PORTFOLIO

Wickes, Betts Way, Crawley

PROPOSALS

A 2,481sqm B8/A1 retail unit with additional mezzanine on a site earmarked by the Local Planning Authority as being a 'Gateway' site for the town.

As a Gateway site, the Council would not approve a building which was deemed by the Urban Design Officer to not be a landmark and they were looking for a building which would sit well alongside the surrounding offices.

Normally Wickes would avoid sites like this but in this case they decided to go for it.

Status: Completed
Employer Client: Travis Perkins Property Limited
Contractor Client: Mildren Construction
THP Involvement Started: October 2014
Start on Site: September 2016
PC: June 2017

Role: Architectural Advisor; feasibility, planning and construction

HISTORY

I came up with four schemes and tabled them with the client and they chose the one to develop further and take to a Pre Application Meeting.

Following the pre application meeting the building was increased in height and re-oriented to sit parallel to London Road.

DESIGN

The building is located approximately centrally on site with a wide area of landscaping to the east. The building has been designed with a small pallet of high quality materials in a contemporary format.

The building incorporates the crisp lines of composite cladding with capped and capless curtain wall glazing in a solid and void format. An over sailing canopy has been provided to the east side and front (north) of the building increasing the height of the store to the
equivalent of a three storey building and slender supporting columns have been introduced to create shadow movement interest through the day. The majority of the building will sit at the equivalent of a three storey building.

The entrance for the store sits centrally to the unit and forms a striking orientation point with the use of full height glazing, glass doors and screens with Midnight Blue Ral 5008 frames and a signage area above.

A mix of horizontally hung pre-formed cladding panels (flat and micro-ribbed), half round vertical cladding and vertical profiled cladding panels are used within the remainder of the building to create a contrast in texture with the composite cladding.

The colour pallet of the building was limited to Midnight Blue Ral 5008 to increase the impact of the building.

The design follows the ethos of solid and void with full height curtain wall glazing along London Road and strong lines formed in cladding framing the skyline and giving an appearance of height.

We were granted planning consent in July 2016 and after being novated to Mildren Construction under Design and Build Contract the job was completed in June 2017.

St Georges Road, Reading

PROPOSALS

An 87sqm extension to the church of Tilehurst St George in Reading and 12 residential units for a Housing Association

Status: Complete
Employer Client: Stonewater
Contractor Client: Francis Construction
THP Involvement Started: 2001
Start on Site: January 2017
PC: September 2019

Role: Architectural Advisor; feasibility, planning and construction

HISTORY

St Georges Church was constructed in 1886. A temporary church had previously existed on the site, located where the church hall was later constructed. The church authorities did not have enough money to complete the initial designs for the St Georges Church and the southern aisle was left with the hopes that it be constructed by future generations. The southern aisle was never constructed but in 1936 a small rear extension to the southern elevation was added to give an additional entrance and a lady chapel. In approximately 1950's the church hall was extended and scout hut was constructed on land immediately to the southwest of St Georges Church.

Due to the small plot of land dedicated to St Georges Church and the church hall no graveyard was provided in the environs of the church.

The Scout Hut on the site had to be demolished down to the floor slab in 2008 due to fire damage which occurred in 2005. The church hall was condemned with facilities that badly needed updating in line with British Standards.

In 2001 THP were approached by the St George' Church to consider extending the building with a series of halls for church use, that would be paid for by the construction of a new residential scheme on the old church hall site and adjacent vacant piece of land, all of which are owned by the church authorities. Thames Valley Housing became involved to progress the residential housing for affordable homes after much debate and deliberation. This eventually came to fruition in 2007/8 with a detailed planning application (07/01308/FUL). This was withdrawn during the application period due to material objections raised by the planning officer.

In 2011 we were re-approached by both the P.C.C. and Stonewater to provide a revised scheme for the site. The P.C.C. had reconsidered their Brief and reduced their requirement to a much more modest and practical need. In the meantime, Stonewater outlined their requirements for special housing on the site, so the two schemes could be united in one practical design ready for a detailed planning application.

The proposed scheme was submitted for approval in December 2015 and after a fair amount of alteration and negotiation was granted consent on the 23 March 2017.

Slightly hindered by the red tape of legal issues we were not able to start on site until the beginning of 2018.  Issues on site caused the project timetable to be extended, with Phased Completion and a Final Practical Completion Date of September 2019.

Queens Road, Reading

PROPOSALS

Conversion of an Office to create 20 residential units and an extension (including utilisation of the roof space) to create 9 additional residential units.

Status: Planning Consented
Employer Client: Pinemace
THP Involvement Started: November 2017
Permitted Development Granted: July 2018
Full Planning Granted: November 2020

Role: Architectural Advisor; feasibility and planning

HISTORY

Taking advantage of the government's amendments to Permitted Development Rights to include the conversion of Office units to residential, our client applied for this three storey office building to be converted into 20 residential units in May 2018.  The proposals were to create four no 2-bed flats and sixteen no 1-bed flats.

An attempt was carried out to explore whether planning would be granted for an additional floor and a large rear extension but this was rejected due to the proximity of several Listed Buildings. 

A reduced extension proposal was submitted in October 2019, for one no 1 Bed / 2 Person flat, three no 2 Bed / 3 Person flats, four no 2 Bed / 4 Person flats, and one no 3 Bed / 5 Person flats.  The client was keen for any extension proposed to reflect the existing building and be of a high quality design and so a sympathetic development has been proposed which matches the existing detailing and materials.

The client initially intended to build out the project himself but due to changes in market patterns he is looking at retaining the office use until leases are complete then selling, unless he gets a better offer before then.

March Barton Trading Estate, Exeter

PROPOSALS

Demolition of the existing buildings, relocation of a substation and redevelopment of an existing Trade Park to provide four new Trade Units.  Two units to house Travis Perkins Builders' Merchants and Toolstation and the others speculative. 

Status: Started on Site September 2020
Employer Client: Pinemace
THP Involvement Started: January 2018
Full Planning Granted: November 2020

Role: Architectural Advisor; feasibility, planning, construction and fit out

HISTORY

Redevelopment of a 1.74ha plot in Exeter known as the Marsh Barton Trading Estate.  The site is located about 1.5miles South of Exeter City Centre and is surrounded by other commercial / industrial units.  

The site is not far off sea level and the water table is very high and the site is identified as being within Flood Risk Zone 3. In order to overcome the issues with flooding all of the buildings have been designed with internal concrete retaining structures to 1m above FFL so that in the event of a flood the doors can be blocked by sandbags and the building will be relatively unaffected.  

As part of the proposed development the existing sub station which was in the middle of the site has been relocated to the edge of the site.