A Cotswolds architecture and landscape design practice is marking National B Corp Month this March by celebrating measurable environmental impact, and rolling up their sleeves for a community litter pick at Minchinhampton Rugby Club, today.
Austin Design Works, a B Corp-certified studio based in Nailsworth, has just published its 2025–2026 Impact Report, revealing more than 12 tonnes of carbon savings, nearly 1,500 trees funded, and multiple community-led public space transformations across the county.
As part of the global celebration of businesses that balance profit with purpose, the team will be supporting their local sports community with a litter pick at Minchinhampton Rugby Club, reinforcing their belief that responsible business starts at home.
“National B Corp Month is about demonstrating that business can be a force for good,” say directors and siblings Rachael and Matthew Austin.
“For us, that means designing regenerative buildings and landscapes, and also showing up locally, whether that’s supporting community gardens or helping keep shared spaces clean.”
Transforming Local Spaces
Over the past year, the practice has delivered projects that combine biodiversity, heritage and civic pride.
In Nailsworth, Mortimer Gardens, once an overgrown and underused space, has been reimagined as a pollinator-friendly civic garden linking the town’s bus station and market square. Laurel hedging was replaced with perennials, shrubs and Japanese cherry trees, alongside planting inspired by the town’s historic textile dye industry.
The gardens now host farmers’ markets and arts festivals, creating a welcoming hub for residents and visitors alike.
The team also collaborated with Nailsworth in Bloom volunteers to enhance Jubilee Garden with an oak pergola and cottage-style planting, creating a peaceful pocket park used by families, local workers and care home residents.
Measurable Climate Impact
The practice’s newly released Impact Report shows:
- 3.28 tonnes of CO₂ saved through flexible working
- 9.4 tonnes of CO₂ saved through Ecologi partnership and Ecosia use
- 1,478 trees funded for planting
- Fossil fuel divestment via a green pension scheme
They are also signatories of Architects Declare and committed to the RIBA 2030 Climate Challenge, embedding biodiversity net gain and low-carbon design principles into every project.
This year, the practice was also named as one of just 116 organisations nationally recognised in the 2025 Regenerative Architecture Index and received Four Gold Stars at RHS Chelsea Flower Show for their Society of Garden & Landscape Designers’ stand.
What National B Corp Month Means Locally
With more than 2,000 B Corps now operating in the UK, National B Corp Month highlights businesses that meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability.
For Austin Design Works, being a B Corp shapes everything from how they design buildings to how they run their practice.
“Being a B Corp isn’t a badge – it’s a framework for constant improvement,” the directors add.
“We believe architecture should leave places better than it found them. Whether that’s a town centre garden, a retrofit home, or a rugby club we care about.”
