Projects Archive | KODA Architects

New Housing in Abergavenny

KODA architects have worked closely with a large design team to include landscape designers, planning consultants, drainage and transport planners to prepare a master plan for the development of 60 low impact housing to Monmouthshire Council including landscaping and amenity spaces.

Abergavenny is a town in Monmouthshire, known for its beautiful scenery, rich history, and lively culture. Situated near the Welsh-English border and is surrounded by the Brecon Beacons National Park. The town has a rich history dating back to Roman times and is home to several historic buildings and landmarks, including Abergavenny Castle, St Mary's Priory Church, and the Market Hall.

KODA architects have been busy planning the latest housing developments in Abergavenny is the Brecon Road development, which is located on the outskirts of the town. The development offers a rang of house types including a mix of two, three, four and five bedroom homes that are suitable for both first-time buyers and families.

60 new houses on the Brecon Road development is designed to provide modern living spaces that are energy-efficient and built to a high standard. The homes come with a range of features such as open-plan living areas, en-suite bathrooms, and private gardens. The development also offers ample green spaces, parks, and playgrounds for residents to enjoy.

The new housing has been design with landscape designers and environmental consultants to achieve a low impact, and highly sustainable development promoting the health and well-being of the new residents. The layout has been designed to maximise views out towards Abergavenny’s beautiful scenery whilst the generous plots and the sites excellent connectivity encourages cycle and other sustainable travel methods.

To minimise the new buildings impact on the environment, each house has been oriented to achieve passive solar gain through the winter months, whilst a high performing fabric minimises energy consumption. Each house will benefit from solar panels and other active technologies, further reducing the impact of this new development.

The development focuses on each unit of a southern orientation to maximise solar gain in the winter month whilst carefully managing the gains in the height of the summer. Through active and passive sustainable technologies, together with a rich planting scheme, each house maximises fabric performances and reduceds heat losses. The net result is a new new housing development with generous accommodation and low environmental impact, adding a unique place to live within a stones throw away from the centre of Abergavenny.

Being sensitive to the proximity of the Brecon Beacons National Park and the setting of Abergavenny, the new housing development follows a landscape approach to the setting out of the site. Landscaping opportunities have been enhances the existing biodiversity and green infrastructure to provide a sensitive housing estate with generous plots and amenity space.

Enhanced planting, Sustainable Urban Drainage (SUDs) and wild flower meadows provides a verdant urban extension to the existing settlement.

Watch our Instagram for updates of similar projects to this throughout many RIBA stages.

Class Q Barn Conversion

KODA architects working with Tomkins Thomas Planning have successfully secured planning approval for a class Q barn conversion in Herefordshire. The existing barn occupies a unique location near the Black Mountains.

The scheme reuses the original curved form of the Dutch barn roof to form a double height space with mezzanine level. Agricultural materials such as corrugated metal and industrial steel frame have been used in the walls and roof, these are complemented by the insertion of large modern slim profile aluminium windows and doors maximising the exceptional vistas.

Class Q was introduced in 2014 as a form of permitted development designed to help ease the pressure on housing in rural areas. This type of planning permission allows the change of buildings that meet certain criteria from agricultural to residential use. This can often be a creative route to a new home in open countryside which would otherwise be difficult to achieve.

There is more guidance available on Herefordshire Councils website. If you have a redundant agricultural building fulfilling the criteria that you think has the potential to be a striking home in a unique location then please get in touch.

Replacement Dwelling

KODA architects successfully secured planning approval for a replacement dwelling in the Herefordshire countryside. The new 4 bedroom home replaces a former 1970’s bungalow that did not meet the space and layout requirements of our clients family. Furthermore the building is expensive to heat and maintain and moreover costly to upgrade thermally and adapt to meet the families specific space requirements.

The proposal replaces the dated bungalow with a larger 4 bedroom, thermally efficient home meeting our clients living requirements. Local Planning Policy stipulates that a reinstated dwelling should be of a comparable scale of the replaced building. Creating a much larger home presented us with an interesting design challenge. The new home takes the form of a 'H' shaped plan with a partly hidden basement forming a south facing undercroft and courtyard hidden to the wider landscape. Whilst the new home is considerably larger than that it replaces, we worked a with the Local Planning Department in justification for the scheme and finally secured planning approval for the home our clients desired.

The main building takes a traditional form and constructed from local stone and a natural slate pitched roof. In contrast the building utilises large aluminum framed sliding doors and full height windows and furthermore the elevations are punctuated with elements vertical Cedar cladding and frameless balconies.

The layout utilises a double height height entrance hall and gallery staircase. The main ground floor living spaces are interconnected but divided by large sliding walls to create a versatile space. The basement level utilises the sloping site and extends into an undercroft and open courtyard discreetly hidden from view. Correspondingly the attached double garage and carport site below a grass roof that merges discreetly into the topography of the site.

Our client was elated with the result and equally our service, the house is currently under construction and due for completion 2023.

St. Michael and All Angels Church in Hereford

KODAs conservation architects in Hereford were commissioned following a competitive tendering process and work began in investigating the repairs to this magnificent building at the beginning of this summer. As conservation architects in Hereford, working on a magnificent building such as St. Michael and All Angels church is a pleasure. We love investigating historic buildings and how they came about, tracing their history and how they’ve developed over time.

Located in rural Herefordshire, St. Michael and All Angels Church was constructed in the 14^th Century with later alterations in the 15^th and 16^th Centuries. The building is Grade I listed and has very fine medieval glazing featured in the chancel, north and south aisles. The chancel features a very ornate painted wagon vaulted ceiling which was installed as part of the restoration by GF Bodley in 1866-68. The building features fine stone carving throughout with a number of gargoyles, grotesques and label stops, which is great to see.

KODA's Conservation Architect in Hereford Fred Hamer said “Working on this historic building was particularly rewarding. Before we proposed making any repairs or changes, to the historic fabric, we have thoroughly investigated how the building is used and maintained. We have proposed some exciting changed to enhance the buildings significance and conserve the historic fabric were possible and in doing so created a more sustainable building."

A two stage grant application was prepared and submitted to the newly reformed Nation Heritage Lottery Fund. The project was one of the first successful applications to be awarded and was the largest in the region at the time.

Conservation repair works started in April 2021 with the project being awarded following a competitive tender process to Treasure and Sons, based in Ludlow. The specification and repairs were carried out on a priority basis to safe guard the historic fabric against further decay.

The conservation and repair of the fabric started in April this year and we look forward to unveiling the enhanced St. Michael and All Angels Church later this year. We will continue to post out progress on this buildings careful repair on our instagram feed which you can follow @kodaarchitects.

KODAs conservation Architects in Hereford, Fred Hamer said: “at KODA we have a passion for working with historic buildings from all ages. The storey of who built, lived and used these buildings enriches architecture from more than a pile of building materials. This storey is enhanced as we open up historical buildings as we learn more about how and why they were constructed in the manner they were. KODAs conservation architects in Hereford categories their findings as they progress through the construction and uncovering stages which enriches the storey further.”

Useful links:

Hereford times article

Sustainable self-build homes in Ludlow

KODA architects have successfully secured planning approval for 3 new sustainable self-build homes in Ludlow. The site is combines an underused hidden parcel of land with part of a large formal garden within the Town. Sustainable design was at the forefront of the brief and the homes are positioned to take full advantage of the southern aspect whilst also affording views of St. Lawrence's Church.

The scheme develops an underutilised urban site to provide high quality housing utilising energy efficiency measures. They are built from highly insulated and sustainable materials. The dwellings are designed with large, glazed wall areas to the south and west elevations benefiting from passive solar gain. The first floor areas include recessed balconies featuring long roof overhangs protecting the bedrooms from excessive solar gain in the summer months. This still allows sunlight to reach the depths of rooms promoting thermal gain in the winter when the sun is lower in the sky. Internal air quality and comfort is supplemented by automated mechanical ventilation and heat recovery, MVHR.

The buildings include standing seam metal mono pitch roofs that reduce impact on the neighbouring amenity but also being orientated to the south and west present an ideal location for the arrays of photovoltaic and solar thermal panels producing heat and power for the homes. Rainwater is collected and harvested on site for re-use in the buildings and gardens.

The development resists temptation to optimise built density in preference the new high quality homes are sited within generous individual plots and will be sold to independent self-builders.

Extension in Cheltenham

KODA architects Cheltenham are preparing a planning and listed building consent application to Cheltenham Borough Council. Built in the mid 19th Century, this Regency style villa is Grade II listed and located within the central Conservation Area of Cheltenham. The grand villa property was previously home to two notable figures from Cheltenham, Dame Sidney Jane Brownie and Sir Ralph Richardson. Both had notable careers across the town, Brownie was appointed as Matron-in-chief of the newly formed Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Service and later of the Territorial Force Nursing Service and Richardson had a notable career in film and at the theatre. Both are noted with blue plaques which adorn the front of the building.

The front façade has a striking Cotswold ashlar stone with detailed and decorative mouldings. The property was built at a period in Cheltenham of expansion into the neighbouring countryside. Architecture at this time was about displaying the wealth and the promotion fo the town as a considered and gentrified settlement. The wider area was part of a planned expansion of the town with the road, built as a private, tree lined avenue with links to the nearby Park. The grandeur of the area adds to the wider sense of place of Cheltenham.

KODA Architects Cheltenham were appointed to make comprehensive repairs to the historic fabric as wells as to bring the property into the 21st Century allowing it to serve is new roll of a busy family home. KODA architects Cheltenham proposed a carefully planned extension to this beautiful property and following a close inspection of the building, designs are being prepared for submission to Cheltenham Borough Council.

Following long and detailed discussions with Cheltenham Borough Council, the conservation team at KODA architects mapped the development and changes of the building throughout its history. From this detailed analysis, KODA architects were able to justify the proposed and extensive alterations and were successful in obtaining planning and listed building consent for the renovations and alterations. A new first floor extension was proposed to provide new master family bathroom together with an ensuite to serve the master bedroom to the property. When the property was built, the property did not have a purpose built bathroom, instead, it was a tin bath in front of the fireplace. It wasn't until later, bathrooms were retrofitted to houses and this was in the form of dividing of the principal rooms at first floor level. This resulted in the original room proportions being lost and the bedroom becoming a small, box room. The proposed extension moved the services externally, allowing the full room proportions to be reinstated together with decorative architectural features such as cornicing.

In extending a special building like Tivoli Road, we were careful in its appearance. The proposed is deliberately different to the existing to clearly show it is a new addition, but it is subservient to the originals mass as not to challenge it. The design is based around the cladding increments of the VM Zinc Cladding, with the interlocking panels shadow gaps aligned to emphasize verticality to the design. To retain the mass of the previous lean-to style roof the new external wall was spaced away from the external wall of the building and the extension supported by a steel structure at ceiling level. New window openings were recessed to allow the cladding to take a dominance over the external facade, a contrast to the original building.

The settlement of Cheltenham, which survives today, was largely built in the Regency period and through into the Victorian era. This resulted in the town being dubbed the most complete Regency town in the country. To protect this architectural history and significance, most of the town is protected by a Conservation Area. As such the architecture of Cheltenham is uniform and of a similar architecture style.

Quinquennial Inspection in Cheltenham

KODAs architects conservation architect Fred Hamer has carried out the Quinquennial Inspection in Cheltenham at St. Martin de Tour’s Church. The church of St. Martin’s is thought to date back to Saxon period however record of the building before its rebuilding in 1499 as limited.

Located on the edge of Cheltenham, St.Martin’s is an excellent example of Perpendicular architecture which evident throughout the Diocese. KODA Architects conservation architects Fred Hamer is the quinquennial inspecting Architect in Cheltenham for St. Martin de Tour Church in Gloucester Diocese.

The church is an excellent example of 15th Century medieval architecture with later additions. Built from Cotswold Stone, the church features medieval glass the building is a picturesque addition to the surrounding village of Woolstone. The church however is know best for it leaning tower. The 15th-century is said to lean at a greater angle than its more famous Italian counterpart, the leaning tower of Pisa.

The leaning tower however is not a result of poor medieval construction, but rather it is down to the underlying geology of Crane Hill, which is formed of clay which expands and contracts depending on its level of moisture. This makes the ground susceptible to subject movement and shifting over time. The lean of the tower concerned inspecting architects in the 1970s so much that Italian engineers were called in to carry out repairs and stabilisation works to the structure. Engineers inserted a number of long steel rods set in concrete beneath the tower to spread the load over a broader area. The tower lean continues to be monitored during each Quinquennial Inspection to see if the movement is ongoing.

KODAs conservation architect, Fred Hamer said "St Martin de Tours church is an interesting one, locally known as the church with the leaning tower, the tower is always a topic of conversation. Each inspection, we closely monitor the tower to see whether the movement if still on going, but we’re happy to report the tower is still standing following our recent inspection"

As with many other churches across the country, congregations are facing increasing repair costs against ever dwindling congregation numbers. KODA architects are specialists in working with PCCs in carefully adapting church buildings, diversifying their revenue income and managing change to these important buildaings. Take a look at out Church reordering page for more information on our process.

Stokesay Castle | Shropshire

KODAs Conservation team have carried out a schedule of condition ahead of a filming production by Amazon productions that one of the finest fortified houses in the country, Stokesay Castle. The Scheduled Ancient Monument is owned and managed by English Heritage.

Stokesay Castle was constructed at the end of the 13th century by Laurence of Ludlow, who at the time was one of the richest men in England. It remains a treasure by-passed by time, one of the best places to visit in England to experience what medieval life was like. The great hall has remained unchanged for over 700 years and is a fine example of construction with spectacular medieval roof timbers. Perhaps the most characterful addition to the complex is the 17th-century gatehouse with fine decorative timber carving. The castle is set within breathtaking views of the Shropshire Hills

KODA architects Conservation architects are working closely with English Heritage, Architectural Conservators and Amazon Prime production team to ensure that the Scheduled Ancient Monument is not damaged during the filming process. Prior to filming KODAs conservation team carried out a schedule of condition as a record of the buildings current condition. KODAs team continue to assist conservators and production team throughout the production.

Stokesay Castle is home for filming of a period drama for Amazon Prime, set in the medieval period. However as Stokesay has periods of development through most periods with the fine 17th Century gate house being the focus of the site. Having these later additions would not fit the medieval setting in which the film is set so the set had to be carefully dressed so that later features such as the gate house as well as smaller features such as lead rainwater pipes, alarm boxes and a well housing did not show in the finished film. Other features including the new reception, shop and toilets had to be hidden to appear like they were a timber clad barn in the background.

We eagerly away to see the final results on our screens later this year.

Bastion Mews Hereford

Bastion Mews Hereford is encircled by the Hereford City Wall which was constructed in the 13th Century by Royal decree, getting its name from a defensive bastion which once stood at the site, defending one of four City gates. The site has had many uses in its history with the latest use being home to Shack Revolution and more recently, Bastion Street Feast. Quickly gaining a local reputation for great quality street food the vibrant site has been a huge success for the City.

The proposed new development will build from the already successful Shack Revolution Events space and Bastion Street Feast. The scheme will provide restaurant, office and workshop spaces as well as short term residential accommodation in association with the existing Shack Events venue and their LIVE|WORK|PLAY mantra.

The aesthetic of the site is one of an industrial past which reflects the sites history as one of the manufacturing centres of the City. Originally home to ironworks, the recent success of the site is down to its honesty through great food, drink and simplicity.

To continue the sites enduring success, KODA architects have been appointed to carry out master planning and detailed design to redevelop the site. Working closely with the wider team, KODA architects have utilised the industrial aesthetic to develop a mixed use scheme creatively utilising shipping containers.

Part of the underpinning philosophy of the sites redevelopment a diversity of uses and users. This multi use ideal elaborates on the ethos of the highly successful Bastion Street Feast where different street food vendors pitch up their stalls and sell their high quality food in a sharing and collaborative atmosphere. The masterplan calls for a mixture of live work units as well as recreational areas and amenity space in this highly sustainable location on the edge of the City Center. Complimenting the existing uses of the site, the new proposals are testament to 21st Century design, innovative and flexible to allow them to be easily changed should the site need to in the future.

The industrial aesthetic of the site is the main visual underpinning of the design but supplemented and softened with planting and punctuation with open oak cladding. The proposals have been submitted for Planning and we hope to be onsite summer 2021.

The Old Vicarage | Presteigne

Located in a prominent position near Prestigne, Powys this fine grade II listed property was built by Sir Gilbert Scott’s office towards the end of the 19th Century. Built originally as a vicarage for the near by church of St. Andrew, the property is a testament to Victorian Gothic Revival architecture and resolve with all the building materials being brought in from as far as the Cotswolds.

The property boasts fine Victorian Gothic features such as dominant roofscapes with polychromatic slating and decorative finials. The interior is equally spectacular with fine wood carving, fireplaces and staircase. As with many older properties, the service areas are located to the rear of the property and are subservient to the main living areas which are located to the front of the property, as such, the kitchen is small and disconnected from garden. As we lead a less formal lifestyle, the kitchen has become the focus of the family environment.

KODA architects were commissioned to carry out remodelling of the existing kitchen and dining areas as well as a carefully considered extension which would sit comfortably with the property. The kitchen and living space would be reformed to address extensive views over the rolling Powys landscape to the rear.

The extension uses the existing, grand house as a precedent to inform the proposed. The single storey extension uses a rolled lead flat roof and Cotswold stone coins to the new main new corner. The open plan kitchen focuses the views outward over the valley allowing the building to be carefully adapted to serve a busy family again.

New Development in Abergavenny

Project Information

Sustainable Design

New Housing in Abergavenny

planning approval for a class Q barn conversion

Project Information

What is class Q planning permission?

Planning approved for replacement dwelling in Herefordshire countryside

Project Information

Planning approved for new self-build home

Conservation Architects in Herefordshire

Project Information

Conservation Architects Hereford

Useful links:

St. Michael and All Angels Church Gallery

Planning approved for sustainable self-build homes in Ludlow

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Planning approved for sustainable self-build homes in Ludlow

KODA architects Cheltenham

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Architects Cheltenham

Construction Works Gallery | Architects Cheltenham

Quinquennial Inspection in Cheltenham | Gloucestershire

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Quinquennial Inspection in Cheltenham

Stokesay Castle | Shropshire

Project Information

Schedule of Condition

Master Planning at Bastion Mews Hereford

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Master planning Bastion Mews

Heritage Extension | Powys

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