new homes for local families in Pilton get the thumbs up!

in
Jeremy Corbyn and Michael Eavis with residents in Pilton

Jeremy Corbyn and Michael Eavis with residents in Pilton

Recently completed, Margaret Bondfield Close in Pilton received some important visitors this week. Michael Eavis and Jeremy Corbyn toured the site and met new residents to look around the houses and give the scheme their seal of approval. Land for the development has been provided by Mr Eavis, along with local stone from Worthy Farm quarries.  The development provides 13 affordable homes for local families, developed by Guinness Partnership and constructed by EG Carter Construction.  All the visitors were impressed by the size, quality and character of the homes designed by gcp Chartered Architects to reflect the character and typical details of Pilton Village. gcp worked closely with Guinness Partnership and EG Carter through the Public Consultation, Planning and Construction stages of the project.

https://www.egcarter.co.uk/news/jeremy-corbyn-officially-opens-new-homes-built-on-land-donated-by-michael-eavis

http://www.guinnesspartnership.com/

 

chocolate quarter nears opening

in ,
Jeremy Pilling, Bruce French and Esther Brown enjoying pizza at BBlock Restaurant at The Chocolate Quarter in Keynsham

Jeremy Pilling, Bruce French and Esther Brown enjoying pizza at BBlock Restaurant at The Chocolate Quarter in Keynsham

BBlock Restaurant at The Chocolate Quarter in Keynsham

Signage for BBlock Restaurant at The Chocolate Quarter in Keynsham

St Monica Trust have invested over £60m in the redevelopment of the former Fry’s chocolate factory in Keynsham (between Bristol and Bath) in creating a new retirement community, The Chocolate Quarter.  As part of the soft launch and pre-opening staff training, staff at gcp enjoyed a wood-fired pizza in B Block, the gcp designed bistro / bar that forms a suite of facilities open to the public.

B Block and sister restaurant, Somer Dining, will open on Monday 6th November.

Following on from their work at The Chocolate Quarter, gcp Chartered Architects have been appointed to develop A Five-Year Enhancement Plan for the Trust’s prestigious Cote Lane site in North Bristol, the jewel in the Trust’s crown.

welcome Bruce French

gcp is delighted to welcome Bruce French to the team.  Bruce joins us straight from the University of the West of England where he has just successfully navigated a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture and Urban Planning.  When he is not hard at work, Bruce likes nothing better than popping a tinnie and riding the Cornish waves on his surfboard. 

welcome Esther Brown!

Esther Brown

gcp is delighted to announce that Esther Brown has joined the team.

Esther has just finished her Part 2 Masters in Architecture at Canterbury and has previously worked for Atkins.

Welcome Esther

gcp 30th anniversary cycle ride

gcp staff and families on The Strawberry Line

gcp staff and their families enjoyed a pleasant 10mile cycle ride along the Strawberry Line last weekend from Yatton to Cheddar, ending with a picnic at Cheddar Reservoir. We enjoyed seeing the wetland landscape near Yatton, the cider orchards of Sandford, wooded valleys up to Winscombe, and some great views of the Somerset Levels from the higher ground. This was another part of the events organised for gcp’s 30th anniversary celebrations. http://www.thestrawberryline.org.uk/

A showcase for our low energy design of six houses in Othery, Somerset.

in

Velox Blocks at Othery site, Somerset

gcp director Colin Powell supported South Western Housing Society and Man Green Solutions showcasing our scheme at Othery this week. The scheme, currently under construction, is being built using an innovative construction system from Austrian Manufacturer Velox.  This is our fourth project using Insulated Concrete Formwork – a system we believe can deliver very low energy and high quality homes with a speedy construction. The project will deliver 6 new affordable homes with extremely low energy bills, that are comfortable and easy to run.  The construction system was explained by Man Green’s Director Ian Bartlett and his site team who will be delivering the completed homes by the end of the year. The invited audience of Housing Associations and Developers were all very impressed with the robustness and simplicity of the construction system and we expect to see more projects being developed with this innovative approach.

Links:

http://velox-systems.co.uk/

http://mangreenhomes.com/

Hot Weather Endorsement for Practical Advice

in

Doug Douglas, CEO & Owner, Avon Valley Adventure & Wildlife Park

Avon Valley Adventure and Wildlife Park MegaFan Installation

After a month of hot weather, the children, parents and management in the Avon Valley Adventure and Wildlife Park play barn near Bristol are delighted with the MegaFan installation as suggested by Jonathan Platt, Director at gcp.  Doug Douglas, Managing Director of Avon Valley outlines the main benefits for his business.

gcp Chartered Architects are currently working with Avon Valley to create a masterplan for the site. The aim of the plan is to improve user experience by using people flow analysis to help avoid bottlenecks at key points in the site by introducing new attractions and changing sightlines that encourages circulation around the site. The work includes further upgrades to the play barn, the introduction of party rooms, re-planning the visitor entry and exit and developing out of park facilities such as the farm shop.

The masterplan improvements will also enable Avon Valley to further develop their off-summer season events such as their multi-award winning Fear.

Avon Valley Adventure and Wildlife Park gets a little cooler

MegaFan in play barn at Avon Valley Wildlife & Adventure Park

MegaFan in play barn at Avon Valley Wildlife & Adventure Park

Having been appointed to develop a masterplan for the long-term development of Avon Valley Country Park, park owner has sought gcp advice on other operational issues such as the overheating of the main play barn in summer due to sun heating up the roof and lots of children running about.

gcp suggested a range of low cost interventions including the installation of a slow moving destratification fan to help circulate air within the barn. Having taken this advice Avon Valley are currently trialling a destratification fan from Megafan Technologies Ltd and are experiencing promising results: cooler environment, fresher air and happier parents! In winter, the fan also works to push warm air down to ground level thereby reducing heating bills. It looks like with gcp’s practical advice this relatively simple intervention will a win in the summer and a win in the winter for Avon Valley. See the video on how this technology works.

Welcome Ann Sharp!

gcp are really pleased to welcome Ann into the administrative team. Ann will be covering reception and lending a hand whilst Natalie goes on Maternity Leave. Give us a call and say hello !

Walk the Wye - Complete!

Edit 30.05.2017: Total money raised from this event currently stands at £299.95

gcp staff and families walking on the Wye

gcp staff and families walking on the Wye

We enjoyed a lovely stroll from Lower Lydbrook to Monmouth on Sunday and were pleased to get sunshine! Thanks to kind donations, we raised over £300 for charity.

Once the 10 miles were complete, we rewarded ourselves with a BBQ and ice cream.

Route map from the walk

Route map from the walk