Friendly, thoughtful architecture across Cornwall

Mär is a German word meaning story. It is also, quietly, a personal one — I am a German-trained architect, civil engineer and technician who has called Cornwall home for over 20 years.

Every building becomes part of someone's story. This practice is part of mine. Planning and building is a story in itself: ideas, decisions and turning points unfolding over time.

I've worked on more than 300 projects across Falmouth and Cornwall — from the Brain of Brian floating office barge and the Jubilee Warehouse to Kimberley Park Bandstand, Mawnan Smith Memorial Hall and hundreds of homes and extensions. Different scales, different budgets — always the same aim.

My approach is human first, not fabric first. When architecture starts with people — their routines, wellbeing and comfort — value, sustainability and quality follow naturally. Buildings with good daylight, fresh air and thoughtful layout feel better to live in, perform better and are worth more.

Nature has spent millions of years perfecting this — efficient, sustainable and endlessly inventive. The best architecture follows the same principle.

Building can feel complex — regulations, technical detail, significant cost. Think of a restaurant. You notice the atmosphere and the care in the details. You don't manage the kitchen, organise the ingredients or worry about hygiene regulations. That responsibility stays in the background so you can feel comfortable and confident. Architecture works the same way.

At mär studio, you work directly with the architect responsible for the project — a registered architect, engineer and qualified technician in civil engineering.

Same building. Different value? Two buildings can sit side by side. Same street, same age, same bricks — and yet one is worth considerably more than the other. The difference is not the walls. It is the story behind them — the record of how they were designed, approved and built.

"Mär means story. Every Raum has one."

Mär is my word, my language and my practice — founded on the belief that buildings should function well and feel like somewhere you belong.

Hot desk at work.

This is actually my desk in the office – seen through a thermal camera.

What looks like a colourful abstract image shows the heat emitted by everyday objects: monitors, lamps, electronics… and the traces of how we use a space.

In architecture, thermal imaging is a powerful tool.

It helps reveal things we normally cannot see:
• air leaks
• missing insulation
• water leaks
• overheating electrical components
• heat loss
• underfloor heating

Another way of reading a building – by making the invisible visible.

#architecture #thermalimaging #infrared #architectlife #buildingdiagnostics construction buildingperformance

Builder / Groundworks Contractor Required – Marlborough Primary School, Falmouth

We are looking for a builder or groundworks contractor who may be available to start a small project at Marlborough School in Falmouth.

The works form the groundwork stage for a future toilet block and storage area within the school playing field and include:

• Removal of a cluster of bamboo and storage on the field • Reducing ground to suitable substrate • Weed barrier, sub-base and compaction • Installation of foul drainage and electrical ducting • Concrete slab for the toilet area as per specification • Separate concrete path across the storage frontage (150mm reduced slab with mesh)

The builder who originally intended to carry out the works unfortunately became ill following an accident and cannot proceed.

The previous estimate suggested the works were roughly in the region of £8k including VAT, mentioned only as an indicator of the scale of the project and allowing for quick approval and commencement.

As this project supports the school playing field, we would also be open to discussing a form of acknowledgement or local visibility within the school grounds, subject to agreement with the headteacher.

Please get in touch if you might be able to help and I can provide drawings and the specification.

Michael Hormann mär studio Falmouth 01326 761 290 hello@marstudio.uk

#CornwallBuilders
#FalmouthCornwall
#Groundworks
#ConstructionCornwall
#supportlocalschools

Hurrah. More good news for clients.

Planning application fees increase from April 2026 — and the Planning Portal service charge rises again. Hurrah.

All justified with fantastic language about
resilience,
digital infrastructure,
future-ready platforms, and
empowering applicants. Hurrah.

Apparently “supporting you” now includes updating the system so the higher fees are applied correctly. Hurrah.

Of course infrastructure costs money. Servers and security don’t run on fresh air.
But when a privatised platform becomes the only practical gateway to submit a planning application, the service charge starts to feel less like a service and more like a toll to access a public process. Hurrah.

And when people ask why construction and home improvements keep getting more expensive, the answer often sounds the same:
compliance, improvements, better systems… this is good for you.
Hurrah.

Schöne Scheisse. Hurrah. I am on the way to become the Henning Wehn of German architects.

#planning #architecture #planningportal #planningfees #henningwehn

I hate the greenwash in our industry.

Not sustainability. Not environmental responsibility.
 Just the greenwash.
Green towers, net-zero carbon buildings, passive houses, plus-energy houses — the language of architecture is full of impressive labels.

But behind the language there are uncomfortable questions.

Projects like Bosco Verticale in Milan are remarkable engineering achievements. Yet apartments there cost millions. Only a tiny group of people can afford to live in them.
Some call this eco-luxury architecture, green prestige architecture, or symbolic sustainability.

The paradox is clear: The environmental imagery is public and highly visible.
 But the benefits are private and exclusive.
Meanwhile millions of people across Europe — and in the UK — still live in damp, poorly insulated homes.

Much of the debate now focuses on certifications, standards and complex net-zero calculations. In the process architects risk becoming part of documentation schemes rather than people who actually improve buildings.

And while we multiply paperwork, we often ignore another reality: construction quality itself is frequently getting worse, despite all the standards meant to guarantee it.

The irony is that the technology is not new. Good insulation, airtightness and proper detailing have been understood for decades.
In principle this is about technical specification and good execution, nothing magical.

Perhaps sustainability should simply be a baseline expectation, not a marketing label.

Good homes for everyone — not green icons for a few.

Net zero for people — or just more paperwork and cost?

I care deeply about nature and the environment. As architects we have a responsibility to design buildings that use fewer resources and perform better.

But I sometimes worry that the current discussion around net zero, sustainability standards and climate literacy is becoming increasingly academic and bureaucratic.
More regulations, certifications and documentation — all ultimately paid for by the client.

Increasingly, the system creates a dependency on titles, certificates and compliance frameworks instead of investing directly in the fabric of buildings. Money that could go into insulation, materials and healthier homes often ends up funding reports and documentation.

At the same time, millions of people in the UK still live in damp and poorly insulated homes.

Yet we call the policy response a “Decent Homes Standard.” What does “decent” actually mean? No one would talk about a “decent Passive House standard” or “decent Net Zero standard”.

Perhaps real progress comes less from paperwork and more from practical knowledge — better educated architects, builders, merchants and suppliers who truly understand materials and construction.

Sometimes it feels as if architects are becoming certification and documentation officers rather than people improving buildings.

From start to finish. A large team was involved.

A short story. From Hormann Architects to Mär Studio. @hormannarchitects

@marstudio.uk

Transition from Hormann Architects to Mär Studio is almost complete. Really happy with this step — a shorter name, easier to write, and more consistent. Mär reflects my German identity through the umlaut, and the shift from H to M feels like a natural evolution.  The response has been overwhelmingly positive; any hesitation has come from people without a German connection or familiarity with the language.

From @hormannarchitects architects to @marstudio.uk

Attic conversion. Analysing the existing roof.

The image above shows a Planning approval for attic conversions and layout reconfiguration.

As a designer and architect, I like to listen, help, advise, design, educate, assist and provide everything required to make a project a success.
From a small entrance porch to a new house or community project – I am a small office that cares.

Closer to the cove, the stream runs beside the path again. It feels chaotic and alive. Near the sea, fragments of old stone structures appear. After one final bridge, the water slows down and disappears, swallowed by the sea, almost as if it had never existed.

To my surprise, the harbour looks completely different from my memories. I can only remember coming here once before, parking at the end of the cove.

Why is it that cars so often receive the privilege of occupying the most beautiful places, with the best views, in the Cornish landscape? In my mind, the image of this cove was far more romantic — more like Mullion Cove. Instead, there is a lot of concrete, empty cottages, and two large SUV cars. One of them sits dominantly in the centre, making the harbour feel like a sad car sales yard.
The most disturbing element, however, is a box-shaped structure covered with tiles. This reptile — or alien — has large, empty, square eyes and looks as if it is sleeping. On one eye, the words caffee capucino, hot chocolate, cafe latte are written. It feels less like an inviting message and more like an order to the alien to wake up. In my imagination, this building becomes a monster that rises in the middle of the night. I see it as a large mech robot, moving to the sound of the Beastie Boys, damaging trees and rummaging in the quarry above, pushing stones down over the village. I wish it would return to the sea and disappear and leave the cove as romantic as it could be.
Why is it so often that ugly buildings spoil a landscape?

A bungalow conversion near Bugle — now with planning approval.
Excited to move this project into the next stage. Transforming the existing bungalow to improve space, light and performance while carefully responding to its setting.
More to follow as the design develops.

A dumbwaiter under construction.
Many houses in Falmouth have steep gardens. In this project, we extended the ground floor into the yard, while the terrace and garden sit above.
Two local designers have created this bespoke dumbwaiter. It’s designed to carry up to two trays or bottles at a time — perfect for effortless garden living.
It still needs its final touches and making good, but we can’t wait to see the first load travelling up.

Our work ranges across all scales and budgets, from modest porch extensions to the revitalisation of Kimberley Lodge.

#Architecture
#Falmouth
#ThoughtfulDesign
#MärStudio

A more safe stair design makes a garden access more frequent. Quality.

Emergency. Sweet emergency. Some people know how to bribe an architect.

Artist Studio on its way. Actually at the moment most projects are upgrades and small little spaces. Small, practical and beautiful.

Fantastic to see this construction settled into its context. A new constructed house in the middle of Falmouth. Having fabulous clients is important. Thank you to the L family and all involved.

Some other work. Where is the best Place in Cornwall for getting embroidery? I realised there is even glow in the dark one?

Lovely designing spaces which become public places to relax. Kimberley Lodge and SourceFM radio station.

No, this is not one of my projects, but a thought that came to me today. Why do so many contemporary buildings feel bland and interchangeable, as if shaped by a single, anonymous style? Walking through Falmouth, you realise that every building is different, each expressing its own character and time.

By contrast, much of today’s architecture relies on modular systems and repeatable solutions, an approach rooted in the Bauhaus and later reduced to efficiency and standardisation.

Paradoxically, the more modular and “efficient” buildings become, the more expensive they often are. What appears simple is frequently highly technical: tight tolerances, specialised components, complex regulations, long supply chains.

Efficiency promises clarity, yet delivers complexity. Standardisation replaces craft, but not at a lower cost — only at the expense of character.

And architecture is not alone. Efficiency has become a universal dogma. In shops, we scan and check out our own purchases, performing unpaid labour without any real savings in return. Everywhere, efficiency is pushed further and further, while responsibility is shifted onto the individual and experience quietly disappears.

Nature teaches us a different lesson. If nature were truly efficient or driven by greed, there would be no seasons, no excess, no diversity — and no beautiful planet. Life thrives not on optimisation alone, but on variation, rhythm, and generosity.

I hope we are moving towards a future with less fixation on efficiency and uniformity, and more room for art, ornament, and joy — in our buildings and in our lives. Not just shells, but expressions of life.

Planning Permission. Kitchen Extension in Falmouth. Mär Studio formerly Hormann Architects.

Clients sometimes ask how long I’ve been working in Cornwall and where my experience comes from, so I want to be clear about that.
I moved to Cornwall 21 years ago and worked with CAD Architects before the financial crisis of 2008. Like many at the time, I suddenly found myself unemployed.

Out of that difficult period, I founded Märraum in 2009, initially working from my flat. My landlords at the time, Myra and Brinley, were incredibly supportive and helped me more than they probably realised.
From 2009 until February 2018, I was the founding and sole supervising architect at marraum, responsible for the design and delivery of a wide range of projects across Cornwall, and the only fully qualified and registered architect within the practice during that period. I’m proud of that work and of the practice we built during those years.

After leaving Märraum, I founded my second practice, Hormann Architects. Over time, my ambitions changed. I realised I wanted to stay smaller, more focused, and personally involved in every project. There was also a practical side — many people struggled to write or remember “Hormann Architects”, and I wanted a name that felt clearer and more distinctive.

In November last year, Hormann Architects became mär studio. The name reflects both my German background — accent still included — and a deliberate, personal approach to architectural practice.

Looking ahead, my next journey will be to work towards qualification as a structural engineer on a part-time basis. Structural engineering formed part of my original studies as an engineer-architect, and deepening that knowledge feels like a natural continuation of my practice.

Today, mär studio builds on more than two decades of living and working in Cornwall, with a strong focus on clarity, authorship, responsibility — and learning that never really stops.

Planning Approval for work on a building in Truro. A lovely historic building will get back more dignity and respect. #mär #märstudio #marstudio. Formerly known as Hormann Architects. Over 30 years of construction experience. 21 years living in Cornwall. Over 350 realised projects in Cornwall. A qualified technician in civil engineering, an engineer and architect.

First planning approval as mär studio @märstudio #marstudio #mär. A Garage and or Studio in Mylor Bridge. Mär studio formerly Hormann Architects.

I am involved in completing Dunstanville Terrace, No. 27, and on my way I took a photo of No. 24.
Once three dark, damp flats, short on space, light, and air — with a central stair and a rear wall quietly inviting water in.
Now a single-family home.
The stair moved to the right-hand side, became visible through the front window, stopped blocking light and ventilation, and picked up a harbour view.
This also opened the house to the garden. The first and attic floors now enjoy both garden and sea views. Natural stonework, where possible, and original features and niches have been exposed.
Levels simplified, drainage re- and over-engineered (extra pipe added, damp gone), and an innovative timber–concrete composite floor introduced.
Historic well retained and restored — possibly even a smuggler tunnel.
A German book of poems was found during the works.
I carried out the Concept Design, Planning Application, Building Regulations, and Technical Design, as well as all inspections and site supervision.
I lived at No. 2 Stratton Place and inspected the site almost every day — these are details only the designer and supervising architect would know.
I visited the clients, E-J and N, at their home several times. The renovated house worked: it is dry, warm and functional.
These details do not appear on Marraum’s website. Photos 3, 4 and 6 are from the Marraum website.
Honesty and transparency still matter?

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@marstudio.uk

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01326 761 290

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