We couldn’t find a carbon tool that worked for small practices, so we built one ourselves. Introducing SmallCarbon.
Our industry needs to rapidly decarbonise, and architects are under increasing pressure to deliver low-carbon buildings while evidencing those claims with robust data. Yet for small practices, finding a carbon tool that fits real-world workflows has often been an uphill battle. Available tools can be costly, complex, or too generic to be truly useful.
At Studio Bark, we faced the same challenge. We needed a tool that was affordable, intuitive, and detailed enough to capture our bespoke design approach, while integrating seamlessly into everyday design processes. When we couldn’t find the perfect tool, we decided to build it ourselves.
What Is SmallCarbon?
SmallCarbon is a simple, affordable tool that helps architects and designers measure and report whole life carbon on projects. Built from Studio Bark’s own need, it’s designed for the realities of small and medium practices - integrating carbon counting into live projects without slowing down your workflow.
We spent 2025 testing the tool, and will be launching in 2026… watch this space!
Why We Developed SmallCarbon
With the built environment contributing around 39% of the UK’s total carbon emissions, whole life carbon assessments must become a core part of how projects are designed, assessed, and delivered.
Despite growing industry commitments ( such as the RIBA 2030 Climate Challenge, and the emerging UK Net Zero Carbon Building Standard), there remains a gap in practical, accessible tools for the small and medium practices which make up 80% of the UK’s architectural sector.
We built SmallCarbon to fill this gap. It helps architects integrate carbon assessment into live projects simply, affordably, and accurately, supporting better design decisions without derailing workflows.
How We Did It
The Story So Far...
SmallCarbon has been shaped by real-world practice and extensive user feedback. Building on over five years of carbon analysis at Studio Bark, in 2024 we won Innovate UK Creative Catalyst funding to bring the tool to a wider audience. Partnering with Looper software developers, and Etude engineers, we’ve transformed in-house spreadsheets into a purpose-built, user-friendly platform.
We carried out two rounds of beta testing and gathered input from over 100 small and medium architecture practices, ensuring the tool reflects the day-to-day realities and constraints of practice. Feedback was very positive:
- User experience rated 8/10 on average
- Testers highlighted clarity, speed, and usability
- The tool successfully integrates carbon calculations into early design stages, a crucial point for reducing whole life carbon impact
What SmallCarbon Can Do
SmallCarbon was developed using real-world projects, to make sure its features fit architects’ real-life workflows.
Key features include:
- Intuitive web interface tailored to project workflows
- Easy data entry with instant, actionable outputs
- Extensive materials library, including alternative and natural materials such as hemp and straw, based on ICE data and EPDs
- Ability to create, save, and compare build-ups for easy review of material options
- Reporting formats aligned with emerging industry standards
- Embedded educational explainers to support learning as you go
How SmallCarbon Helps Your Practice
SmallCarbon is designed to help reduce our industry’s carbon impact while ensuring small practices have the tools and confidence to thrive in an evolving market.
Benefits of using SmallCarbon:
- Simplify whole life carbon analysis
- Quickly generate easy-to-read outputs
- Improve design development and low-carbon decision-making
- Support planning submissions with carbon data
- Communicate carbon data clearly to clients and stakeholders
- Collate data for marketing or awards submissions (endorsed by RIBA)
- Empower practices of all scales to make lower-carbon decisions earlier, without relying on costly external consultants
- Offer carbon analysis to clients as a project add-on
Watch Our Demos
See The Tool In Action
In November 2025, we held a webinar to demonstrate how to use SmallCarbon to measure whole life carbon from early design stages. The development team showed how to get started using the tool before giving demos of it in use on a real project.
Watch the webinar on YouTubeWhat's Next For SmallCarbon?
We spent 2025 refining SmallCarbon to be usable on real-world projects and preparing for wider launch. You’ve helped us perfect the tool, with over 100 of you joining two rounds of beta testing and sharing your feedback to make sure SmallCarbon truly makes carbon counting easy, affordable, and intuitive for you.
In 2026, we’ll incorporate your feedback and fix any last glitches, ready to launch!
We’ve also launched our sponsor programme, helping us to keep the tool developed and funded by industry, for industry. Sponsorship will help us with:
- Final Tool Development - refining the tool based on beta feedback
- QA and Digital Infrastructure - including quality assurance, branding, secure website, and hosting setup
- Accreditation & Insurance - securing accreditation and liability insurance for commercial release
As a sponsor, you get exclusive benefits, including free tool access, commercial training in using LCA as a revenue stream for your practice, and recognition across platforms, raising your profile as a leader in carbon counting.
To find out more about becoming a sponsor, contact our team at info@studiobark.co.uk. Tiered options are available based on practice size.
Get Involved
SmallCarbon is made by architects, for architects, and we want you to help shape it.
Here’s how you can get involved:
- Contact to our team about sponsorship opportunities
- Sign up to our SmallCarbon mailing list for updates
- Share our SmallCarbon webinar with your colleagues and collaborators
Together, we can embed whole life carbon assessment in every project, empowering architects to make low-carbon design the norm
