Austrian Trade Commission, COMPLETION

After the successful completion of the interior renovation of the Austrian Trade Commission at 45 Princes Gate, NBA have also completed the external rennovation of the front and rear facades on time and within budget.

NBA have also been commissioned to administer the rennovation of the Austrian Embassy during 2012 at its location on Belgrave Square. This Grade I listed building will be subject to a thorough investiation of the exetranal envelope with particular attention paid to restoring this significant heritage asset to its original splendor.

Private Mews House, COMPLETION

After a detailed journey of design and procurement Practical Completion has been signed off for this Private Mews Rebuild project in Marylebone, central London.

The completed property boasts a BMS system along with a host of qualitative internal features, including a kitchen from Bulthaup and bespoke furniture from Interior ID.

Particular attention was paid to the top floor living area that includes a 40sqm skylight and retractable streched fabric sun screen to provide shading and reduce heat gain.

St Bedes School Classroom Block COMPLETION

NBA have successfully completed the classroom building at St Bede;s School, Surrey in time for the new school term commencing in September 2011.

The project was also completed within the set budget and has allowed the school to replace 6 classrooms that were being temporariliy housed in huts locate next to the school entrance car park.

Clad in cedar the block acts as a central focus to the range of buildings that are located on the approach to the central school reception. 

NEW OFFICES

NICK BAKER ARCHITECTS has moved offices.

We are now at:

2nd Floor

Lindsey House

40-42 Charterhouse Street

London

EC1M 6JN

All our telephone and fax numbers have remianed the same!

We look forward to greeting you in our new offices

ON SITE - Austrian Trade Commission

Following the successful internal restoration of the Austrian Trade Commission on Exhibition Road in London during 2007/2008 NBA were appointed earlier this year to oversee the renovation of the building's facade.

After achieving the approval of Westminter City Council to upgrade the facade on this Grade II Listed Building work has commenced with the appointed main contractor. As part of the renovation the building is clad in protective sheeting displaying the colours of the Austrian Flag.

The building will restored to its original character and glory by November 2011.

NEW COMMISSION St Bedes School - Dance Studio

Following the success of the additional classroom block at St Bedes School NBA have been appointed by the Governors at the school to design an annex to the Sports Hall in the form of a new Dance Studio.

The new building is proposed to continue the sustainable building characteristics of the classroom block with high U-values throughout and the use of timber construction. Considered as a single storey block the internal 'dance' guidelines identify 3m high clear ceiling heights, sprung floors and clearstorey lighting.

The project is anticipated to take 10 months.  

ON SITE - Montpelier Rd

After 2 months on site the steelwork frame and ground floor timber walling is successfully completed on the site of this eco house in Ealing.

Eco joists have been selected for their ease of installation and flexibility along with the double skin timber wall framing that provides wall U-valuse that match passivhaus standards.

The location of the south facing glazing is clearly evident with the structural steelwork giving a good indication of the size envelope of the house.

Private houses - PLANNING APPROVAL

Planning Permission has been granted for two residential units at Blackheath, South East London.

Greenwich Council approved the design for two Eco-houses in the conservation area just off Shooters Hill in Blackheath.

The two 4 bedroom houses will boast solar thermal and photovoltaic renewable energy technologies which will enable the owners o benefit from the feed in tariff for supplying electricity to the national grid.

other feature will include a 9x6m rear living and kithen space under a partly glazed roof. 

ON SITE - St Bede's School

Construction has started on site ate St Bede's School in Surrey. Main contractor Jerram Faulkus have completed the structural design of the foundations and superstructure of this design and build project in Redhill.

Detailed co-ordination with the school has been required to ensure that the escape exit paths for pupils and contractors entrnace routes do not conflict. Smooth access for both parties is critical to ensure a successful project.

The foundations of the new classroom block are piled with a steel framework above used to support concrete planks. Headheight was a critical issue during the design stages as the new building had to connect to the floor levels of the existing neighbouring buildings. Building standards have increased since the 1950's requiring additional acoustic separation between floors along with update IT requirements making the construction of the new building a challenge for the design team.

SUSTAINABLE EMBASSIES - Conference

The UN Charter for Environmental Change calls upon Nation States to make a committment to sustainable practice. The Embassies for each nation stand as an example of the home states committment to sustainable practice in a host country. London has the worlds largest concerntration of bilateral Embassies.

Nick Baker Architects were requested to speak at the conference held at 15 Hatfields, London's most sustainable conference venue, to describe the sustainable approach that was taken to the refurbishment of the Austrian Cultural Forum in 2007. With a raft of measures to improve the insulation, heating and energy consumption of the external building fabric of the Grade II listed building NBA were able to reduce the carbon consumption of the building by 15%

NBA are also currently investigating the installation of PV panels to the roof of the Austrain Trade Commission in Princes Gate.

NEW COMMISSION - Contemporary Housing, Blackheath

Following the successful planning submission for a number of residential projects Nick Baker Architects have been commissioned to design two 200sqm houses in South East Londons fashionable Blackheath. Located 150m from the common the site is within the boundaries of Grade II listed Buildings and within a conservation area.

The two 4 bedroom houses will benefit from solar thermal and Photovoltaic renewable energy systems. The highly insulated dwellings are aimed at attaining 'passivhaus standards'.

With an application being made in November the start on site date is set for February 2011.

St Bede's School - PLANNING APPROVAL

Nick Baker Architects secured planning approval for the new 6 classroom block at St Bede's School, Redhill in Surrey at committee. The planning report described the scheme as 'fitting in well into its context' within the school and the surrounding urban fabric.

The project is being taken to Tender with the prospect of a start in the new year. Subject to standard constraints the school will be able to demolish the 'huts' that currently provide for the missing classrooms and use the buildings at the start of the 2011 September term.

THe Western Red Cedar cladding will contribute well to the identity of a significantly insulatied building that has been targetted as a 'passivehaus' standard building that includes an air source heat pump and directional solar shading.

Delancey St II - PLANNING APPROVAL

Nick Baker Architects won plannning approval at Committee last night for the project  to provide 29 Affordable Housing Units at 86-88 Delancey Street.

The planning committee at the London Borough of Camden approved the scheme with a majority of 8 to 1 votes. Committee members noted the value of adding this number of affordable housing units on such a prominent site in Camden.

One Housing are set to purchase the site and commence construction in the summer of 2011.

Private House, Ealing - PLANNING APPROVAL

Located in Ealing, west London, this 4 bedroom private residence is contemporary in style and an example of NBA's 'eco functionalist' style in blending sustainable renewable energy features such as solar thermal panels and photovoltaic cells with an honest expression of structure and building usage.

The house is the final section permitted of parallel development at the rear of a row of Edwardian houses in north Ealing's sylcvan setting. Care has had to be taken to retain privacy and simultaneously open the south facing facade to allow natural light into the depths of the house.

Construction is set to commence in the autumn with completion programmed for summer 2011.

Private House, Chobham - PLANNING APPROVAL

Planning approval has been granted by Surrey Heath Borough Council for NBA's design of a 5 bedroom detached house of approximately 4,000sq ft.

Located in Chobham amongst a selection of equestrian homes the new residence is supported by a double garage and a gallery for the owner to display his classic car collection.

The private client has worked with NBA for 18 months to negotiate a complex site with its own planning anomolies. NBA gained planning for the new home after careful pre application negotiations with the local authority and following previous rejected schemes by other design teams on the site.

NEW COMMISSION at St Bede's School, Redhill

NBA have been appointed by the Southwark Diocesan Board of Education to work on a new project to provide 6 new classrooms and asscociated support facilities to their main building.

Following the successful completion of a series of educational projects for the same client NBA were slected to work with the Governors and Leadership team at this popular and successful 10 form entry secondary school.

PRACTICE ALLIANCE - Napper Architects

Nick Baker Architects have formed a strategic alliance with North Eastern practice Napper Architects.

In order to enable Napper Architects to have a London based representation and NBA to provide front end design support to the mutli-disciplined practice in the north east the two practices have formed a strategic partnership aimed at combining the strengths of location and design of both practices.

NEW COMMISSION - Code 3 Housing in Greenwich

NBA have been comissioned to provide detailed design and construction information for 3 new homes in Greenwich.

Located at the junction of Waverley Cresent and Waverley Road the small brownfield site has been granted planning approval and will be drawn up for occupation in early 2011.

The developer has committed to providing the three units to the Code for Sustainable Homes standard level 3 along with Lifetime Homes Standards,

Delancey Street II - 100% Affordable Housing

After the economic downturn of 2008 the fabric of project development in the UK has had to redefine itself. Projects that were viable are no longer feasible. The site at 86-88 Delancey Street was no exception. The mixed use development of 14 residential units with B1/C office use was reconsidered in the light of the change in market conditions.

By altering the use of B1/C at ground floor and omitting the need for the 3.8m high internal ceiling heights it became possible to reduce the overall building elevation and add a further set back roof level without significantly altering its identity.

Simultaneously the scheme proposes the provision of 29 affordable housing units in this prominent Camden location on the boarder between Regents Park and Parkway.

NBA submitted the scheme for planning approval today following almost 12 months of detailed pre-application discussions with case officers at Camden;s planning department. A decision is expected in August.

NEW COMMISSION - Haydon School Dining/Kitchen area refurbishment

Following the successful completion of the summer refurbishment works at Haydon School in 2009 the governors have appointed Nick Baker Architects to commence with the refurbishment of the dining area and kitchen of the canteen for this 2000 pupil secondary school in north west london.

The kitchen currently provides meals for 3 other neighbouring schools and is struggling to function to its capacity within the existing building configuration.

Following a collaborative feasibility study with all major stakeholders the proposed scheme removes drama classrooms confined by the enlarged dining area to make way for an enlarged kitchen. Additional office and storage areas within the school have been reconfigured to enable the dining area to be expanded.

Simultaneously the west facing facade of the St Mary's building has been diagnosed with concrete 'cancer' which will be treated along the full facade. Specialist structural advice has been provided by The Budgen Partnership to ensure that the lifetime of the 1950's building can be significantly extended. The opportunity has been taken to upgrade insulation and airtightness levels along the full length of this important building facade.