Planning Granted for new Cricket facilities in Bradford

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The second ECB Urban Cricket Centre is one step closer to reality having been granted planning approval earlier this month.

Working with existing buildings is rarely straight forward and that was the case with this project in Bradford. In December 2020 we submitted designs to planning for two new cricket lanes and other community facilities at Parkside Sports Centre. During the planning process a huge attenuation tank was discovered beneath the proposed site which tested the project’s viability and ruled out large sections of the site for construction. With a bit of creativity and lots of design reviews, we managed to come up with a viable alternative which positioned the cricket lanes at first floor level, cantilevered out in front of the existing building as a prominent advert for cricket.

As a Bradfordian this has been a fantastic project to work on and it is very encouraging to see the ECB investing in urban areas with such incredible potential but limited existing facilities. This is what the ECB Urban Cricket Centre Initiative was set up to do, and hopefully projects like this will continue to pop up across the UK in coming years.

by Matt Bonney, Project Architect, gcp Chartered Architects

Planning application submitted for the development of 10 new affordable homes in Station Road, Holt

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The site presents an opportunity for the positive use of land abutting an established settlement, in the interests of sustainable development. The design of the scheme responds fully to the site context, whilst contributing to the long-term social sustainability of the neighbourhood.

The proposed new homes are arranged around a central green space, while frontages of the buildings are creating an enclosure, overlooking the shared space. As a result, the shared open space will benefit from passive surveillance, defining an inclusive safe space for people to meet and socialise. The new housing will be designed aiming to meet the Passivhaus standard, offering energy efficient homes that provide excellent indoor comfort levels. The scheme is also designed to exceed the Nationally Described Space Standards, providing a homeworking space in all units.

It’s not a bungalow!

At the gcp designed Stonewater development in Sutton Benger, Winsley White are constructing the roofs at first floor level! They are then craned off to allow the wall panels to be erected. The roofs are then lifted into place. It’s a little confusing the first time you see it, but great for health and safety as working at height is reduced.

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Welcome Jane Burgoyne!

The directors are delighted to welcome Jane Burgoyne as an Independent Trustee sitting on the board of gcp EOT Trust Company.  Jane brings a wealth of experience as a Chartered Accountant and from her day job working to help fund and establish start-up businesses.

The Fulwood flythrough

 

Please click the link below to check out the spectacular flythrough of our recently completed project.

The Fulwood, Midtown — x+why flexible workspace London (xandwhy.co.uk)

We love these features to explore the finished project, which we think you will agree looks pretty amazing!

Unique mix of brickwork patterns for Oakfield’s homes

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The scaffolding has been struck to reveal the brickwork in all its glory. These will be the first houses completed at Mi-Space’s Oakfield development for Nationwide Building Society in Swindon. We cannot wait for the full effect when the windows are unmasked and the Juliet balcony and front door canopies are installed.

 www.oakfieldswindon.co.uk

Planning Granted for a modest residential development in Blackhorse Place

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 A planning application has been granted by South Glos Council for a small development of 3 bespoke homes on Blackhorse Place, Vinney Green. What was initially seen as a relatively uncontentious and modest development for 3 new homes, actually required a relatively complex planning application and multiple design iterations.

gcp conceived and developed a pre-application followed by the planning design. Particular attention was paid to the immediate context, neighbours’ concerns, a sustainable urban drainage system, site ecology and sustainable transportation.

The team constantly developed the design, in close liaison with all parties and proactively managed the planning process, negotiating directing with the planning team. Ultimately, delivering a planning approval for a design which both met the client’s aspirations and was acceptable to the local authority.

Castle Cary looking fantastic upon completion.

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Another successful housing project completed with Halsall Construction. This development of 50 dwellings for Abri is on the edge of the Somerset town of Castle Cary and comprises a mix of apartments and houses. gcp worked on the construction stage delivery of this scheme, including developing the energy strategy with the contractor.

Great news for those wanting more community-led housing

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The new Community Housing Fund (CHF) will open for applications in August 2021 (but not quite yet – watch here for updates) with £4 million to distribute. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) are proving the funds.  This fund is not for new groups wanting to get going, but for established groups wanting to make meaningful progress. The fund will assist in helping to cover a wide range of costs associate with promoting community-led housing projects including:

  1. Preparing detailed applications to become a Registered Provider

  2. Preparing and submitting capital funding bids

  3. Getting ready to start on-site work

  4. Submitting Full / Detailed Planning Applications or Reserved Matters Planning Applications

  5. Development/ refurbishment of pre-built stock

For detailed assistance on items 1 to 3 above contact Community-led Homes West.

For help with items 4 or 5, contact gcp Chartered Architects and ask to speak with Esther Brown or Sarah Makroum.

Watch out for our updates or email to register interest.

New Homes for People in Pill

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Chapel Pill | Image prepared for Community Consultation

Chapel Pill | Image prepared for Community Consultation

A planning application has been submitted by gcp Chartered Architects on behalf of Pill & District Community Land Trust in partnership with Alliance Homes. We really enjoy the satisfaction of helping to realise the objectives of local community leaders, whose knowledge and passion for their local area is so instrumental in creating opportunities for affordable homes for local people. The site at Chapel Pill is in a sensitive location, on a steeply sloping site on the edge of the settlement. Achieving practical access for both cars and pedestrians, minimising visual impact, and enhancing natural habitats have been very real concerns. Opinion was split between those who opposed the development due to concern over impact on a sensitive green-belt location, and supporters who see the need for affordable houses in a community where it is increasingly difficult for local people to afford their own home. 

 

The project team have put a great deal of effort into understanding the context and constraints of the site and developing a solution to address these issues.  gcp’s design response creates a group of 14 high quality homes that are compact in form to minimise impact on the green belt, sensitively landscaped to bring biodiversity enhancements, and provide affordable homes with very low energy bills.

Foundation Park Dome - a fantastic new facility on the horizon.

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Following the successful delivery of Foundation Park Pavilion, we are excited to be supporting Swindon Town Football Club Community Foundation again.  

“We are very excited to announce that we have now formally submitted a planning application to build a covered sports facility on the disused bowls club at Foundation Park.

This covered facility would be another fantastic addition to the sporting hub at Foundation Park, offering more opportunities to the people of Swindon.
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— Swindon Town Football Club Community Foundation

The site, occupied by Swindon Borough Council, is located on the north side of the newly built Foundation Park Pavilion. The site is 0.31hectares and had been used by County Ground Bowls Club, which was founded in 1925 until 2017. For the last three years the site has been disused and left abandoned.

The choice of site is driven by its adjacency to Swindon Town F.C Community Foundation’s new ‘state of the art’ pavilion building. The new site will offer immediate adjacency to allow for the further expansion of the foundation.

The proposals are for an engineered covered structure and specialist all-weather multi-sports facility. There will be three small-sized sports pitches, two running east to west with a full-size 5-a-side football pitch running north to south. The proposals include a glulam structure with a tensile covering which will be translucent to allow natural light into the facility, with the materials used on the bowls club refurbishment will match the cladding used on the adjacent pavilion building.

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New covered pitch proposals with existing pavilion in foreground.

New covered pitch proposals with existing pavilion in foreground.

The development’s primary objective is to serve the needs of the local people in Swindon. The Community Foundation provides fantastic support to the people of Swindon to improve their physical and mental well-being. This facility will provide a platform for people to thrive.

Creating Opportunities for Community Engagement in Cricket.

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It has been a busy few years in sport for gcp Chartered Architects, particularly when it comes to cricket.

We are continuing to support the England and Wales Cricket Board’s (ECB) Urban Cricket Centre Initiative, a corner stone of Inspiring Generations 2020-24, the game-wide five-year strategic plan to grow cricket in England. This initiative, which is being piloted across the country, looks to create new cricket facilities in densely populated urban areas where access to traditional facilities are limited.

Flyer Axo Phase 2, Bradford

Flyer Axo Phase 2, Bradford

The latest scheme in Bradford will provide two new cricket lanes and additional community facilities that will transform the Parkside Sports Centre into the second ECB Urban Cricket Centre. The first centre at the former Leyton Cricket Ground in East London was opened by Graham Gooch in July 2019 to celebrate the Cricket World Cup.

Following on from the Bradford and Leyton schemes, we are currently working on the very early stages a third pilot site, also in northern England. If the pilots prove successful, centres will be rolled out across ten major urban areas in England, with each area supporting a minimum of two cricket centres.

Our most recent commission is working with Middlesex Cricket to develop a new cricket development centre at the William Perkin School in Ealing. In honour of the talented Middlesex left hander who formed a formidable opening partnership with Graham Barlow in the early 1980’s, the centre will be named the Wilf Slack Cricket Centre. This project, to compliment Lords Indoor Cricket Centre, will see the school’s existing multi-use sports hall transformed into a cricket focused facility that also makes provision for badminton and basketball. Designed in exacting standards as defined by the ECB, the Wilf Slack Cricket Centre will promote participation from an early age and lay out clear routes for progression in the both the men’s and women’s game.

All centres designed by gcp Chartered Architects integrate the latest thinking around netting layout and configuration to maximize flexibility in use and coaching potential, LED lighting to provide the optimum playing environment for the specified sports (particularly cricket), and sports flooring to provide the highest performing surface. All installations are designed to standards defined by the ECB Technical Guidance Notes and tested upon completion to ensure safe playing environments.

For an informal chat about your cricket development project contact gcp Chartered Architects cricket facility design specialists:

Here are some other exciting sport projects undertaken by gcp in the last two years…

  • Foundation Park Pavilion, County Ground, Swindon.

The Willows – Start on site

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We have been working with Curo for over 4 years now to develop 3 adjacent parcels of land in Lawrence Weston. The development will provide 57 new affordable homes across the site, formerly home to the Longcross pub, Holly House and Rockwell House. Last week we had our first site meeting where we finally met the Jehu team in person. It was also an opportunity for some members of the team to see the site in person for the first time!

Works have begun on the Rockwell site where the old care home has been demolished. My inner child loved seeing the diggers in action! Curo’s old office, Holly House, has now been stripped back ahead of refurbishment works to create accommodation for over- 55s.

It’s been a long journey getting here. The Willows, or as I know it Corbet Close, was one of the first projects I worked on when I joined gcp 4 years ago and several initial feasibilities had already been explored. Planning was finally approved in 2019 after an 11-month process. Being a newly qualified architect, I get very excited to see projects I’ve seen through from the beginning getting onto site. I’m looking forward to being back in 4 weeks’ time to see the progress. Esther Brown, Architect, gcp Architects

Bright new home at Clover Place, West Oxfordshire

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Such a pleasure to see Clover Place looking so homely! There is still work to do in the garden but the interior spaces are looking great.

Our clients wanted a home for the future: a home which could easily adapt to changing mobility, and a home with low energy demand. gcp designed the house to Passivhaus principles and with an adaptable internal layout to suit future needs. The interior is beautifully bright and will have a fantastic outlook over the garden once the latter is complete.

Our favourite spot? The window seat in the dining area, definitely.

gcp supported the client with this special project from initial conception right through to completion. We provided visualisations throughout the design stage to ensure we were correctly capturing the client’s vision. Following the award of the building contract to social enterprise Toolshed, gcp acted as Contract Administrator, bringing the build to completion.

If you are looking to build a low-energy home, please get in touch with us to see how we can support you!

Century Park - It’s been a long time coming! 

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We have been working with Curo Enterprise for over 4 years now to develop former Bristol City Council land in Lawrence Weston and provide 128 new homes. Last week we were finally able to see the project coming out of the ground! Although the view was fairly limited to ground beams, pipes and DPCs, it was a pretty exciting moment for me to see the scheme materialising.

The development is a mix of 2-, 3- and 4- bedroom homes alongside a small number of 1- and 2-bed apartments. The initial brief required us to provide a high-density housing solution without relying heavily on apartments, to create a marketable and affordable development. We were determined from the outset to design not only high-quality homes but also high-quality public space. The development features public open space with dedicated play areas as well as a trim trail; the layout of the terraces and design of surfaces create a safe and attractive community for all. The houses themselves are elegantly designed. We have used simple but sensitively placed brick and cladding details to bring vibrancy to the scheme.

Century Park is one of those special projects for me, having poured so many hours into the initial site planning, design development, community consultation, planning submission, technical design and now construction support. We are so pleased that the homes are already getting a lot of interest from buyers; I really can’t wait to see the final result. Sarah Makroum, Architectural Assistant, gcp Architects.

A lifetime of studying: Esther Brown

I am pleased to say that, after studying for 9 years, I am now a fully qualified Architect.

I am often asked if all the studying was worth it, how I managed to juggle working full time and studying part time, and whether I would tell my 18-year-old self not to do it if I could go back in time. Those who know me well know that I can’t sit still for too long – I like to be active, hands-on and outdoors. Sitting at a computer is not quite the correct fit. With all that being said, I love my job and I would absolutely tell my 18-year-old self to do it again. Most days I don’t mind sitting down or indoors all day (the sit/stand desks at work certainly help), and I really think that this is testament to my love for the job I have spent so long studying for.

The process to becoming an Architect wasn’t completely smooth sailing, and there were several times at university when I felt like quitting. I have been quite open with those who ask that I was never a huge fan of the university system because I learn much better by getting stuck in with a practical task; I always felt like the system did not suite my learning style. I also believed that I hadn’t learned much at university and everything I knew was due to work in practice. But then I taught first year students during the final year of my Master’s and I was reminded that we were all clueless once! 

Despite the challenges of studying at university, it has certainly taught me the foundations and I have learned from the whole process - the good and the bad experiences. I feel truly grateful to be in a job that I love. 

I do like to challenge myself; whilst I was studying for my chartership I also undertook a digital marketing course so that I could support the team as we develop our own in-house marketing strategy. This meant I was then studying for 2 courses and working full time which was far from easy! Many evenings my brain was frazzled and whatever I read or listened to would go in one ear and straight out the other! But I passed both of them and have enjoyed applying the newly acquired knowledge. I am, however, looking forward to giving myself some time off as lockdown restrictions begin to ease.  

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Planning application submitted for affordable homes in Woolavington

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We’re extremely pleased to have submitted a planning application for 14 new affordable homes in Woolavington, Somerset. This scheme builds on gcp’s rich portfolio of housing design and community involvement across Bristol and the South-West.

Our proposals respond to the sensitive rural context of the site, and early involvement from specialists enabled us to achieve a scheme which brings the construction of much-needed homes together with the protection of local ecology and landscape character. We’re always delighted to work with clients such as SHAL Housing Association who share our passion for sustainable communities; the homes will be built to high energy efficiency standards and include low-carbon technologies to reduce energy demand and fuel poverty.

We love the collaborative nature of this scheme with ongoing involvement from Sedgemoor District Council Housing Team, early input from specialists, community consultation, and a project team determined to bring the scheme to life.

Project team: gcp Chartered Architects, Taylor Lewis, EG Carter Ltd, AFLA, Infrastruct CS Ltd

It is all in the detail.

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The brickwork on Mi-Space’s Oakfield development is amazing. Really attractive bricks have been specified, and bond patterns used that showcase them at their best. There is Flemish bond between paired front doors with the alternating header and stretcher bricks in contrasting colours. The projecting brick detail also features contrasting bricks, which with the sunshine and shadow looks really spectacular. Visitors to the development will also notice that prominent corner plots feature a basket weave pattern which is an eye-catching but quite subtle detail.

gcp have prepared brick setting out details to assist Mi-Space in achieving these really great results.

www.oakfieldswindon.co.uk.