Shape Architecture Projects on Site
We continue to provide an update of our projects presently on site. Three current projects provide a useful example of the diversity of our work in terms of type, size and location. These are the extension to and refurbishment of a small and interesting house in Brighton near Preston Park. Second is a larger property in Westminster. This house is grade 2 listed and will have a large rear 3 storey extension added and again a full internal refurbishment. The third project is a community project in Colchester that started on site just before Christmas. This project occupies a prominent corner site in the town. Whilst these projects differ in size and building type, they all follow common themes of exploiting natural light and creating contemporary spaces.
Small House in Brighton
The Brighton house is challenging in its small size. We have added an extension with sedum roof to the rear and reformed the stair to sit in a two and half storey space with rooflight over flooding the interior with light. The house will now feel far more spacious and filled with natural light.
Large Grade 2 Listed House in Westminster
Our project in Westminster is the complete internal refurbishment and the adding of a three-storey rear extension to a large grade 2 listed house. Here we are working with a developer client with whom we have undertaken a number of projects and gained numerous planning permissions. We have much experience of working on listed properties of all types and size and enjoy the process.
Community Centre in Colchester
The Colchester community centre is for the prominent local charity, the Dacon Trust. It sees the location of their various activities across Colchester into one building. We have taken a prominent structure that has previously been a commercial property and extended it in a variety of ways and reworked the whole of the interior, to create a spacious and light filled contemporary centre for the Dacon Trust, that incorporates an art gallery, café and kitchen and all the back of house facilities alongside various teaching spaces. We are very excited to see the progress of this project during 2022.
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- On site progress image
Frequently asked Questions
What does an Architect do when a project is on site?
At Shape Architecture we always like to see our projects constructed. When employed to work on a project during the construction phase we undertake a number of activities to assist our clients. We visit site on a regular basis and produce a site visit report and every 4 weeks we run a Site Progress Meeting to an agenda where all aspects of the build, from Construction progress to Client issues and Health and Safety matters are reviewed. We will answer questions that the Contractor may have and liaise with other consultants such as the structural engineer and also with Building Control as they visit site. The Contractor may wish to suggest another product or approach and we would be there to ensure it complies with our drawings and specifications. When the Contractor issues a valuation we will visit site to review what has been constructed and produce an Architects Certificate for the client to pay. Each Certificate will have 5% deducted as retention sum to be held at the end of the project and released in half at practical completion and then the final half after 3 – 6 months. At the end of the project, we will carry out a snagging list to ensure the finished quality is of a high standard and we will also liaise with the Contractor to have in place all the necessary warranties, guarantees and instruction documents and also the Building Control Final Certificate. We believe given the above, that we can contribute much to the success of a project when we are appointed for a site role.