Integrating Heat Pumps: Hints and Tips for Architects and Architectural Technologists
[edit] Free FHH guide
As the Future Homes Standard approaches, heat pumps are set to become the primary heating system in new homes. But the biggest challenges emerging from early schemes aren’t about the technology – they stem from early design decisions, making the same assumptions as for gas boiler schemes, and not addressing coordination gaps that lock in cost, complexity and redesign later.
On 28 January, 2026 The Future Homes Hub published its free to download guide to Integrating Heat Pumps. It provides key hints and tips for architects and architectural technologists to help them integrate heat pumps confidently from concept stage onwards. The guide has been shaped with industry through the Future Homes Hub’s Heat Pump Implementation Group and reflects real lessons learned from early Future Homes Standard projects.
[edit] What the guide provides
This new resource gives architects and architectural technologists a clear, accessible entry point to heat pump-ready design while avoiding duplication of detailed external standards. It focusses on:
- Early design choices that drive performance, compliance and cost, including spatial planning, fabric performance, layout, routing and acoustics.
- Where coordination is essential, helping teams work more effectively with SAP assessors, heating designers, M&E consultants and installers.
- Practical prompts across the design process, from concept design through to technical coordination.
- Visual guidance and illustrations, covering siting principles, clearances, acoustic limits, safety zones, and typical internal spatial allowances.
- Signposts to authoritative standards and guidance, offering clarity without recreating the technical manuals you already use.
The Future Homes Hub guide can be directly downloaded here: Integrating Heat Pumps: Hints and Tips for Architects and Architectural Technologists
This article appears on the Future Homes Hub website as "Integrating Heat Pumps: Hints and Tips for Architects and Architectural Technologists" dated 28 January 2026.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings
- Absorption heat pump
- Beyond the Warm Homes Plan: A National Retrofit Programme for people and planet
- Boiler Upgrade Scheme updates.
- Cambridge Housing Model.
- CIOB holds net zero event with industry experts and UK Government.
- Consortium issues urgent call for more ambitious Future Homes Standard.
- Cost Optimal Domestic Electrification CODE.
- Domestic heat pumps and the electricity supply system.
- ECA urges Government to uphold 13.2 billion Warm Homes manifesto commitment
- EPC changes for existing buildings.
- Exhaust air heat pump
- Fabric first will safeguard heat decarbonisation.
- Future Buildings Standard.
- Future Homes Standard consultations.
- Future Homes Standard, solar and potential shortfalls.
- Gas absorption heat pump
- Getting zero carbon done.
- Government urged to uphold Warm Homes manifesto commitment
- Heat pump.
- Home design prospects under the Future Homes Standard.
- Home Energy Model.
- Hybrid heat pump electric panel heating.
- Hydronic heat pump.
- Low carbon in the construction industry.
- Net zero strategy: build back greener.
- Performance gap in low energy housing.
- Room-based heat pump.
- Solar-assisted heat pump
- The EPC consultation in the context of changes to the NCM.
- The Home Energy Model and Future Homes Standard assessment wrapper.
- The Warm Homes Plan and existing policies to help with energy bills
- The Warm Homes Plan details released.
- Thermal bridging and the Future Homes Standard.
- Thermal comfort in buildings.
- Treasury responds to sector submission on Labour Warm Homes manifesto pledge
- Types of heat pump.
- Up to 300,000 homes to benefit from upgrades with the rollout of the Warm Homes Plan in 2025
- Warm Homes Plan Workforce Taskforce.
- Warm homes programme, Wales
- Warm Homes Skills Programme
- Waste heat from the Underground to warm offices and homes
Featured articles and news
We're expanding our collaborative mission by launching DB Intelligence, an exclusive market research advisory panel. Built environment professionals can now get paid to share their expertise on industry trends, products and services.
Panel members receive direct financial incentives for participating in research projects like short surveys, 1-2-1 interviews and focus groups. Register today to shape the future of the construction sector.
Building Safety Wiki Interviews
Chief executive of the British Woodworking Federation.
Planning condition discharge in England and Wales
A brief exoplanation from a building compliance expert, with further links.
Overheating guidance and tools for building designers
Guidance for dealing with element of building fabric control that have increasing importance.
Shading for housing, a design guide
From the Good Homes Alliance and British Blind and Shutter Association.
UK Standard Skills Classification (SSC)
A shared framework for describing skills needs.
Social media ban consultation comes to close
CIOB urges UK Government to consider social media’s role in careers guidance in ban debate.
The latest of eight Skills England apprenticeship units
The addition of battery manufacturing welcomed by ECA with a warning about the risks of fast-tracked apprenticeship units.
Building Control Independent Panel final report
A precis of a key report led by Dame Hackitt with full recommendations and link to the government response.
Building Safety recap April, 2026
A short and longer run-through of the month, with links to further information and sources.
CIAT May 2026 briefing.
From medieval scribes to modern word art.
ECA welcomes crackdown on late payment and push for clean energy, whilst CIOB seek fixed cladding removal timeframes.
Cyber Security in the Built Environment
Protecting projects, data, and digital assets: A CIOB Academy TIS.
Managing competence in the built environment
ITFG publishes new industry guide on how to meet the ICC principles.