As part of an
on-going re-development of this well-known former farmstead, café,
shop and Agricultural holding, comprised within this group of four buildings involved a combination of new build and refurbishment,
as well as the change of use from agricultural to commercial / office / retail
as the new premises for one of NC Homes’ largest clients ‘Huntsmere Projects’, together with their new relationship with ‘Select Properties’. Owing to the success of the client’s joint venture within the growing
operations of the extremely popular Student Housing
Sector across the UK, which has been
branded ‘VITA’, this project responds to the rapid growth of the business by
providing approximately 15,000 sqft of commercial buildings and ancillary
parking, on a gateway site leading to Alderley Edge Town Centre. NC
Homes were not only delighted to have lead the design development of VITA’s
first student site, which included the refurbishment of three separate buildings
in Liverpool City Centre, part Grade II Listed and set within a Conservation
Area and World Heritage Site known as The Chapel, Crosshall and Tinlings, we
are also delighted to have been retained as the architects for VITA’s own Headquarters.
When completed, there will be
additional office space created through extensions as well as another new
building to accommodate a restaurant and hospitality venue. As a mix of Brownfield and Green Belt land,
this site presented a number of major
challenges in order for NC Homes to successfully gain planning consent for VITA. The design incorporates a composition of the traditional agricultural heritage mixed with contemporary
features. The material appearance
includes a combination of standing seam, oak cladding and Cheshire brick which
are redolent to materials associated with the site’s history and in turn intrinsically
linking it to this semi-rural local context. Internally the open plan office space offers
flexibility for future use and growth.
The architecture will be complimented by
a comprehensive landscaping scheme to consolidate the development. Completion is due 2015.
