The Ark Book2011

ARK is a chartered architectural practice with a clear objective: The delivery of design excellence through an intensive process of research and dialogue.

We have a design-led approach that focuses on our clients needs and aims to deliver innovative solutions within cost and time constraints, while simultaneously exceeding expectations.

We recognise the importance of efficiency and design rational, while at the same time value the opportunity of every project and look to maximise its unique potential.

Our work is supported by strong technical expertise that joins together traditional thinking with progressive research, as well as recognised industry standards, including the Code for sustainable homes, and Energy Assessor status. Energy performance calculations and assessments form an integral part of our design process and result in solutions with proven sustainable credentials.

Our approach delivers a project specific and sustainable architecture that responds sensitively to its context and delivers for our clients.

Durham Street, WiganWigan and Leigh Housing

49 dwellings for Wigan and Leigh Housing, resurrecting council developed housing in the Wigan area, constructed on a challenging and sloping site.

The scheme is derived from a modern appraisal of terraced housing, particularly in the Wigan area, heavily influencing the materiality and site strategies.

Lord Street, LeighThe Richmond Fellowship

On the site of a former nightclub in the centre of Leigh, Ark was commissioned to develop a flagship apartment building with secure communal areas and gardens.

Using a blue brick, identified on the former railway arches within the town, the scheme is deeply rooted within its context, with a contemporary twist.

Crummock Road, PrestonCommunity Gateway Association

The concept was to create urban villas for this Community Gateway scheme, as part of which Crummock Road introduces the portico as a architectural statement to the housing, forming a covered canopy to the entrance of each of the dwellings.

Burton Place, ManchesterArk Design and Architecture Ltd.

The home of Ark in Manchester is our first foray into office design, creating a flexible office and meeting space with the Urban Splash developed Moho building.

The office features a sliding feature room, offering levels of privacy to the meeting and relaxation spaces.

New Auditoria, WiganToday’s Community Church

The scheme for Today’s community church features a 1,000 seater auditorium with attached conferencing and amenities, on a former industrial site in Wigan.

This features the sustainable re-cladding and re-use of the former factory unit, which is linked to the new auditorium facilities by bridge link.

Upper Aughton Road, PrestonCommunity Gateway Association

Upper Aughton Road is a landlocked site on brownfield land, formerly inhabited by an industrial factory unit. The site was afflicted by overlooking properties and covenants governing positioning of units and car parking.

Embracing the industrial heritage of the site, Ark borrowed cladding technologies from commercial and industrial design and applied them to create a striking elevational treatment.

Howard Street, SalfordFresh Start Living

Salford, the spiritual home of the Coronation street terraces, lends itself to the terraced typology, allowing Ark to develop a terrace typology with contemporary styling, and features.

Each row is terminated with timber clad feature units to the corners which form an iconic identity for the street, and the area.

Broadbent House, MaghullAdactus Housing Group

Maghull features many intricate design details, from the timber post roof structure to the stack bonded brick elevations which form the entrances to the development.

A continuous decked balcony links the dwellings, and provides space for outdoor gathering and chat for the residents.

Ashdown Close, SouthportAdactus Housing Group

18no. Apartments with attached gardens in Southport, where the main concept was to develop light and open spaces which become desirable living spaces for social tenants.

The key feature of the design is the louvered balconies, which provide generous external amenity to the apartments, whilst maintaining tenant privacy.

Warwick Close, SouthportAdactus Housing Group

Inspired by the timber decked pier of Southport promenade, Ark set about to blend a simple palette of cedar boarding, brick and render to create this subtle apartment scheme set within landscaped communal areas.

Atkinson Road, UrmstonAdactus Housing Group

The feature corner balconies draw the eye at the corner of these apartments, anchored to the ground by the imposing steel structural column, complemented by the timber soffits which accentuate all the openings into the building.

Holly House, LowtonPrivate Client

Extending a grade two listed house required additional care in the design process, when creating a contemporary addition to the existing building.

In addition to the heritage of the existing, the extension also had to accommodate a sharp change in level, which Ark negotiated by creating a feature, focal point staircase to transition from the old to the new.

Cotswold House, WiganAdactus Housing Group

This was a scheme for a hostel with associated restaurant and reception areas, for one of our social housing clients. The key drive was to generate a sense of ownership by giving generous sized apartment space to all occupants, each of which was accessed by a glazed winter garden atrium space.

Captains Green, BootleAdactus Housing Group

Captains Green offered a number of interesting design challenges, with the creation of two almost identical blocks at either end of a public green space, the challenge was to create light living spaces, without compromising on occupant privacy.

The project team developed an innovative raised lounge area, to overcome these issues, allowing pedestrian traffic past the unit without affecting occupant comfort.

Howarth Road, PrestonCommunity Gateway Association

At Howarth road, we had an overriding vernacular of post-war style 1940’s/1950’s housing, within which we were required to site new, yet complimentary housing.

Through intensive research, we reviewed the post war style and then redefined it with contemporary moves to enhance the merits of the style, juxtaposing this with key contemporary moves.

Truro Place, PrestonCommunity Gateway Association

This is an infill scheme within a housing estate in Preston for eighteen new dwellings, which draw on the local vernacular of red brick and render, which is then complemented by sleek modernist principles applied to the roof line.

The width of the street is accentuated, by introducing perme-able boundaries to the footpath edge, which assists in re-inforc-ing a sense of place to the development.

The Laurels, BoltonSeddon Homes

The Laurels is a luxury housing development for Seddon Homes set within the grounds of the listed house of the same name. Large master bedrooms open into adjacent suites and dressing areas. Double height dining areas are tailored for entertainment, opening onto large private courtyard spaces.

Each of the homes is set off a tree lined private driveway, offering the ultimate in luxury living.

Wigan Pier, WiganSpark Developments

Ark took the former Wigan Pier museum, and developed it into commercial and leisure space with offices, an art gallery and a restaurant unit by the Leeds Liverpool Canal in Wigan. The key with this landlocked site was to create a open destination building.

The ambition was to revitalise the existing building, maximising on the industrial heritage of the spaces throughout.

Mixed use development, WiganGray Land and Property

On an arterial road in the centre of Wigan, we were challenged to create an apartment development with associated retail on the ground floor and car parking. Ark generated a number of design options at feasibility stage, exploring many options for the client.

It was important to create a landmark building using a tight budget, hence the use of colour to highlight the windows.

Clement Court, OpenshawAdactus Housing Group

Clement Court was the first of a new wave of interior design projects for Ark, as we continue to diversify our service offering.

We took a typical retirement lounge area, and proposed it be opened into a light coffee bar style space, with a island bar/kitchen, with low level seating to meet Disability requirements of the client. A new threshold to the lounge was created by incorporating a timber wrap over feature.

Bridgewater Street, HindleyAdactus Housing Group

Adactus commissioned Ark to create a development of six apartments within a quiet residential area of Wigan. The onus for the development was to provide secure support units for vulnerable tenants.

Here we utilised quality materials using steel rainwater goods to accentuate the corner of the building, and to contrast the timber boarding and sandstone cills.

Ellesmere Road, MontonPrivate Client

Out clients purchased their neighbouring house with a view to remodelling the Victorian dwelling completely. Ark were approached to not only alter the existing house, but to create additional space within a new contemporary extension to the side of the existing house.

We also unlocked the potential of the basement area, opening this up to create additional recreational facilities.

Palmyra Square WarringtonPrivate Client

The scheme for Palmyra Square was for a number of apartments sited in place of an existing council building overlooking a green public square.

As the buildings bounding the square were predominantly red brick, the strategy for the new intervention was to create a floating brick facade, framing the colours of the main building cladding behind.

Knutsford Road WarringtonPeel Holdings

A Challenging site on the boundary of Warrington town centre, which required a considered design approach to avoid overlooking issues from the raised roadway.

The iconic roof-form was developed as a contemporary response to the local pitched roof vernacular of the surrounding buildings.

ARK DESIGN AND ARCHITECTURE LTD.4 Burton Place, Castlefield, Manchester

M15 4PTT: 0161 819 5090

W: www.arkitecture.co.ukE: ideas@arkitecture.co.uk