Part II Architectural Assistant Archives

A further success for the Architectural Team at Planning & Design Practice as our colleague Architectural Assistant Tina Humphreys successfully completes Part 3 of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) education course, which is aimed at those wishing to achieve status as a fully qualified architect in the UK. In this article, Tina describes the process and her future ambitions, which include becoming a PassivHaus Certified Designer.

“I am pleased to say that I have completed my Part 3 Professional Education course in Architecture with the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and can now register with the Architects Registration Board.

It has been a very long journey in gaining this achievement, a journey which started back in 2008, when I completed a one year course at college for interior design. My university days were spent at Nottingham Trent University and then DeMontfort University where I completed my Master’s degree.

Planning & Design has been supportive throughout my studies and I would like to thank Siegfried Doering, David Symons, and Lindsay Cruddas for all their help and support.

So with a new year just around the corner, (after celebrating with a few drinks over the festive period) what’s next? Before going on maternity leave in 2021 I started a course in which I can learn how to use a program called the PassiveHaus Planning Package (PHPP). This is an Excel software that can be used at the concept stage, taking the project’s location, orientation, construction method and fenestration to assess the energy efficiency of a design. It makes use of several tested and approved calculations to yield a building’s heating, cooling, and primary energy demand.

Becoming a PassivHaus Certified Designer is also a goal I would like to achieve. There are around 1,500 PassivHaus-certified buildings in the UK and it is growing more popular, and there are many other buildings informed by PassiHaus principles but are not officially certified, and some even exceed its energy efficient standards.

Sustainable design is an important aspect for me and is crucial for mitigating environmental impact, improving energy efficiency, promoting health and well-being, achieving long-term cost savings, adapting to climate change, fulfilling social responsibilities, and meeting regulatory requirements and market demands. As the global focus on sustainability intensifies, architects play a key role in shaping the built environment to be more environmentally friendly and socially responsible.”

Tina Humphreys, Part 3 Architectural Assistant, Planning & Design Practice Ltd

“We are extremely proud of Tina’s determination and effort juggling the pressures of parenting, professional practice, and her studies to achieve this landmark stage in her career and the title Architect. She has worked hard to dig into every aspect of the architectural profession from health and safety to contract management and company structures and has always generated debate within the office by sharing her new knowledge and informed opinions. We are excited to see Tina grow within her new role and are looking forward to supporting her sustainability ambitions for the benefit of the practice and our clients in the future.”

David Symons, Senior Architect, Planning & Design Practice Ltd

Sustainability and Planning & Design

As a practice Planning & Design have been researching and promoting a number of sustainability initiatives, including Passivhaus, Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH) and the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI).

From the earliest discussions with our clients we recognise the importance of outlining the advantages and benefits of building with sustainable aspects incorporated into their projects and ways in which they can reduce the carbon footprint of their project. This is obviously in consideration of their construction budget.

Our approachable and experienced design team is comprised of architects, architectural assistants, designers and technicians, who offer a comprehensive architecture service from concept through to completion.

Do you have the desire to build your own PassivHaus home or sustainable project fit for the future and to combat climate change?

If so, please get in touch on 01332 347371 and we can help you through the process and explain how you can incorporate the latest innovations into your project.

We recently secured permission for the residential redevelopment of a former public house in Derbyshire. We were able to reach an agreement with the local authority for the development of five dwellings. The scheme included the retention and conversion of the original historic element of the public house, which was converted into a pair of charming semi-detached houses. Then, we traded the floor space of the rest of the pub, which had been extended several times in an ad-hoc fashion, to be demolished with the new dwellings erected in its place.

Two key issues that we had to address were the impact the development would have on the neighbouring properties and ensuring the dwellings had safe access to the highway. Tina Humphreys, our Part II Assistant, led the design work and was able to carefully balance the design of the new properties to prevent overlooking, loss of privacy or the new properties being overbearing. The site was spatially compact, and we had to account for the minimum garden depths required by the Authority, which meant careful placement of windows and amenity space. The scheme replicated the density of the surrounding area, and the high-quality design of the new dwellings will make a positive contribution to the street scene.

The issue with the proposed access was that although we could achieve a safe visibility splay in theory, based on a speed survey that was conducted for this application, the road conditions were such that cars regularly parked adjacent to the access, and therefore blocking visibility. We were able to reach an agreement with the local Highways Authority to extend some existing double yellow lines to prevent the blockage, in doing so satisfying the Planning Officer that the development could take place safely.

Planning & Design Practice Ltd is a multi-disciplinary team of Town Planners, Architects, Architectural Assistants and Design Professionals. We can take a project through from inception to completion but we also offer the flexibility to engage a client’s own architects and provide a planning service, whilst our design team can also work with clients who have engaged other town planning professionals.

With extensive knowledge about the policies and procedures of individual councils and the approach taken by planning officers and Councillors, we can tailor our services to the site location and the individual needs of our clients. Contact us for a no obligation consultation to discuss your project or property.

Good things come in threes – Part 3 success for our Architectural Assistant

Tina Humphreys, Part 3 Architectural Assistant, Planning & Design Practice Ltd

David Symons, Senior Architect, Planning & Design Practice Ltd

Sustainability and Planning & Design

Planning permission converts Public House to private residences

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