Partner
Rixon Architecture
Cambridge architecture practice specialising in retrofit, low-energy and low-carbon design
About the partnership
Rixon Architecture is a small practice based in Cambridge, founded by architect James Rixon.
It specialises in retrofit and low-energy design, helping homeowners and building owners make existing buildings fit for the future through phased, low-carbon improvements that raise comfort and cut energy use. James is a Certified Passive House Designer and qualified Retrofit Coordinator. He’s a founding co-director of the Cambridge Retrofit Hub, a not-for-profit retrofit one-stop shop, and a long-standing member of the Architects Climate Action Network (ACAN), including on its steering group. James often works alongside Anna Pamphilon of Pamphilon Architects, a fellow Passive House designer and co-author of the Architects Declare Regenerative Design Primer.
Always Possible brought Rixon Architecture into the Crawley Cultural Quarter feasibility study, commissioned by Crawley Borough Council in 2024 to identify the best town centre sites for new cultural infrastructure. We led the study alongside HemingwayDesign and Creative Crawley, covering research, engagement, economic analysis and the final recommendations.
James and Anna provided the architectural expertise. They analysed the shortlisted sites and buildings, from former retail units to the spaces between them, looking at planning implications, carbon footprint, biodiversity net gain and water neutrality, a particular constraint in the Crawley area. They set out outline fit-out plans and design options for how each site could be developed and sustained as cultural space. Anna’s insistence on treating the quarter as a connected whole, rather than a set of individual buildings, shaped how we framed the options for the council.
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Book a free discovery call with our CEO, Richard Freeman — or send us a brief and we’ll tell you honestly whether we’re the right people, and who else to try if not.