2020 in review
Realised Buildings
Corinium Museum
Withycombe House
The Final Certificate was issued for Withycombe House in March last year. The house is located in an enviable position within the Green belt, close to Bath, sat on the side of a steeply sloping valley with stunning panoramic views to the south.
Park Cottage
Our clients moved into Park Cottage in July last year. Their new family home is a replacement dwelling in the Greenbelt, replacing an unremarkable series of existing buildings which occupied a prominent corner in the village Conservation area. Our challenge was to design a building which responded positively to the village context whilst still respecting the defining characteristics of the village. Most notably, the central room includes a Zollinger Roof which is believed to be the first in the country.
Little Court
On site
We have a number of projects on site, including Avonbridge House and Crowe Lane.
Planning Submissions and Consent
Included in our range of projects, we obtained planning approval for Crapper and Sons’ shell prototype. Along with Format Engineers, we have been commissioned to develop a prototype building structure that could be developed for use as commercial space for various purposes, while allowing the roof to be used as pastureland.
This building type forms part of a masterplan for a sustainable, self-sufficient town, and utilises the power generated by the energy recovery plant already planned for the site. The prototype structure uses the slope of the land to provide roof access from the upper slope, and building access from below.
Our Team
As most practices last year, most of Designscape shifted to working remotely from home for the majority of 2020. Studio life is important to Designscape, and we are all looking forward to making our way back to the office when we are able to – in particular, we are looking forward to the return of our study trips, which play a huge part in Designscape’s team and learning culture.
2020 also saw Joe join the Designscape team and Lauren promoted to associate, which were both real positives for the year.
Time for Change
Joe brought with him fresh energy and enthusiasm for looking after our climate – something that Designscape has always been passionate about. As a team, we have been investigating how we can measure the embodied carbon in our buildings using BIM modelling, and how we can make changes in our design and studio culture that can have positive impacts on our climate. Read more about this in our Blog Post, The Big C.
Looking Ahead
Even with its challenges, it is clear from reflecting over 2020 that the year brought a number of positives for Designscape and our clients. Some of the challenges we faced are still continuing and there is, of course, still a level of uncertainty for 2021. In spite of this, Designscape are looking forward to seeing what the year brings – things can only get better!
We are continuing to work on a number of exciting projects, with 2021 already seeing a number of Planning Applications submitted and approved. Keep updated on our news here.
