Press Release: Eastcote Lane Northolt, London Borough of Ealing

Eastcote Lane is one of three sites Ealing Council obtained direct funding from the HCA on which to build the first local authority houses for social rent for 20 years. The scheme incorporates 30 apartments and 6 houses on a Council owned brown field site next to Northolt tube station on the Central Line. The site is very close to local shops and services.

The scheme is also adjacent to a new Council leisure centre opened in January 2010, and innovative features of the scheme include a link to the CHP system in the leisure centre to use surplus heat generated by the facility in order to reduce energy consumption and costs for residents in the housing scheme and contribute to it achieving Level 4 in the Code for Sustainable Homes.

The site lies between gentle curve of Eastcote Lane to the North and railway cut to the south. The site is not of high ecological value, but a green corridor runs alongside the railway embankment boundary.

Massing and articulation is therefore informed by the shape and character of the site, orientation, the height of the adjacent leisure centre and smaller grain of predominantly two storey residential areas around. Buildings are arranged to follow the curve of Eastcote Lane and create a strong frontage definition articulated to give a sense of rhythm.

The two four storey flatted blocks relate to the height of the leisure centre, and houses step down to three and two storey. Blocks also step down towards the south providing flats with generous balconies and roof terraces and taking advantage of the passive solar contribution. Houses are formed with green roofs whose tilt is broadly aligned with the slope of the railway embankment and parts of the roofs are given to south facing PV’s.

Detailed planning consent was obtained in January 2010. The construction is to commence on site in May 2010 for completion in Spring 2011, achieving the deadline set by the HCA.

Loncin Petal Valley, Chongqing, China by PCKO on AJ

The project, covering approx 45ha in a mountainous location near the Fairy Mountain National Park in Chongqing Province, aims to ‘create a low-impact but high-quality, calm and reflective architecture within the lush landscape, taking advantage of dramatic topography and spectacular views’. Construction is due to start on site this year.

Read more: http://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/buildings/loncin-petal-valley-chongqing-china-by-pcko/5208274.article

PCKO achieves Gold and Silver again!

Banks Yard, achieved Gold Standard and Stone Rise achieved Silver Standard in this years Building for Life Awards.

'The assessors' view was that Banks Yard is an excellent scheme that offers both great living spaces and a high quality public realm.'
Building for Life

'The assessors' view was that Stone Rise meets the challenges of a very difficult site…The use of the £60K house type leads to very high performance standards…’
Building for Life

PCKO has increased their portfolio of projects achieving a Building for Life Standard Award and have a proven track record of delivering successful schemes that demonstrate compliance with Building for Life standards. PCKO provided pre-assessment services for both schemes including production and collation of evidence and submission materials.

Building for Life is a measure of how dwellings integrate with the urban and public realm including aspects of community, safety, legibility and access to facilities. Many of these aspects are not bolt on functions; they need to be included as core elements very early in the design and development process. PCKO can offer objective pre-assessment for all our residential projects, supported by our continued success and design expertise in this field.

Other PCKO schemes include Cala Domus, Newhall, Building for Life Gold Standard Award and Fishing Village, St. Mary’s Island, Building for Life Silver Standard Award.

Banks Yard for Octavia Housing

Banks Yard in Hounslow provides 10 affordable homes for rent, two of which are wheelchair accessible and 18 for shared-ownership, which are designed to Lifetime Homes Standards. Although they exceed minimum space requirements the homes were designed to be affordable to buy and affordable to run, with 10% of the renewable energy the homes use being produced onsite through solar water-heating. Heat recovery whole house ventilation and high performance timber framed external envelope help to achieve high environmental performance. The design produces a high quality of natural lighting within the homes through large windows and each home has its own private space, through either a garden or balcony.

Main contractor: Inspace Partnerships
Key consultants: Conisbee (Structural engineers), Bristow Johnson & Partners (Employer agent & cost consultant), Allen Pyke Associates (Landscape architects)

Read more: http://www.pcko.co.uk/projects_24.htm

Stone Rise for Countryside Consortium (including Countryside in Partnership and Hyde Housing Group)

Three house types were designed derived from the same generic core concept (living wall, flexible space, gallery zone), which can deliver differing internal and external characteristics. The concept can generate a variety of street frontages within an overall unifying rational discipline and with a flexibility that responds to orientation and site specific contexts from suburban to urban. The intention of our competition entry was to demonstrate that it is possible to deliver high quality housing at radically reduced cost involving off site manufacturing. While the Stone Rise site was too small to fully utilize volumetric prefabrication, houses and flats were constructed using a highly rationalised timber frame system, fabricated on site using an innovative micro-factory system of production.

Main contractor: Countryside Properties in Partnership
Key consultants: Brand Leonard (Structural Engineer), Waterstone Design (Building Services Engineer)

Read more: http://www.pcko.co.uk/projects_23.htm

For further information contact Peter or Andrew

Banks Yard Wins! Best Small Development Affordable Home Ownership Awards 2009

Client: Octavia Housing

Banks Yard scheme in Hounslow has won the Best Small Development Award at the Affordable Home Ownership Awards 2009, hosted by Property Ladder’s Sarah Beeny.

The Affordable Home Ownership Awards recognise excellent low-cost home-ownership developments, whilst specifically looking for the Best Small Development to have demonstrated a successful build in a restricted space without having compromised on design and quality.

Banks Yard in Hounslow provides 10 affordable homes for rent, two of which are wheelchair accessible and 18 for shared-ownership, which are designed to Lifetime Homes Standards. Although they exceed minimum space requirements the homes were designed to be affordable to buy and affordable to run, with 10% of the renewable energy the homes use being produced onsite through solar water-heating. Heat recovery whole house ventilation and high performance timber framed external envelope help to achieve high environmental performance. The design produces a high quality of natural lighting within the homes through large windows and each home has it’s own private space, through either a garden or balcony.

The architectural design is based on the concept of two differing groups of 2, 3 and 4 storey buildings, configured to respond in a visually and functionally attractive way to Heston Park, the architectural character of New Heston Road and the existing urban context. Individual blocks are oriented to maximise the benefits of both the existing mature planting on site and of the adjacent park land.

Courtyards are configured as a safe pedestrian friendly environment with high quality landscaping to create a sense of place.

Main contractor: Inspace Partnerships

Key consultants: Conisbee (Structural engineers), Bristow Johnson & Partners (Employer agent & cost consultant), Allen Pyke Associates (Landscape architects)

Read more: http://www.pcko.co.uk/projects_24.htm

For further information contact Peter or Dinos

The Mail on Sunday British Homes Awards 2009

PCKO Architects is one of seven finalists selected for the Lifetime Homes, Lifetime Neighbourhoods Competition

The competition challenges architects to rethink the design of homes that comply with and surpass Lifetime Homes Standards at the same time demonstrating attention to environmental and resource issues.

PCKO's submission, 'Light Gallery House', is an architectural concept that goes beyond a tick box mentality of standards and regulation, creating a framework of spaces that will offer a truly flexible and adaptable home for life. The design philosophy challenges the preconceptions of the typical housing which is prescriptive in terms of life style and use of space. These spaces for living - each of which can be used for relaxing, working, eating, sleeping, playing, entertaining and celebration can support a diversity of change, occupancy, mobility and cultural preferences over time.

The short-list of the 7 designs was featured in The Mail on Sunday 19 July 2009 in order for the readership to vote for the winning design.

PCKO is also short-listed in the British Homes Awards annual categories of:

• Architect of the Year Award
• Small House of the Year
  Stone Rise, Horns Cross
  Countryside Consortium (including Countryside in Partnership and Hyde Housing Group)/ PCKO Architects
• One-Off House of the Year
  Jodlowa House
  PCKO & MOFO Architects

The winners will be announced at The London Marriott Hotel, Grosvenor Square, on the evening of Thursday 17th September 2009.

Click here to see the short-list

For further information contact Andrew Ogorzalek
or Peter Chlapowski

PASSIVHAUS

PCKO on Zero Carbon Hub tour reviewing Europe’s emerging standard for energy efficient construction

Paul Webb of PCKO joined Zero Carbon Hub, Design for Homes and other delegates representing the DCLG, NHBC, Energy Saving Trust and members from the house building industry on a two day tour of Frankfurt, Darmstadt and Reidberg to examine the Passivhaus standard of construction, and learn lessons for the delivery of energy efficient housing in the UK. The tour included a brief explanation of the concept at the Passivhaus Institute and visits to urban apartment developments, suburban family housing and offices, all constructed to the Passivhaus standard.

The event clearly demonstrated the benefits of achieving very high standards of energy efficiency. It highlighted the issues that will need to be addressed in achieving the necessary construction standards for zero carbon housing in 2016, the adoption of appropriate M&E to support this standard without overwhelming building occupants (and those responsible for maintaining it) and the dovetailing of new standards into the increasing volume of new regulation already facing the UK house builder.

Lessons learnt from the trip build upon PCKO’s expertise in sustainable design and as licensed Code for Sustainable Home Assessors, already has practical application in some of our new designs for housing to achieve Code Level 4 and above.

Links

Passive House Institute
Zero Carbon Hub
Design for Homes

For further information contact Paul

Example of Passive Solar Design Feature at PCKO's award winning scheme, Spinney Gardens

"House built for £60K" Design for Manufacture Site Complete!

At Horns Cross the contemporary design of PCKO's £60K House (build cost) has created an aspirational development which is proving very popular with homebuyers, even in the present market conditions.

Client: Countryside Consortium (including Countryside in Partnership and Hyde Housing Group)

Competition Winner!

The Stone Rise development at Horns Cross resulted from winning the two stage Design for Manufacture Competition organised by the ODPM and English Partnerships (EP), now Homes & Communities Agency (HCA), to build a house for £60K.

The competition was open to a number of consortia who provided costed design proposals for £60K build solutions. The winning consortia were then invited to provide bids for sites allocated by EP and SEEDA. Countryside Properties was successful in winning the Stone Rise site with the innovative design by PCKO Architects.

Each house boasts a 'wow factor' of gallery zones and large roof glazing to the middle of the house. The gallery lets in light and life and provides that extra quality flexible space we need in contemporary living.

The 100% sale price for the shared ownership house is from £165,000, which is below Dartford's market average of £178,200 for a terrace house.

The development has been procured and delivered in accordance with the criteria set out under the terms of the Design for Manufacture competition now administered by the DCLG and HCA (Homes & Communities Agency). The delivery of the scheme has incorporated a stringent monitoring and audit process for the purposes of assessing actual delivery against the Design for Manufacture competition brief. This assessed the scheme in respect of achieving the cost efficiency and design standards required such as EcoHomes ‘Very Good’, Lifetime Homes standards and achievement of a Building for Life award.

The procurement route was innovative with the Contractor and prefabricators involved in the design process from inception; therefore a true partnership was formed between the designers, suppliers and constructors in developing the £60K House from the first sketch to delivery of the finished product.

Design

Three house types were designed derived from the same generic core concept (living wall, flexible space, gallery zone), which can deliver differing internal and external characteristics. The concept can generate a variety of street frontages within an overall unifying rational discipline and with a flexibility that responds to orientation and site specific contexts from suburban to urban. The intention of our competition entry was to demonstrate that it is possible to deliver high quality housing at radically reduced cost involving off site manufacturing. While the Horns Cross site was too small to fully utilize volumetric prefabrication, houses and flats were constructed using a highly rationalised timber frame system, fabricated on site using an innovative micro-factory system of production.

The scheme occupies a brown field site reclaimed from high levels of contamination and ground abnormalities. High levels of gas contamination and requirements for future proofing gas protection from a land fill site resulted in a majority of the site area suited only to communal use, with a restricted area permitted for homes with private gardens.

The Consortium managed to demonstrate that the design can provide high quality accommodation with the potential of becoming a model for further developments. The scheme delivered high quality houses and flats, more spacious than the requirements of the competition, adding value for residents, outstanding value for money, and showing a positive way forward. In addition, the simple contemporary design has created an aspirational development which is proving very popular with homebuyers, even in the present market conditions.

Key consultants: Countryside in Partnership (Main Contractor), Brand Leonard (Structural Engineer), Waterstone Design (Service Engineer)

For further information contact Andrew or Paul

For hi-res images contact Chris