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/

 



VITA HQ Takes Shape

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.

 

Vita Crosshall, Liverpool - Next Phase

Three photos showing the internal demolition progress. The existing floor levels are systematically being removed and are now down to the second floor level.

The Crosshall Building was constructed in two distinct phases in 1878 and 1880 respectively, although the front Crosshall Street façade is homogenous, the rear of the building has a higher and a lower façade.

 

 

PHASE 1 - 1878:  Crosshall (left hand) when viewed from Crosshall Street looking back toward Preston Street, is a masonry arched framed building and a timber floor load bearing masonry.

 

 

PHASE 2 - 1880:  Crosshall (right hand) when viewed from Crosshall Street looking back toward Preston Street.   The right hand side is a cast iron framed structure with masonry arches.  There was also a glazed brick lightwell (see where all the timber is being dumped).

 

The rear Preston Street elevation - higher and lower façade.

 

 

Passivhaus for Shropshire!

On the basis of our successful granting of planning consent to build an underground house in the Bowdon Conservation Area in Cheshire, called Perdu, NC Homes Architects have been commissioned to design a new earth sheltered passivhaus in the open countryside of Shropshire.  Situated against two English Heritage Scheduled Ancient Monuments, an Iron Age hill fort and a protected series of caves, the proposals sensitively and respectfully respond to its context and adopt an organic form that follows the hillside topography and merges effortlessly into its agricultural landscape setting.  The concept design derives from the ancient ‘rampart’ form of the hill fort, that intuitively combines grass roof and clerestory windows, concealing the dwelling from visual receptors from outside whilst flooding the space with light and ventilation inside.  The dwelling will need to comply with producing zero carbon emissions, introducing leading technologies and materials into the fabric and construction methodology of the design, to ensure that it has no negative impact on the environment. 

Follow our website to see the progress on this and all our other exciting projects in the year to come!

Season's Greetings

We would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from us all here at N C Homes.

Our Office Tree

For their present, we have given Van & Persie a new home for Christmas!

 

 

 

 



Vita Chapel, Liverpool - Glazing Update

Here are some photos to show the newly finished glazing on the Vita project in Liverpool, which carries on from our last update.  Glazing is by HWA (http://www.hwa.co.uk/)

Vita Chapel, Liverpool - Update

The photos below show the new steel frame being erected on top of the existing Tinlings roof, to form the new 5th and 6th floor levels, housing 30 new units. Glazing is by HWA. (http://www.hwa.co.uk/)