Chorlton Park Apartments
Encyclopedia
The Chorlton Park Apartments, is an award winning "Green building
" apartment building in Chorlton
, Manchester
, England
. It was designed by architect
Roger Stephenson
and was built as part of collaboration between Tom Bloxham
's development company Urban Splash
and Irwell Valley in 2002.
The development won a number of awards including the Housing Design Award in 2001, Roses Design Awards - best residential project in 2002 and in 2003 it won the MSA Design Award in the residential section. Its most prestigious award came in 2004 when it was awarded the Royal Institute of British Architects
RIBA Award.
Architect Roger Stephenson
liked the design so much that he bought one of the top floor apartments for himself.
and Manchester City Centre
in the suburban setting of Chorlton-cum-Hardy
, south Manchester
.
in the late 1990s who at the time were concerned that they were acquiring the image of a "worthy-but-dull" organisation. They then in 1999 instigated a limited invited competition by to design an exciting scheme for approximately 20 new homes to be developed on the site and invited four high profile architect
s including Stephenson Bell
, MBLC and Sterling Award
winners Ian Simpson and Stephen Hodder
to compete for the instruction.
Each submission was to be submitted anonymously and the design brief for the scheme was to provide "space, light and warmth, flexibility, integration of external environment, and the maximisation of natural heat, ventilation and light" with Manchester City Council
planning department additionally calling for a distinctive landmark
design to be constructed on the site in order to provide some variety to a location which is predominantly made up of two storey semi-detached
residential properties and low-rise retail units.
, who was one of the judges on the selection panel, admired the scheme so much that he offered to become a joint venture partner in the development. After Urban Splash came on board the scheme was then altered slightly to provide underground parking with additional duplex
units added along its front elevation
with Barlow Moor Road.
Natural light is maximised through the orientation
of the living room
s with the bedroom
s being located on the inner or courtyard side of the building to minimise any noise emanating from the street side of the development.
Each of the apartments benefits from large balconies with louvred screens which run on rollers to provide shade and privacy. The balconies are design to be an extension of the living space and are constructed using a frame of large green-oak posts and beams which were reclaimed from a wind damaged forest in France
.
to ensure energy efficiency
and the U value of the building is increased to 0.11 to ensure low heating costs.
The construction is of timber platform frame to improved efficient and cost effectiveness and also used renewable materials. The external materials designed to be easily maintained through the use of robust materials.
The structure gives the appearance of masonry, but it is actually a highly insulated timber frame. The units all have generous balconies, framed in wind-toppled French oak, with sliding louvred shutters to control privacy and sunlight, which look out on to the parkland across the road. This is quite a busy thoroughfare, particularly at peak hours, but the flats are remarkably quiet.
Contaminated fill was cleared, providing space for a basement car park of in situ concrete. Sustainable construction and low heating and maintenance costs were among the priorities in developing the site.
To deliver the necessary level of heat retention, we made walls and floors of sealed units filled with insulating material. Each unit is formed from timber joists some 300 mm deep, set close together and sandwiched between floorboards or sheets of marine ply.
Externally, the architect's choice of materials is emphasized by the oak-framed balconies provided for every apartment.
Green building
Green building refers to a structure and using process that is environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout a building's life-cycle: from siting to design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation, and demolition...
" apartment building in Chorlton
Chorlton-cum-Hardy
Chorlton-cum-Hardy is a suburban area of the city of Manchester, England. It is known locally as Chorlton. It is situated about four miles southwest of Manchester city centre. Pronunciation varies: and are both common....
, Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It was designed by architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
Roger Stephenson
Roger Stephenson
Roger Stephenson OBE is an acclaimed English architect and one of the partners of Stephenson Bell Architects in Manchester, England.-Background:Stephenson studied architecture at the Liverpool University School of Architecture...
and was built as part of collaboration between Tom Bloxham
Tom Bloxham
Thomas Paul Richard Bloxham MBE is an award winning property developer, founder of the pioneering urban renewal property development company Urban Splash and member of the judging panel for RIBA's Stirling Prize...
's development company Urban Splash
Urban Splash
Urban Splash is a British company which regenerates decaying industrial warehouses, mills, Victorian terraced houses and other buildings. These buildings have mainly been converted into housing...
and Irwell Valley in 2002.
The development won a number of awards including the Housing Design Award in 2001, Roses Design Awards - best residential project in 2002 and in 2003 it won the MSA Design Award in the residential section. Its most prestigious award came in 2004 when it was awarded the Royal Institute of British Architects
Royal Institute of British Architects
The Royal Institute of British Architects is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally.-History:...
RIBA Award.
Architect Roger Stephenson
Roger Stephenson
Roger Stephenson OBE is an acclaimed English architect and one of the partners of Stephenson Bell Architects in Manchester, England.-Background:Stephenson studied architecture at the Liverpool University School of Architecture...
liked the design so much that he bought one of the top floor apartments for himself.
Background
The site was formerly a contaminated petrol filling station located at 417 Barlow Moor Road, an arterial route connecting CheshireCheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
and Manchester City Centre
Manchester City Centre
Manchester city centre is the central business district of Manchester, England. It lies within the Manchester Inner Ring Road, next to the River Irwell...
in the suburban setting of Chorlton-cum-Hardy
Chorlton-cum-Hardy
Chorlton-cum-Hardy is a suburban area of the city of Manchester, England. It is known locally as Chorlton. It is situated about four miles southwest of Manchester city centre. Pronunciation varies: and are both common....
, south Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
.
Architectural competition
The site was later acquired by Irwell ValleyIrwell Valley
The Irwell Valley extends from the Forest of Rossendale in North West England, through to the cities of Salford and Manchester. The River Irwell runs through the valley, along with the River Croal.-Geology:...
in the late 1990s who at the time were concerned that they were acquiring the image of a "worthy-but-dull" organisation. They then in 1999 instigated a limited invited competition by to design an exciting scheme for approximately 20 new homes to be developed on the site and invited four high profile architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
s including Stephenson Bell
Roger Stephenson
Roger Stephenson OBE is an acclaimed English architect and one of the partners of Stephenson Bell Architects in Manchester, England.-Background:Stephenson studied architecture at the Liverpool University School of Architecture...
, MBLC and Sterling Award
Sterling Award
The Sterling Award was an award given to the top player, or players, in the New York Mets organization at each level of the minor leagues, emblematic of the team's Most Valuable Player. The award was called the Doubleday Award in honor of former Mets co-owner Nelson Doubleday, Jr....
winners Ian Simpson and Stephen Hodder
Stephen Hodder
Stephen Hodder MBE is an English architect who won the RIBA's Stirling Prize in 1996. He is also a partner at his own practice Hodder Associates which was founded in 1992.-Background:...
to compete for the instruction.
Each submission was to be submitted anonymously and the design brief for the scheme was to provide "space, light and warmth, flexibility, integration of external environment, and the maximisation of natural heat, ventilation and light" with Manchester City Council
Manchester City Council
Manchester City Council is the local government authority for Manchester, a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. It is composed of 96 councillors, three for each of the 32 electoral wards of Manchester. Currently the council is controlled by the Labour Party and is led by...
planning department additionally calling for a distinctive landmark
Landmark
This is a list of landmarks around the world.Landmarks may be split into two categories - natural phenomena and man-made features, like buildings, bridges, statues, public squares and so forth...
design to be constructed on the site in order to provide some variety to a location which is predominantly made up of two storey semi-detached
Semi-detached
Semi-detached housing consists of pairs of houses built side by side as units sharing a party wall and usually in such a way that each house's layout is a mirror image of its twin...
residential properties and low-rise retail units.
Urban Splash collaboration
The design put forward by Stephenson Bell was selected by the panel and won the competition. Tom Bloxham, of Urban SplashUrban Splash
Urban Splash is a British company which regenerates decaying industrial warehouses, mills, Victorian terraced houses and other buildings. These buildings have mainly been converted into housing...
, who was one of the judges on the selection panel, admired the scheme so much that he offered to become a joint venture partner in the development. After Urban Splash came on board the scheme was then altered slightly to provide underground parking with additional duplex
Duplex (building)
The term duplex can be used to describe several different dwelling unit configurations:A duplex house is defined as a dwelling having apartments with separate entrances for two families. This includes two-story houses having a complete apartment on each floor and also side-by-side apartments on a...
units added along its front elevation
Elevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface ....
with Barlow Moor Road.
Design
The scheme is predominantly of three storey construction, with a five storey element overlooking Chorlton Park. All units can be accessed by the disabled users and the individual apartments are accessed via an open timber floored deck with an elevator servicing all floors including the basement car parking facility. The building has low embodied energy, is highly insulated.Community design
Communal space includes the underground car park, circulation areas, roof garden and courtyard garden with barbecue facility and basement bicycle store. There is a single entrance and was devised to encourage communal activity.Natural light is maximised through the orientation
Passive solar building design
In passive solar building design, windows, walls, and floors are made to collect, store, and distribute solar energy in the form of heat in the winter and reject solar heat in the summer...
of the living room
Living room
A living room, also known as sitting room, lounge room or lounge , is a room for entertaining adult guests, reading, or other activities...
s with the bedroom
Bedroom
A bedroom is a private room where people usually sleep for the night or relax during the day.About one third of our lives are spent sleeping and most of the time we are asleep, we are sleeping in a bedroom. To be considered a bedroom the room needs to have bed. Bedrooms can range from really simple...
s being located on the inner or courtyard side of the building to minimise any noise emanating from the street side of the development.
Each of the apartments benefits from large balconies with louvred screens which run on rollers to provide shade and privacy. The balconies are design to be an extension of the living space and are constructed using a frame of large green-oak posts and beams which were reclaimed from a wind damaged forest in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Increased energy efficiency
The architect avoided expensive energy generators, photo voltaics, solar panels, or windmills and used high insulation and energy conservationEnergy conservation
Energy conservation refers to efforts made to reduce energy consumption. Energy conservation can be achieved through increased efficient energy use, in conjunction with decreased energy consumption and/or reduced consumption from conventional energy sources...
to ensure energy efficiency
Energy efficiency in British housing
Domestic housing in the United Kingdom presents a possible opportunity for achieving the 20% overall cut in UK carbon dioxide emissions targeted by the Government for 2010...
and the U value of the building is increased to 0.11 to ensure low heating costs.
The construction is of timber platform frame to improved efficient and cost effectiveness and also used renewable materials. The external materials designed to be easily maintained through the use of robust materials.
Construction
The building employs a timber frame construction, with innovative balconies of reclaimed bare timber which overlook Chorlton Park across Barlow Moor Road.The structure gives the appearance of masonry, but it is actually a highly insulated timber frame. The units all have generous balconies, framed in wind-toppled French oak, with sliding louvred shutters to control privacy and sunlight, which look out on to the parkland across the road. This is quite a busy thoroughfare, particularly at peak hours, but the flats are remarkably quiet.
Contaminated fill was cleared, providing space for a basement car park of in situ concrete. Sustainable construction and low heating and maintenance costs were among the priorities in developing the site.
To deliver the necessary level of heat retention, we made walls and floors of sealed units filled with insulating material. Each unit is formed from timber joists some 300 mm deep, set close together and sandwiched between floorboards or sheets of marine ply.
Externally, the architect's choice of materials is emphasized by the oak-framed balconies provided for every apartment.