Underground House in Epsom

Following the tremendous success that the Practice has enjoyed in obtaining previous Consents for underground and earth sheltered accommodation in Bowdon and Shropshire, NC Architecture is delighted that a commission for another underground dwelling for private clients in Epsom, outside London, has gone live.

Adjacent a SSSI and in open countryside, this replacement dwelling will offer accommodation of approx. 350sqm in a unique courtyard style, with enclosed courtyard and minimalist interior design, all for an end-user family to occupy and enjoy.

Planning likely Summer 2016. Start on site Spring 2017. Contract Value £750,000.

Thank You!

We would like to take this opportunity to say a huge Thank You to Derek Green at [gawr-juhs] for all his help and advice in setting up our new website and everything else associated with the re-branding and launch of NC Architecture.  His input and counsel was invaluable and made the whole process much smoother!
 


http://www.gawrjuhs.com

We Have Re-Branded!

WHY THE RE-BRAND?

Having established the Practice as one of the forerunners in the detached luxury homes sector over the past 15 - 20 years, Neil Collins has seen the workload and clientele shift to a far wider range of projects.  Still undertaking a smaller number of luxury ‘super’ homes and high quality refurbishments, the Practice has had to respond to commissions covering Sporting and Leisure Facilities, Luxury Student Accommodation, works to Listed Buildings, Offices, Hotels, PRS High Rise and Retail Stores.  Neil Collins felt that the brand of NC Homes did not offer clients the truest reflection of the range of work the Practice was now capable of doing.

NC Architecture covers the full spectrum of projects undertaken.  It is all encompassing and offers all clients comfort, knowing we can undertake any scheme of any size.

Please visit our new website at: www.ncarchitecture.com.

New Member of Staff

Please say hello to Bianca Morgan, who joined us on 11 January.  

Bianca joins us having gained a wealth of experience in all sectors of the profession.  She is also a RIBA Accredited Conservation Registrant.

North West Business Insider Magazine

We are pleased to announce that NCHomes.Architects are featured in this month's North West Business Insider Magazine.

Please follow this link to see our full page ad, detailing three of our big projects:

http://stonewa.sh/north-west-business-insider/north-west-business-insider-november-2015-5630a840b3a84

Yet Another New Arrival!

We are absolutely delighted that Melanie Ketzer has arrived at NCHomes.Architects, following her vast experiences gained with some of the North West's major practices and also in her home country of Germany, she brings terrific knowledge to every aspect of the profession and is a valued senior addition to our growing team.

Melanie Ketzer

NC Homes.Architects Goes Underground - Again!

Given the success of Perdu and Nessecliffe, NC Homes.Architects have been retained to design two further underground, eco and sustainable homes.  One is just outside London, the other, coincidentally, is also in Shropshire.  These will test the Practices abilities given the Green Belt, Open Countryside and SSSI challenges that each site benefits from!

Vita Crosshall, Liverpool - All Good Things Come to an End

VITA STUDENT - LIVERPOOL

In April 2011, we were appointed by Select Property Group as the architect on the refurbishment of its first ever Vita Student residence in Liverpool City Centre, into a stylish and award winning 358 bedroom location.

The £25m Vita Student development, set within a Conservation Area and World Heritage Site, saw the refurbishment of the Grade II Listed Chapel, Crosshall and Tinlings buildings on Crosshall Street.  It was recently voted number three of the UKs most luxurious accommodation by Design Curial and the brand recently won a prestigious National Customer Experience award.

The project was successfully handed over in August 2015 and we continue to work with Select Property Group on the development of its Alderley Edge office. 

New Arrival!

As Dominika Komorowska celebrates surviving two months with the Practice, joining us from Paris, Milan and Poznan (Poland), she has already become a valued member of the Team, bringing her superb visualisation and urban planning skills to our offering.

Dominika Komorowska

NC Homes Hits the PRS Sector

Two new build projects in Bolton and Failsworth, see the Practice move into the multiple occupancy market with a bang!  Just under 300 units between the two sites, should see Applications lodged shortly, with a view to hopefully obtaining Planning Permission October / November this year, to be on site on both in the New Year.

As we go to press, these are just the first two of five large sites, grossing approximately 1,000 units.  Exciting times ahead!



Failsworth Site

Vita Crosshall, Liverpool - Nearly There!

A year on since the Crosshall building was internally gutted, the building is now fully watertight.

Photo 1: shows the Crosshall Street front elevation fully cleaned and restored, with the external scaffolding now in the process of being dismantled.  The existing windows were fully restored.  The high level stone gable was fully recorded, documented, removed and then re-built, in consultation with Liverpool Planning Council Conservation Department.  The new mansard roof, to match existing with new roof lights, is also complete.  To the right hand side is the stair core of the Tinlings building.

 



Photo 1



Photo 2: Shows the rear Preston Street elevation, again fully cleaned and restored with the external scaffolding removed.  Original discussions early on in the design process, considered the demolition of the Preston Street gable.  However, working in conjunction with the Council, the design was worked such that this could be kept, showing a ‘true working elevation adapted over time’.  The top of the feature brick parapet, just above the 1878 building date, shows new vertical leadwork connecting the mansard roof, designed and constructed to line through with mansard roof of the front elevation.

 

 



Photo 2



Canon Street, St Helens

New scheme currently in for Planning for 10 contemporary new houses designed with efficiency and affordability in mind.  The ground floor footprint is constrained by the overriding dimensions of the site and requirements for parking and amenity space.

Predominantly of red brick facade with Larch timber clad elements, a low monopitch roof drains to a continuous valley gutter, which feeds a single rainwater downpipe forming a main design feature of the house.  A compact cantilevered box on the front gable adds additional room at first floor, whilst acting as a canopy over the front door.

  

Eco House - Nessecliffe

We are delighted to announce that NC Home have just obtained Full Planning Consent from Shropshire County Council for their Earth Sheltered Eco home in Nessecliffe, subject to a S106 for affordable contributions.  The Consent highlights the tremendous thought given over the design of this unique home for private clients.  Set within a fully rural setting and adjacent to an Ancient Monument, the scheme was so strongly supported by English Heritage and the Council Officers, the consent was delegated!

This decision has emboldened the Practice to try and expand their projects within this incredibly unique form of architecture.  Following on from the previous consent obtained for an underground dwelling within a Conservation Area in Bowdon, Cheshire (Perdu) the Practice hopes that this success will attract further clients who feel they have “no chance”, but with NC Homes' help and expertise, the “dream can become a reality”!

 

Special mention must go to James Bell, Project Architect, for leading the Team to such success.

 

Debi's Postcard From Italy

I have been lucky enough to have just spent a week in Italy, visiting the Amalfi Coast and all the sights it has to offer.  Here is a snapshot of two places that really stood out to me architecturally.

 

Amalfi Cathedral - Duomo di Sant'Andrea

The Cloister of Paradise is one of the highlights of the Amalfi Cathedral.  Built between 1266-68 to house the tombs of Amalfi's wealthy merchants, it features slender double columns and Moorish-style arcades made of pure white marble.  In the centre is a Mediterranean garden.




Cloister of Paradise

The Crypt of St Andrew is decorated with beautiful Baroque murals from 1660.



Baroque Murals

Herculaneum

Located in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius, Herculaneum was an ancient Roman town destroyed by the volcanic eruption of 79 AD, which can now be seen in almost its original splendour.  Unlike Pompeii, it was mainly affected by pyroclastic flows, thus preserving the wooden objects such as roof tops, building beams, beds, doors and even food.  Moreover, Herculaneum was a wealthier town than Pompeii, possessing an extraordinary density of fine houses and far more lavish use of coloured marble cladding.

 

Roman Columns

 Among the ruins is a Collegial Shrine with elaborate wall paintings identified as that maintained by the local Augustales (an order of Roman priests).  This building is remarkably well preserved and you can even see the carbonised wooden beams and the detail of how the building was constructed.

 

Wall Paintings



Carbonised Wood & Construction

Vita Crosshall, Liverpool - Steel Frame System

Here's a further update on the Vita project at Liverpool.

The photo below shows the right hand side of the Crosshall Building when viewed from Preston Street.  You will notice that the five storey party wall to the right hand side remains in position.  The crane is positioned in what will be the internal lightwell through the height of building, from the basement up to roof level.

The following photo shows the Steel Frame System (SFS) infill floor, the SFS walls in the foreground lying flat pre installation.  Once these are installed, the next floor level will then be installed on top of this.  The off-site manufactured en-suite pods will be dropped into each unit before the next floor goes on top.

The last photo shows the left hand side of the Crosshall Building when viewed from Preston Street.  The wall to the right hand side is the Chapel Building (see previous Blog posts).  The two specialist SFS workmen are erecting and guiding the SFS into position with the crane driver overhead.

World Vision - Update

We are delighted to announce, that we have become the proud sponsors of a 4 year old girl - Kashish Kumari and a 10 year old boy - Musaraf Md, via the World Vision child sponsorship, which we recently subscribed to.

Both our children come from the same sponsorship project in Patna, which is one of the poorest and most neglected states of India.  In the initial phase of this Area Development Programme, World Vision will be focusing on early childhood development.  With the co-operation of communities and the local authorities, it aims to satisfy the nutritional, health and educational needs of young children living in the slums.  The plan is to help the communities to set their own goals and work towards them, with the long-term view of doing this without World Vision, who expect to remain in this community until 2021.

We are sending our first letters to Kashish and Musaraf this week, to introduce ourselves to them and to find out more about their lives.  We are looking forward to seeing how they grow and develop over the years, with the help that our sponsorship and the support of World Vision will give them.

You can find out more about the wonderful work that World Vision does around the world via their website: www.worldvision.org.uk


Meanwhile, please take a look at our newly updated website at: www.neilcollinshomes.com

Views from Portugal

Neil recently holidayed in Portugal with his lovely wife Diane and took the following photos in Lisbon and the surrounding area.

 

 

"Will it fit?  Just!"

 

 

"Columns - with a twist"

 

 

"Now that's what I call a Bris Soleil!"

 



 

 "Not a good match!"



A Room with a View

When we are not all working hard here at NC Homes HQ, we occasionally take time off to unwind and relax.  As we all have an avid interest in architecture outside of our work life, we thought it would be nice to share photos on our Blog, of buildings and places of architectural interest that inspire us, or that we simply "like the look of". 

 

As I have just recently been away (camping in the Dumfries & Galloway area at the Spring Bank Holiday), I thought I would get the ball rolling with a house that caught my eye.  Below are three photos I took of The White House at Mute Hill, which is 2 miles South of the Artists' town of Kirkcudbright, South West Scotland.  I was initially taken by the design of the house, which is quite unusual, but when I took in the full extent of its location it took my breath away!  The house sits on an estuary, affording it the most amazing views from its circular living room with floor to ceiling windows.  What I wouldn't give for a peak inside this house!

Debi Evans

Office Manager

Vital Crosshall, Liverpool... and now the hard work really starts!

The following photo shows how the internal demolition process has now finished removing all the floors from the Crosshall Building, leaving this impressive "shell".

 

Crosshall (left hand) when viewed from Crosshall Street looking back toward Preston Street

 Work can now commence at pace on converting this “shell” into a 158 unit VITA student accommodation!
 

World Vision

World Vision is a Christian charity and one of the world’s leading relief and development agencies, currently working with 100 million people in nearly 100 countries in their struggle against poverty, hunger and injustice, irrespective of their religious beliefs.  Child sponsorship can provide safe drinking water, healthcare and education to these children.

 

Through World Vision, NC Homes now sponsors two children who are desperately in need.  Follow their progress via our Blog, where we will be posting regular updates.

 

 

http://www.worldvision.org.uk/child-sponsorship/