Rayner Davies Architects

People Places Spaces

[raynerdavies]

80 Bed Care Facility in Derby Complete

Rayner Davies worked initially with The Care Build Group to modify an existing design for an 80-bed care home to tailor the proposals to the specific needs of their client, Acacia Care. The changes were formalised with the local authority. Later, as lead consultants we provided the contractor, Wynbrook Ltd, with the technical design package that enabled the scheme to be delivered on site in an efficient and timely manner.

The care facility sits as part of a wider retirement living masterplan on the former Kingsway Hospital site on the western side of Derby. The facility boasts luxurious accommodation for its residents, including a large café/bistro, library, spa, cinema, pub, external balcony terraces and large resident lounges and dining facilities. The style of the building reflects existing developments to the north and the wider site to form a coherent series of buildings that share similar materials and styles, all of which are set within the mature garden setting of the former hospital.

[raynerdavies]

Apartments in Lady Bay

We are very pleased to have gained planning approval for a row of L-Shaped duplex units in Lady Bay, Nottingham.  An emphasis on providing apartments with outdoor spaces though communal gardens and generous roof terraces/landscaped access walkways!

[raynerdavies]

Gateway Hotel Extension Opens

The Rayner Davies designed 36-bed extension to the DoubleTree by Hilton Nottingham - Gateway Hotel has opened.  The extension takes the capacity to 141 rooms. The project follows an extensive refurbishment of the original hotel which was completed in 2019.

Pulse Consult acted as Employers Agent and Quantity Surveyor and Price & Myers were the structural engineers Photograph credit: Jason Parnell Photography

[raynerdavies]

Planning Permission for a new Dwelling in Beeston

We are delighted to have been granted permission for this replacement dwelling in Beeston! The building has been re-orientated to align with the wedge-shaped site and takes advantage of views across the adjacent playing field to the North-West. The main entrance leads into a dramatic double-height entertainment space, flowing out onto the elevated courtyard, which is cradled by an art studio and snug. Rows of planting criss-cross the courtyard and ramp down into the garden, which enjoys a South-Westerly aspect.

The lightweight upper storey is faced in standing seam cladding whilst the ground floor meets the ground in pale brickwork, each of which are softened with timber cladding in the recessed areas such as the entrance, balcony and courtyard.

[raynerdavies]

Replacement Dwelling in the Greenbelt

Rushcliffe Borough Council planners have approved a Rayner Davies Architects designed scheme for a replacement dwelling in the Nottinghamshire Greenbelt.  Located in open countryside near Cropwell Butler, an existing post-war farmhouse and outbuildings are to be demolished and replaced with a new four-bed family home with swimming pool and garaging. 

The proposed has been positioned such that an existing well feature is positioned within the entrance of the property. This will make a great feature and give a sense of history to the site by displaying the well below walk-over glass. This feature is the lynch-pin around which the scheme has been arranged

Rayner Davies worked extensively with ecologists and environmental engineers throughout the process, sustainability being at the heart of the design thinking. Externally, materials are a palette of brick, tile and timber cladding.

Project Architect for Rayner Davies Sam Critchlow said “the design has evolved through a process of ‘rearranging’ the existing ‘pieces’ on site in order to produce a massing principle that is not materially larger than the one it replaces whilst better orientating the end result. The proposed design is predominantly single storey with only the South Eastern wing being proposed as a two-storey mass. “

Work is expected to start on the proposals early next year.

[raynerdavies]

Industrial Units in Nottingham

Rayner Davies Architects have received planning permission for 20,000 sq. ft. of industrial and trade counter space on the Glaisdale Industrial Estate in Nottingham. 

The site, which has been vacant for over fifteen years, will be developed to create seven units.  Sizes range from 2,150 sq. ft. up to 3,250 sq. ft., with further space available in some units on a mezzanine level.

The proposed building has been developed with a rational plan form to allow for an efficient portal frame design. The building is rectangular, with a shallow pitched roof behind parapets to screen and preserve a pure rectangular shape to the gable ends. The minimalist approach to the building’s form is to be further emphasised in the material and colour choice. Each unit has a glazed pedestrian entrance and a roller shutter door

Local developers Medina Green are behind the proposals.  Box Property are letting the units, some of which have already been taken.  Work is expected to start on site later this year.

[raynerdavies]

Apartments in Lady Bay Nottingham

Rayner Davies Architects have submitted a planning application for nine apartments on the site of the former Wishing Well Day Nursery in Nottingham.

The scheme is conceived as a row of L-Shaped duplex units, mirrored along a central spine and book-ended with a different contextual response for each of its two primary frontages; one facing Oakfields Road and the other on Rutland Road.

The proposals dispense with the typical ‘central core’ arrangement of conventional apartment blocks, instead providing access via raised and landscaped walkways. This layout both mitigates against flood risks and provides a more pleasant entry sequence. In addition to generous private terraces, there is a communal garden flanking the scheme to the West. Undercroft parking is provided, utilising the existing basement of the nursery with ample cycle storage and options for EV charging.

High quality materials and contemporary detailing ground the scheme, providing texture and perforations to add compositional interest. Standing seam metal cladding with a subtle colouring is offset against the more neutral brick colouring and complimented by use of colour for the windows, doors and railings.

Rushcliffe Borough Council will now consider the proposals and a decision is expected mid-summer.

[raynerdavies]

Rayner Davies Architects Sustainable Design Award 2022

Well done to the class of 2022 for their achievements on the Architectural Technology course at Nottingham Trent University. Congratulations to Joshua Blount-Powell for being awarded the 'Rayner Davies Architects Sustainable Design Award 2022', presented by Gary Matthews.

[raynerdavies]

Respite Service to Open in Worksop

Rayner Davies Architects have completed the refurbishment of Whitegates in Worksop on behalf of Autism East Midlands.

The £1million development on Sparken Hill has been created by the charity specifically to provide short-term accommodation. The service will run year-round to provide autistic individuals with specialist support, whilst providing their families and carers with a break.

The building has been carefully transformed to create six self-contained apartments, each with its own lounge area, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom. While staying there, individuals will also have access to a shared outdoor gym and to the extensive grounds that surround the house.

Originally built in 1898, Whitegates was a large villa designed by Flockton, Gibbs & Flockton of Sheffield for Arthur Staniforth Esq, a local stockbroker.  The building has been thoroughly modernised with many of the original features retained and restored.

Vaughandale Construction of Mansfield undertook the work.

[raynerdavies]

Homes for Heroes Open in Broxtowe

Rayner Davies Architects “Homes for Heroes” in Stapleford has been officially opened by the Mayor of Broxtowe Councillor Richard MacRae.  Five one-bed apartments on the site of underutilized garages on Oakfield Road have been built by Vaughandale Construction.  

The new homes will be prioritized for ex-servicemen so particular care has been taken to ensure they are all have good accessibility.  A ramped entrance leads from the street to the main entrance. The upper floors are accessible by stairs and provide for ambulant disabled residents. The apartments provide wet rooms, wider doorways and wheelchair turning spaces.

The site is constrained by major services and the flood plain so the challenge was to accommodate accessible ramps into the landscaping strategy to create a sense of place. The property is also set up to provide low running costs and is exceptionally low carbon with the use of photo-voltaic panels and air source heat pumps.

[raynerdavies]

Apartments in The Arboretum

Rayner Davies Architects have submitted a planning application for apartments in Nottingham’s Arboretum Conservation Area.  29 one and predominantly two bed apartments are planned on a disused bowling green, pavilion building and car park on Addison Street.

The site is bounded by a tall Bulwell stone wall to the East on Addison Street. An existing pedestrian gate and separate vehicular access points are present to this boundary and form the access points into the site.

Whilst the bowling green itself won’t be retained, the rectilinear and open feel of the site as a green square with buildings and mature vegetation to the perimeters is one of the key design concepts adopted in the proposals. The Clubhouse building is Georgian and will be retained, refurbished and converted to apartments as part of the proposal, with new buildings behind the Bulwell Stone wall fronting Addison Street.  These buildings are set out in relation to an axis which is created between the reinstated existing pedestrian site entrance and the historical landmark - The Chinese Bell Tower - in the Arboretum.

The scale and architectural language of the proposed Addison Street buildings are informed by the semi-detached Victorian villas present in the surrounding area. Materials used are predominantly red brick with ashlar and brick decorative features to gables, dormers and window heads. The use of two-tone brickwork is prevalent in the conservation area and is reflected in the design.

The proposed landscaping scheme has been designed to maintain the characteristic of the site. Rectilinear path arrangements are used to define the perimeter of the ‘square’, as a reference to the former bowling green.

Unitech Plus are the developers behind the proposals.  With ten years of presence in the East-Midlands, Unitech Plus have a long-term strategy to invest in and develop high-end and sustainable apartment complexes for young professionals and families.  

A planning decision is expected in the summer with work starting soon after

[raynerdavies]

Planning Received for new Care Home and Bowls Club in Hinckley

Rayner Davies Architects have received planning permission for a 67-bed care home and bowls club on Coventry Road Hinckley.  The Care Build Group are developing the site.

On the site of the former Clarendon Club and the Sweet Pea Bowling Club, the development will be a three-storey building providing specialist care for the elderly. A new bowling green and pavilion is to be provided for the bowls club.  

The home will include a ground floor café/bistro lounge which opens out on to external patio spaces, separate lounge and dining spaces on each level, a library, a cinema, a bar/pub and a hairdressing salon.

Lounge and dining facilities at all three residential levels will overlook the bowling green with roof terraces above to allow views out over the activities on warm days. The communal café/bistro and bar are located centrally in the plan and serve as the entrance to the facility, whilst also connecting directly out on to the residents’ communal garden space. The ground floor facilities are to be shared by residents and visiting family members. The facilities included, along with the layout of the home, have been designed to encourage a variety of age groups and communities to congregate within the public areas.

Rayner Davies project architect Julien McGuinness said: “We are delighted to have been granted planning permission for this care home for The Care Build Group. The site is unusual in having a dual-purpose sports and care facility so working the two together was a definite challenge. However, the end user experience will be improved no end as a result.”

Howard Ward Associates of Nottingham provided structural design with Zenith Planning acting as planning advisors.

Radcliffe on Trent contractors Wynbrook are expecting to start on site later this year

[raynerdavies]

PLANNING RECEIVED FOR NEW CARE FACILITY IN WOODTHORPE

Rayner Davies Architects have recently secured planning permission for a 40-bed residential care home on a site opposite Woodthorpe Grange Park in Nottingham. The existing property had previously become run down following a series of unsympathetic extensions so the decision was made to demolish the property and build a new state-of-the-art care facility. The biggest design challenge was to ensure that this commercial development maintained a contemporary style to meet the client’s brief whilst also complementing the scale and traditional architecture of its domestic neighbours. The orientation of the new building and placement of roof terraces and gardens to the rear will provide residents with fantastic views to the north of the city from the site’s heightened position.

Work is expected to start on site next year.

[raynerdavies]

RIBA Recognises The Curve as an Exemplar Housing Project

The Rayner Davies designed scheme on the corner of Gregory Street and Abbey Bridge Nottingham has been recognised by the RIBA as an exemplar housing project in the East Midlands. It has been acknowledged as a leading housing development within the region, delivering exceptional design with a high level of sustainability.

The recognition is part of the RIBA commitment to identifying and promoting good design and takes into consideration durability, functionality, interiors, location, and the aesthetics of each development.  As part of the judging process, representatives from the RIBA led by Mike Baulcombe, Director at RIBA East Midlands, conducted a tour of The Curve.

As part of its RIBA recognition, The Curve’s exemplar housing design will be showcased to an audience of property professionals on 18 November 2021.

23 high quality one and two bed apartments were built in a single block over two and four storeys. The external envelope curves around the site, enveloping a private central courtyard garden and residents parking. The project was complex as it is within an area at risk of flooding and also within an area of archaeological constraints. Opposite the site, to the south, is The Priory Church of St Anthony which is a Grade II Listed Building and is bounded by a Grade II listed boundary wall. The site stands within the Lenton Priory Scheduled Monument Area. Archaeological investigation works took place prior to work starting on site.

Steve Rayner, Partner at Rayner Davies said “This recognition by our peers is a testament to the quality of the work the team undertook here. We are proud that we were able to help make this project a reality”

Wynbrook Ltd were contractors for the project with Viridis Building Services and Howard Ward Associates assisting the design team.

[raynerdavies]

Fountain Gardens - Mill Lane - Bolsover

Rayner Davies Architects have submitted a planning application for 32 new dwellings in the market town of Bolsover in Derbyshire.  Dragonfly Development are behind the project which aims to deliver high quality private sale and affordable housing.  It follows Dragonfly’s recent successful development in South Normanton.

A range of properties are proposed from two bed bungalows to four bed detached houses on the 3.6-acre site.

The site was formally industrial space all of which has been vacant for some time. 

Engineering support was provided by DICE and 24/three acted as Design & Project Managers.

Traditional materials are proposed - materials that are in keeping with the surrounding area such as red masonry brickwork, roof tiles and light-coloured surface treatments to create a pleasant environment for residents. Brick detailing has been used to create interest and variety along with cladding to key properties.  A large tree-lined pedestrian boulevard is proposed running through the site.  Front gardens will be bound by low level hedges and railings. 3 units will be allocated as affordable housing in line local planning policy.

Work is expected to start later this year

[raynerdavies]

WILFORD VIEW CARE HOME SHORTLISTED FOR THE CARE HOME AWARDS 2021

Rayner Davies Architects have been shortlisted in the Care Home Awards 2021.  They were nominated in the Best for Architecture, Interior Design or Communal Spaces category for their work on the Wilford View Care Home in Nottingham. A panel of 20 judges will decide the winners in each category and COVID-19 restrictions permitting, a face-to-face lunch and awards ceremony will take place on Friday 10 September in the Grosvenor House Hotel ballroom, on Park Lane, London. This will again be hosted by ‘voice of the balls’ Alan Dedicoat.

The prestigious awards are an annual event which recognise excellence in the care home sector.  The awards are run in association with Care Home Management magazine.

The 83-bed care home created around 50 new jobs when it was completed late last year.  Built by local specialist care contractors @Wynbrook, it was the firm’s fifth project for clients Medina Care.

The new building features en-suite wet rooms, communal lounge areas, a café, a cinema room, a hairdressing salon and a sun-terrace for residents.

[raynerdavies]

Rayner Davies are Bronze Members of the Mental Health Charter

We are delighted to announce that we have signed up to the Mental Health Charter C.I.C, highlighting our commitment in improving mental health in the workplace. 

It’s so important now more than ever that we look after ourselves and each other and learn to spot the signs of poor mental health. By signing the charter and achieving bronze membership we are committing to the principles of the Mental Health Charter and pledge to provide awareness of mental health provisions within the workplace.