Build Architecture Awards 2016

Build 2016 Architecture Awards 14 ook Associates Design Studio serve clients range from Inter- national Consortiums with build projects of £30 million value in London through medium and smaller sized developers to one-off schemes for private individuals. So, we have a hotel and conference centre in Surrey, then there are several multi-storey mixed residential and commercial schemes in London and the South East and this ranges down to an exceptional development house at St Margaret’s Bay plus other miscellaneous projects. The Zedbra house in St Margaret’s Bay is challenging. Building on a steep chalk escarpment overlooking France and picking our way through the various badger setts dotted around the site. This, to build a house with all windows having a view of the French coast and an innovative ice bath, heat pump and renewable energy system. The contemporary design and appearance is markedly good and site sensitive and the project has already attracted new Clients wanting the same. Our overall mission is “better living – by design”. Good design is key to the creation of a good living environment no matter how large or small. Light and a sense of space should be maximal in any development. The key element is of our approach to understand the Client’s aspirations. To understand what they really want and why rather than what they think they want because they have not been able to consider all angles. So, with the Client we go through their reasoning and conclusions. Then, we need to examine the Planning Authority policies and aspirations. Beyond that we look at other planning decisions by the Local Planning Authority and the Planning Inspectorate. Then we talk, we communicate and we illustrate. For example, we recently obtained consent for a 5-storey block in Tower Hamlets where 5-storey had previously been rejected. But we saw that pre- viously it had been viewed alongside its neighbours only, but had not been viewed in the wider context. Also, the additional height had been disguised rather than embraced. So we illustrated it from that point of view showing it in a wide context and it was welcomed by the Local Planning Authority. Of course, we use and illustrate Littlefair’s “Site Layout Planning for Daylight and Sunlight: A Guide to Good Practice” for all projects and that assists. The other thing is when we submit to planning we only submit a scheme that can be built. We are amazed at some of the schemes we see that have planning but need fundamental redesign to pass Building Regulations. Why so many Architects think it acceptable to have bike stores within means of escape continually surprises us. Client’s need to be involved. There has to be communication at every stage and explanation of what we are doing and why. Then too we understand that most Clients are paying not for spectacular design but for financial gain. Of course, we are at pains to point out that a good design will normally achieve higher density and therefore greater return – the old PPG3 guid- ance. So, better living – by design, but also higher density, greater return – by design. For that too we always check the market to see what is selling and at what price around any of our development sites. No point in trying to design what will not sell. We always take a commercial approach – what does the Client want? Profit. How to achieve it? By targeted design. Going forward we want more of the same. Good, interesting urban projects on difficult sites that give us a challenge; one-off high quality housing designs and we would love to make a success of the Chinese venture and diminish their ubiquitous use of reinforced concrete! Fundamentally we believe that the Social Housing sector is due a big shake up. We would also like greater relaxation on standards. Put the emphasis on design not size. For a limited period a single person or couple can happily live in a 25 m² studio with built-in furniture such as fold-down beds. They do not need to live in something twice the size and twice the cost. So why have a Lifetime Homes Standard for starter homes? It is an oxymoron. Starter homes should be a first rung. Then, many years ago Peter Cook worked on NATH (a ‘New Approach to Housing’) originated by William Cook, his father and then Director of Architecture and Planning at Medway Council. The idea was to build houses that could be extended. So, a young couple could buy a part of the freehold of a small unit and both extend the house, as they had more money and increase their share of the equity [quite original then]. We seem to have moved away from those sorts of initiatives. It would be good to see more. Best Multi-Disciplinary Design Practice - Kent & Best Contemporary Kent Residential Design: Church Road Cook Associates Design Studio LLP are Chartered Architects and Civil and Structural Consulting Engineers. Sam Bowman talks us through the firm and its service offering. C “Good design is key to the creation of a good living environment no matter how large or small.”