus in the Green Belt.
As the Custom Build movement grows, we created a Custom Build Map to track the developments and plots being brought forward throughout the UK. This was a headline feature in the September 2023 issue of Homebuilding & Renovating Magazine.
In a comprehensive article in the August 2023 issue of Built It Magazine [now incorporating Self Build & Design] discussing the benefits of custom build, our Custom Build Map is featured in a section titled "Finding a Custom Build Plot".
Self Build Architect, Oliver Murray, wrote an article for the October 2023 issue of Grand Designs Magazine in which he explains that where your local authority is failing to meet its duty under the Right to Build legislation, this is a material consideration that could weigh in favour of your self-build planning application
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