Tag Archives: #extension

New Two Storey Extension at Clifton All Saints Academy

Thursday, September 22nd, 2022

Our project at Clifton All Saints Academy has recently completed. The brief was to provide the School with two additional classrooms to enable them to accommodate years 5 and 6 changing them from a Lower School to a Primary School.

The school is situated in the heart of Clifton Village and therefore the site is very constrained, being built up on three sides the space for expansion was very limited.

Through the feasibility process it was clear the only way to fit the new classrooms on the site was to build up, this would involve the demolition of a section of building at the rear of the site and a new two-storey extension was built on a slightly larger footprint in one direction and a reduction in the other therefore enabling a larger playground to be created.

To minimise the mass of the building a monopitch roof was introduced, this helped with keeping the height of the building to a minimum. The type of materials were important to the project, given the natural feel of the site with a large wooded area at the back of the School, a sedum roof was installed to help with biodiversity and to help the building blend in with its surroundings and timber cladding was used to break up the brickwork.

As part of the design we wanted to ensure that the new and old parts of the School worked together, as with many Schools built in the 1970’s there were no corridors, just room through room walkways. With minor adjustments to two existing classrooms there was enough space to create a new corridor that links to the new extension which immensely improves the flow of the school.

The completed project gives the school four new classrooms, two group rooms and an Intervention/Breakout room with a net increase in building footprint of 32m².

Successful Planning Application for Launton

Friday, August 12th, 2022

Members of Launton Parish Council were delighted to hear that their planning application for improvements to the Parish Hall has been granted permission by Cherwell District Council.

This gives the green light for substantial improvements to the hall to bring it up to modern standards, providing new facilities and enhancing the energy efficiency of the building. An old side extension will be demolished and replaced, to provide a new catering style kitchen. The building will be re-roofed with zinc, a tough, natural and recyclable material. PV Solar panels will generate electricity with the potential for battery storage. And replacement windows and doors will help to stop drafts and keep in the heat.

We have guided the Parish Council and Hall Working Group through the steps towards achieving planning permission, and look forward to being of further assistance when funding is available to carry out the improvements.

3D Visualisation of Improvements to Launton Parish Hall

Work Begins at Winslow Public Hall

Thursday, July 28th, 2022

Work has begun this week on a new extension and programme of improvements at Winslow Public Hall in Buckinghamshire. These will encompass a smart new entrance and lobby area, together with a modern catering kitchen, WCs and plant room. The existing large meeting hall will have enhanced public accessibility, a fresh decoration scheme and built-in storage facilities amongst other changes.

Renewable and sustainable energy solutions are always at the forefront of our thinking during the design phase. In this case, the hall will have two ranks of roof-mounted PV panels to generate electricity with battery storage to conserve the power. As a finishing touch, the area around the new extension is a popular thoroughfare, and this will be attractively landscaped at the end of construction.

We are delighted to be working on this project on behalf of Winslow Town Council, and in conjunction with principal contractor JET Construction (Milton Keynes) Ltd.

More Developments at Henlow Academy

Friday, July 22nd, 2022

Our long-term project to extend and redevelop the site at Henlow Academy in Bedfordshire reaches its latest phase, with the addition of a new passenger lift to replace an old platform lift. This will enable pupils, staff and visitors with impaired mobility to access the first floor classrooms and facilities, and is a very welcome addition to the Academy site.

Also in this development phase was the refurbishment of the design & technology room and art rooms, refreshing the spaces and giving them a renewed lease of life. A new corridor leads to the Henlow Hub. Two existing rooms were knocked into one to create a larger library/hub space, with a moveable library shelving system to give more flexibility. The interior design scheme for the room combines the four colours that have been used throughout the extension and refurbishment of this block.

Why your educational construction project needs a project manager

Friday, July 15th, 2022

Nothing stays the same for long these days, and so it’s almost inevitable that at some stage, your school accommodation will need to either change or grow (or both!). Perhaps a forthcoming increase in the school roll means that additional classroom space is required, or improved facilities (new science labs or DT rooms, for example) are needed to help deliver the national curriculum.

Of course, you are getting on with the important task of running your school and teaching children, and so appointing an experienced project manager in conjunction with suitably qualified architectural designers at the very infancy of a site development project is key to its success.

PCMS Design is such a firm, and our expertise in this field is broad and deep. There are many ways in which we can add value. At feasibility stage, we can properly assess the potential of your building (against DfE guidance) and make recommendations as to how it can be cost-effectively and practically expanded and changed.

Project Manager site meeting with client and site agent

We will carefully guide you through all of the various stages involved in a construction project.

We understand the planning process, and have strong links with many local authority planning and building control departments. We will handle the procurement of suitable building contractors, the contract administration and detailed project management of the build.

Accurate cost control is obviously vital for public sector projects and this is a major benefit of using a project manager. And with our emphasis on sustainable construction, we will ensure that the build uses the best, most environmentally-friendly materials and has features such as renewable energy generation as standard.

In essence, using a project manager can save you time and money, ensuring successful and stress-free delivery of your school building projects.

PCMS Design Relocates!

Wednesday, April 20th, 2022

PCMS Design is pleased to announce that we have recently relocated! We’ve moved our office premises by only a few miles from Haddenham to Long Crendon, a nearby Buckinghamshire village. Our new office is in a lovely, totally self-contained building located within a farm complex, situated on the rural edge of the village. We now have tractors rumbling down the driveway, the sound of cattle in the distance and hares hopping past the window! We’ve all been impressed by the views, which extend across open farmland and countryside towards the Chiltern Hills.

Our working environment is certainly more harmonious and peaceful, and we’re trusting that the office move will provide inspiration for ever more creative architectural designs! If you have a home, educational, community or commercial project that would benefit from architectural advice or project management, then do get in touch for a no obligation chat. We are happy to work throughout rural (and urban) Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Gloucestershire and beyond …

Our new address: The Barn, College Farm, Chearsley Road, Long Crendon, Buckinghamshire HP18 9AP

Other contact details are the same – Tel: 01844 202932 Email: info@pcmsdesign.co.uk www.pcmsdesign.co.uk

Improvements to Social Housing

Friday, April 8th, 2022

Our latest project for Thame & District Housing Association – a two storey side extension and refurbishment of two flats – is due to start on site in mid-April. Planning permission was sought and granted by Buckinghamshire Council for improvements to the one bedroom flats at Anstey Court in Waddesdon.

Flats to be improved at Anstey Court in Waddesdon

The existing stairs to the first floor accommodation pose accessibility issues, as they’re too steep to meet the latest building regulations: our solution was to design an extension to the side of the building to house a new wider staircase and entrance door, so that it’s more suitable for elderly residents.

Because of the siting of the building there was only one option for the extension, and it meant that the internal layout of the First Floor flat would be changed to accommodate the new entrance. The Ground Floor flat will receive full redecoration.

Our administration of the procurement process lead to Skyline Development & Construction being appointed to carry out the building works, and we are looking forward to working with them on this social housing improvement project.