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What's Your Problem!
To celebrate the launch of our new website, we are offering a series of workshop sessions aimed at finding a solution for your site, building or development related problem.
Book a half-day session where we will aim to develop an action plan, perhaps leading to a strategic review, sketch scheme or a technical assessment to address any current challenge you might be facing.
You may simply need some sensible advice.
The session could be via email or on the telephone, a video conference or a face-to-face meeting at a location to suit you.
This offer is limited to the month of May 2016 and space will be allocated on a first come first served basis.
Click here to book now
Read on for some problem solving case studies and to find out how gcp could help you today.
“gcp’s knowledge, advice and problem-solving processes have been key in supporting Knightstone’s drive to develop high quality, affordable and sustainable low energy building that aid the mitigation of fuel poverty and reduce lifecycle maintenance.”
Torpoint Road, Bristol
Energy: Torpoint Road, Bristol
Local planning authorities are increasingly imposing policies of energy or carbon reduction and for some developers this can create problems of affordability or requirements for complex technologies that are more difficult to manage. Using our experience in low energy design we prepared energy strategies based on low energy and practical design for the 71 homes at Torpoint Road in Bristol. Through energy efficient design we were able to negotiate planning conditions that accepted a reduced need for renewables whilst achieving an equivalent carbon reduction.
This delivered a planning approval for simple, manageable, low energy homes whilst meeting the client's desire to provide low running costs for their tenants.
“We have changed the way we work and are more flexible in how we use our space, much tidier than we used to be and the building seems to have gained the respect of our people as somewhere to enjoy working.”
Bristol Water - Internal View
Healthy Workspaces: Bristol Water
One of the basic criteria for the extension and refurbishment of Bristol Water HQ Building at Bedminster Down was to greatly enhance the health aspects of the workplace.
Engagement with staff took place at a very early stage of the project with interviews, an activity support questionnaire (ASQ), an occupancy study and a storage audit.
The ASQ was resubmitted at the end of the project and the staff were asked to describe their old and new working environments in a few words.
The most popular words for the pre-refurbished office were: dated, tired and old. For the new offices they were: clean, bright, modern and open.
“Being in a bright, airy environment has made the work day even more comfortable. It feels like a healthier, cleaner place and is unrecognisable from the old office.”
“PassivHaus works and we’re delighted with it, if we ever built again we’d only like to build PassivHaus.”
Construction: Goose Chase PassivHaus, Oxfordshire
Finding solutions for the most cost-effective way to deliver low energy buildings is just one of the ways in which we can add value. For our client at Goose Chase in Oxfordshire this meant finding a way to deliver PassivHaus standard construction within a tight budget. Our solution for this project uses an IsoQuick insulated raft foundation and Nudura Insulated Concrete Formwork for the main structure. This created a highly insulated construction that was economical, quick and easy for a small scale contractor to build. We worked closely with the builder to ensure that the detailing of the new home was practical and easy to construct. The effectiveness of this approach was reflected in the initial air permeability tests; achieving 0.48ac/h – well within the stringent air tightness requirements for PassivHaus.
Goose Chase PassivHaus, In Construction
“gcp Architects were asked to deliver a high quality extension of our Care Home into an adjacent building on a tight site whilst we continued operations in the original building. They were committed to achieving that aim with us from the start of the project and we are very pleased with the extension.
Their first key achievement was to secure Planning Permission for a complicated development requiring a new infill built between two Victorian buildings. They achieved this promptly so we could secure bank funding, complete the purchase of the second villa and start the building work on time.
To secure the Planning Permission gcp led a design process that developed an attractive and effective extension, satisfied the Planning Officer’s aim of a distinct, modern infill and successfully addressed the well-represented demands from our neighbours on car parking.
The extension is very popular and all rooms were taken within 4 months of opening.”