Specialist-Conservation-architects-hereford

Specialist Conservation Architect title awarded.

KODA architects Hereford are proud to announce that the Royal Institute of British Architects have awarded Fred Hamer title of Specialist Conservation Architect.

Fred Hamer now joins the RIBA’s register of skilled professionals who have “an authoritative knowledge of conservation practice and extensive experience of working with historic buildings”.

Fred said “I have been lucky to have working on a range of historic buildings throughout the country ranging in significance from grade I listed cathedrals and churches, listed public and private buildings to scheduled ancient monuments and other sensitive sites. Being awarded the title Specialist Conservation Architect is the culmination of many years hard work, learning about these structures and considering how to authentically to repair/ preserve and conserve them. There is no one solution to fix all historic buildings and our approach must be carefully nuanced to each project. Before we propose any changes to any historic building, first we must learn about them and understand not only their physical condition but also their place in history and social context.”

This award and new title allows KODA architects in Hereford to continue their commitment to carefully conserve the past and help our clients understand their stewardship as custodians of these fine buildings.

KODA architects was set up in early 2019 and based in Hereford, reaching out into the neighbouring counties and across the UK. Since its inception, the practice has grown from strength to strength. Today Alex and Fred have projects throughout the country including Cheltenham and Gloucestershire, Worcestershire and into Shropshire and Monmouthshire. Using our specialised knowledge and approach to help deliver numerous projects across all project sectors our approach has been welcomed by our clients, earning us many accolations.

For a small collation of our projects and to learn more about KODA architects please see our social media instagram @kodaarchitects and facebook: KODA_architects

www.KODAarchitects.com

 

Accommodation-adults

Accommodation for vulnerable young adults approved

KODA Architects conservation team have secured planning permission and conservation area consent for the conversion of an underutilised Edwardian property to form accommodation for up to six vulnerable young adults.

The scheme will provide a vital service for homeless and vulnerable young adults and includes measures to restore the property by the removal of unsympathetic alterations. Furthermore the proposal returns period feature that had become eroded by its previous conversions.

KODA Architects worked collaboratively for the applicant and Housing Solutions with Herefordshire council and Environmental Health departments overcoming issues of noise and traffic pollution due to the buildings immediate proximity to a busy trunk road.

The proposal overcame concerns through implementing high performance acoustic glazing to the front façade and an innovative ventilation system to filter out airborne pollutants.

The Housing Solutions Team carries out prevention work which includes assisting applicants to find and secure their own accommodation. There have been a large number of cases in which homelessness prevention was successful in securing accommodation for vulnerable young adults helping them find their feet, find employment and in some cases kick addition.

We are extremely proud to have been a small part in delivering such an important local initiative, which has become acutely critical due to the effects of the on-going pandemic. Works are due to start shortly and we look forward to it opening its doors soon.

We would also like to thank M-EC Acoustic Air who recognised the importance of this project and carried out their consultancy work at a discounted rate. 

planning and conservation area consent
one of the elegant fireplaces being restored
Lift the moratorium in Herefordshire

Help Lift The Housing Moratorium in Herefordshire

The provision of thousands of new homes is still in limbo – help lift the Moratorium on new homes in Herefordshire.

 

Since the middle of last year there has been a moratorium on the majority of new housing developments gaining planning approval in the River Lugg catchment in Herefordshire. An area that covers most of the north of the County.

In brief Natural England have found that phosphate levels in the river are above acceptable limits. Therefore Herefordshire Council are unable to approve new housing development or planning applications that may increase levels of phosphate entering the watercourse. Phosphate pollution can be caused by the run off from digest fertilisers being spread on fields, sewage treatment works and package sewage treatment plants. High levels of phosphates have a harmful effect on the ecology of the Lugg and Wye which have Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) designations.

More detailed information can be found on Herefordshire Councils website.

As well as a reduction in new homes being built this has had a disastrous effect on the construction industry across Herefordshire. Faced with no route to a timely resolution a number of local planning agents and construction professionals set up the Herefordshire Construction Industry Lobby Group (HCILG) to represent our industry and force a resolution. Members of the group have dedicated a great deal of time and effort pooling their expertise. A funding page has been set up to pay for the appointment of a Specialist Barrister to challenge the ruling. Incredibly since being set up at the end of January over £13,000.00 has been raised to date – just short of the £15,000.00 target to cover the legal fees. If you are affected by the moratorium or wish to support by making a donation please do so on the gofundme page to help reach the target and assist in lifting the moratorium.

KODA architects remains open

KODA architects Hereford are open:

KODA architects are committed to the wellbeing and protection of our clients, suppliers, colleagues and staff during these difficult and unprecedented times.

The developing global situation has affected every member of society with restrictions put on our day-to-day activities. With the challenging environment many, who are able, have set up home offices to carry on working. KODA architects are happy to announce that we continue to deliver projects to our customers and are working from their home offices.

With the Prime Minister, Boris Johnston, announcing this week that the UK will be on lockdown, we are therefore limited in what we are able to do. However, we are keeping up to date with our clients and how this affects them during these difficult times.

We hope that normal service will resume shortly but in the meantime we are continuing meetings via online video conferencing, emails, telephone and through our various social media platforms.

We will shortly be posting a blog post on how this affects building contracts and onsite works so check out our news page shortly.

Stay safe, stay indoors and look after each other.

For more information on the current situation please see .GOV website.

koda architects hereford

KODA architects celebrates turning 1yr old

KODA architects Hereford celebrates its first year in business 

KODA architects today celebrates their first year in business and is looking forward to another year working closely with existing and new clients across the region.

During our first year, we have been lucky to work on quite a range of projects across the region including many residential, ecclesiastical, conservation and repair projects as well as a number of commercial and developer led proposals. A number of our past projects are list on the portfolio page of our website but we look forward to showcasing some of new projects very soon.

KODA architect conservation architect Fred Hamer said: 

“Our first year has been a great success and we have really have established a foothold for an architects practice in Herefordshire, Cheltenham and Worcestershire, as well as Monmouthshire and Shropshire too. We have developed and made new relationships throughout the year and are looking forward to developing on these in the forthcoming new year”

This year we have been busy working on a number of projects through planning and technical drawing stage. We have been working closely with a number of other professionals. Next year sets to bring a hive of activity on a number of sites throughout the region as KODA architects are acting as contract administrators. Stay tuned to our Instagram page as we follow the progress of these projects until completion. 

 

    Holiday Cabins in Herefordshire

    Holiday Cabins in Herefordshire approved 

    KODA architects scheme to provide 7 new holiday cabins in rural Herefordshire has been approved.

    The location offers a truly exceptional view of of Hay Bluff and the Black Mountains. The scheme includes ecological enhancements designed by the applicants, who are landscaped gardeners, which propose to restore a previous orchard and include local apple species such as Hereford Redsteak Cider and Hereford Russet. As well as supplementing new native hedgerows the ecological enhancements provide a large area of flower meadow complete with owl posts. The site makes the most of the abundance of local public rights of way for the guests to enjoy by foot and bicycle 

    The cabins themselves are designed to enhance the enjoyment of the area, they feature a bench seat in a large oriel window to take delight of the unique vistas. Rustic materials in the walls and roof include reclaimed timber and corrugated metal cladding fitting the local context. The cabins will also be built by the applicants son Paul, who is a talented Carpenter https://www.joypadscabins.co.uk/

    The application was unanimously supported and adheres to the principles of Herefordshire Councils Policy RA6. It sets out the conditions under which the Council will be supportive of proposals, which help to diversify the rural economy and generate employment. This includes both sustainable tourism proposals of an appropriate scale.

    We can not wait to see them being built and look forward to updating you on their progress.

    • Views from the proposed cabins
    conservation architect Hereford

    Archbishop to launch Mission and Mortar Tool

    Archbishop Launch Mission and Mortar

    The Most Rev Justin Welby to launch the Mission and Mortar tool which KODA architects have been developing with the Diocese of Hereford. Over the past three years, Conservation Architect Fred Hamer has been assisting the community and partnership and church buildings teams at the Diocese of Hereford in developing the new strategic online tool.

    The Launch will coincide with the Archbishop’s visit to Hereford, the first time in 20 years. The Archbishop will be visiting churches across the diocese from the south of the county to the north, seeing first hand the forefront of church diversification Hereford Diocese are spearheading.

    The tool, will be launching the new tool kit this week at St. Laurence in Ludlow which seeks to better provide resources for churches wishing to develop mission, repair and church reordering projects or advice on parish giving schemes, how to add to their tourism share and much more.

    Conservation Architect Fred Hamer Said: “the tool will be a powerful tool in how to address the on going issue of sustainable growth in the church of England. Often churches are burdened by ever increasing church repairs and maintenance costs and with declining congregation numbers, the burden is often too much. The net result is the churches historic fabric declining to a point where the building is no longer able to hold congregations and services central to local communities.”

    Wendy Coombey, Community Partnership and Funding Officer for the Diocese of Hereford, said: “Our church buildings are key to rural community life. They’re sacred and holy spaces, loved by many whether they’re Christians or not. But we must make our church buildings fit for the 21st century – we need more loos, more kitchens, more creative use of the space.”

    KODA architects have a wealth of experience in bringing forth church reordering projects and other diversification schemes. We believe that it is vitally important to preserve these important community buildings as they are testament to our past which contributes heavily to our sense of place. However we cannot hold these buildings as museum pieces, they are ever changing and should be allowed to adapt as they would have been done on the past, meeting the needs of their congregations. Take a look at KODA architects church reordering page.

    The new Mission and Mortar tool is based online and accessible through the Diocese of Hereford website.

    KODA architects Hereford
    conservation architects herefordshire
    Diocese of Hereford
    apartments - hereford city centre - koda architects

    Breathing New Life into the High Street

    KODA Architects have successfully gained approval for the conversion of a redundant commercial building close to the City centre of Hereford. 

    It is a common problem to see City Centre commercial buildings become empty. This is not only due to pressure from online shopping but also due to the underutilised floorspace on the upper floors of many City Centre commercial buildings.  The tenant not only has to pay rent on this space but also local business rates based on total floor area. By diversifying these buildings we can make the commercial element more attractive to smaller businesses. 

    The approved scheme modernises and efficiently re-orders the empty 1960’s three-storey building to provide much needed affordable accommodation. In total there are 10 spacious 1 and 2 bedroom apartments. The scheme also retains the fully occupied commercial premises to the ground floor.

    This is one of a number of similar projects that KODA Architects have completed. It has enormous benefits in providing much needed affordable housing to the City by repurposing an underutilised resource.  The development will breathe new life into the high street and positively enhance the street scene.

    HSE to Investigate Dust Levels

    KODA architects have learnt that the from the beginning of next week, October 7th 2019, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) will be visiting construction sites throughout the UK specifically looking for measures to control dust.

     

    Across all of KODA architects projects the team carry out a Principal Designer role in Hereford, assisting and supervising the health and safety process throughout the design stages. Our appointment is furthered through the construction stages where we assist the Principal Contractor in operating in a safe and ordered way. We carry out these duties under the Construction Design Management Regulations (CDM) 2015.

    Health and Safety is at the forefront of our design process and where possible we will always strive to design out risks during the construction process or at a maintenance level.

    Among other serious risks, dust can be a major issue during any stage of a construction project whether it is during the demolition and take down or through applying plaster and finishing touches, each activity has their own risks.

    During the demolition phase dust can be a serious issue not only to the wider environment but also to the people carrying out the activities. Added to this risk is Asbestos within the construction material itself.

    The Health and Safety Executive have published many guidance notes on working with dangerous materials. Click on the links below for further information:

    Asbestos Essentials

    Dust Guidance

    Respiratory Equipment Guidance

    The additional measures are to target and reduce the longer-term affects of dust on construction works of occupational lung disease, which may not manifest itself straight away but many years later.

    KODA architects principal designer in Hereford oversees the health and safety management of our project throughout the design phase. On all of our projects the team at KODA architects carryout a designers checklist which then is used for the basis of our pre construction health and safety plan.

    For more information, take a look at the HSE news bulletin .

    If you would like to discuss anything in post, please do not hesitate to contact us.

     

     

    Class Q Barn Conversions

    KODA architects have a wealth of experience for planning and delivering Class Q Barn Conversions. We have recently been successful in a class Q Barn Conversion in Herefordshire as well as in neighbouring counties of Shropshire and Gloucestershire. 

    Planning Permission

    Formal Planning permission is not needed for the Class Q Barn Conversions under the General Permitted Development Order. Subject to a set list of requirements, some barns may be converted into offices and residential premises provided they meet the criteria set. The criteria list is quite long however the headline points are as follows:

    • The building is not listed;
    • The area is not in the a conservation area, national park or area of outstanding natural beauty;
    • The barn must have been in agricultural use on the 20th March 2013 or ten years prior to the conversion which ever is greater;
    • Once converted the finished building must not be greater than the original footprint;
    • The building must be able to be converted without any structural interventions i.e. no new footprints, floor slabs or load bearing walls;
    • No new significant openings i.e. windows and doors are permitted only ones to allow conversion.

    Do I need an Architect?
    In short – yes. As architects, it’s our job to ensure compliance with the legislation whilst maximising the design, getting the most out of the building. We can also assist with the additional information required including a structural appraisal of the existing building, landscape impact and submitting a certificate of Lawfulness to the local authority to ensure that your project complies with the order.

    If you have a potential Class Q Barn Conversion and you would like to know more about our process and routes to convert the building, get in touch with us. 

    Local Requirements:
    Each local authority as an approach to Class Q Barn Conversion. As part of our process when approaching a Class Q application, we would seek out their requirements.

    We have had a number of successful projects delivering Class Q Barn Conversion in Herefordshire and the neighbouring counties. For Herefordshire Local Requirements click here.