AN ARCHITECT firm from Hereford has been named as the most sustainable kind in the country.

Architype, which has an office in Twyford, south of Hereford, has been crowned sustainable practice of the year in the Architects' Journal top 100 competition, the third win by the practice.

Otherwise known as the AJ100, the annual awards night marks the official countdown of the year's largest architectural practices according to qualified architects in post, as well as the first unveiling of an annual industry survey, collecting the facts and opinions from the most influential practices in the UK.

The night is dominated by sought after awards available to the top 100 influencers, including building, employer and practice of the year.

Architype focus on in-depth research and the careful post-occupancy evaluation of their buildings and said they engender a culture of lessons learned, efficiencies and improvements.

The firm was also commended for its 'generous approach to industry knowledge sharing', taking part in over 50 architecture talks in the past year.

"We pride ourselves on being genuinely sustainable and that doesn't mean that we are only leading in this field because we are looking for a competitive edge," said managing director Jonathan Hines.

"We have to change the 'business-as-usual' approach of a stagnating construction industry that is filled with waste and a stifling lack of replicable innovative approaches."

Judges were particularly impressed with the design of the Imperial War Museum's Paper Store, a Passivhaus archive facility which opened this year with world record-breaking air tightness credentials.