Creating a low-carbon, eco-friendly yoga studio

How did eco-friendly building solutions help bring a new yoga studio to life in St Albans? An interesting challenge posed to the AMBS Eco Solutions

As we’ve said before on these pages, at AMBS Eco Solutions we are laser-focused on ecologically responsible construction. We encourage all our clients to use environmentally friendly materials, and we’ve attempted to do our part on plastic waste by banning all throw-away plastic from our construction sites. Lots done – but lots more to do.

That’s why it’s always such a pleasure when we get to work with a client who thinks like we do, and agrees that environmental responsibility should be a priority in any construction project. Recently, the team headed to Ellensbrook, close to St Albans, in Hertfordshire, where a client had commissioned us to design and build a studio for yoga, meditation, reiki, transformational breathing and sound baths. The studio would be situated at the bottom of a residential garden.

But of course, this wasn’t going to be any old studio. It needed to be low-carbon and eco-friendly, which means thinking extra carefully about everything from construction materials to the thermal insulation and water supply.

Fortunately, that’s what we do best. Read on to learn more about how we constructed a home yoga studio design to meet our client’s needs, and take a look at the photographs to see it for yourself.

Key Steps in the Build Process for AMBS Eco Solutions' Services

The home studio construction would be 9 metres by 6, constructed from timber frames, and would be slightly sunken. This meant that one of the first tasks was simply digging out the space that it would occupy!

As well as the timber construction, we used an exterior cladding constructed from reclaimed larch wood. We gave the construction a sedum roof – a living green roof, with real plants, serviced via a dedicated front area. We also added solar panels in the middle and on the flat roof section at the rear, to help with power generation and conservation.

We heated the studio using underfloor heating, running under the wooden flooring from an air-source heat pump. The studio included both a WC and a kitchenette, with all water reused and filtered from a rainwater-harvesting underground storage unit. Large windows at the front of the studio also helped give it the kind of airy feel that’s ideal for a relaxing spiritual practice.

The Result

Our clients in Ellensbrook were delighted with the yoga studio, which they christened “Studio 33”. We were recently delighted to attend the opening party, and it was fantastic to see the extent to which all our hard work had paid off.

It’s important to walk the walk as well as talking the talk when it comes to eco-friendly construction, but that doesn’t mean compromising on quality. The environmentally responsible elements of Studio 33 make it a better space overall for its designed purpose.

If you’ve got a home or commercial improvement project in mind, there will be all sorts of ways to make it more environmentally conscious. The team at AMBS Eco Solutions will be able to help through the entire project, from design and planning through construction, all the way to completion. Get in touch and let us know how we can help you.