Category: Blog

HUB were invited to overhaul and update a three bedroom holiday apartment in Malaga, Spain. The scope of work included specifying all finishes, fixtures and fittings, as well as the configuration of a new kitchen and custom joinery for all rooms.

By introducing a predominantly neutral colour scheme and through the careful articulation of finishes and reflected surfaces, HUB gave the flat a sense of light and space.

The open-plan reconfiguration of the kitchen and living room allows for a flexible entertainment space. We created a custom design for the kitchen island to incorporate a dining area with bench seating, to maximise the use of the available space. Porcelanosa kitchen units and Natuzzi furniture add a sleek feel to the space.

The three bedrooms have been individually designed to reflect the family’s requirements. The master bedroom is a sumptuous space with Abbot & Boyd Eldorado Belize wallpaper as focal point. The second bedroom has been created for a little boy, incorporating a variety of textures and colourful finishes, creating an interactive and fun space, but allowing for the space to grow with the child. The third bedroom is to accommodate the client’s guests and has been designed to give a feeling of luxury and comfort. Custom wardrobes have been created for all spaces, made of anodised aluminium frames and custom coloured glass doors with beautifully tactile Ultrasuede panels.

The hallway required particular attention to accommodate the client’s distinct requirements. We have designed joinery to store the family’s luggage, alongside Ultrasuede lined shoe drawers. A light-coloured seagrass style wallpaper has been chosen to give the space an airy feel and to minimise the sense of enclosure.

The finishes boards will give an initial idea of the spaces and feel. The final touches are being applied at the moment and we hope to be able to update you with images of the completed project very soon.

We are delighted that Enfield Council has approved our scheme for 70a – 72 The Ridgeway, and has granted the eagerly anticipated Planning Permission.

This project involves the redevelopment of a suburban site with a two and a half storey apartment building containing 9 apartments with car parking, landscaping and associated amenities. The client’s requirements for this site were for an apartment building, traditional in design. Each apartment benefits from a reception room, a separate kitchen and two to three bedrooms and an outdoor terrace or balcony.

Our design proposals have been carefully considered to overcome the shortcomings of the previously refused proposals by another developer, and is designed to respond to the local context and vernacular in terms of appearance, character and materials, adding character to and compliment the area.

Since the Cricklewood Library in the London Borough of Brent closed in October 2011, the Friends of Cricklewood Library have worked tirelessly to secure the necessary funding to replace this essential community treasure.

The shell space made available for the new library is now ready to receive it’s makeover, to accommodate an array of residents’ workshops and craft groups alongside the 1000’s of donated books before the end of this year.

Work has commenced on site and the FOCL aim to open the doors to the public in December 2019. We will keep you updated about progress on this lovely community project via our Journal and Twitter.

Planning Approval has now been received for 80A Westbury Road, located within the London borough of Barnet.

The existing property is used as a private two-storey detached, single family dwelling house of 75m².

The approved proposal is to demolish the existing house and build a new detached house that reflects the existing vernacular on the street.  Which typically have curved bay windows, front-gable, tile-pitch roofs etc.

The new building will be designed as a contemporary take on the surrounding area. It will be built in high quality materials, mainly brick and tiles inspired by the surrounding area and the existing building. 

The design incorporates dormers to the front and rear of the new building. Notably, they are half the width and height of the proposed roofscape.

The front dormer is also in keeping with the existing front dormers seen on No.78 and No.80 Westbury Road.  Its position at the front has been carefully placed to read well with the fenestration at Ground and First floor level.

Construction is under way at our site in Aldington, West Midlands. We will be replacing a 1990’s conservatory with a new single storey extension and adapting a non-original bay with new windows and double doors. Some minor internal & external alterations to the ground and first floor will make the house more suitable for contemporary family living.

Following on from our last blog on how even the smallest spaces can be turned into self-contained micro units, we have now received Planning Permission for our smallest housing project to date.

In November 2018, HUB was approached by a private client to extend and convert two 300 square foot garages into a studio dwelling. Working with the client we have established a design that is retaining the character of the existing 20th century garage buildings by extending the same duo-pitched roof form, creating a self-contained 400 square foot living accommodation.

Our proposed design has a contemporary approach, maximising natural light into the dwelling whilst controlling views and excessive solar heat gain with external louvre to the upper glazed area of the frontage. The dwelling will have double aspects to the front and rear, as well as rooflights, creating a light and airy living space. Despite the size constrains of the site, we have also been able to create a small front garden, which will be connected with the front room through sliding doors, creating fluent indoor – outdoor living.

Since the founding of Airbnb in 2008 the online marketplace and hospitality services provider has come under ongoing scrutiny for undercutting local hotel prices and altering the rental structures of cities, which were highlighted in numerous studies and media outlets, such as the BBC (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-45083954). However, despite the negative publicity, the platform has grown by 2018 to 5 million listings in 191 countries and 81,000 cities. While the benefits of encouraging tourism cannot be ignored, there is a concern that the loss of long term rental space to Airbnb has created yet further housing demand in cities across the World. The challenge is to create lettable, self-contained units, without depleting existing residential amenity.

The enterprising and resourceful approach of one of our clients, Liz Bolton, resulted in a brief for just that. Working with Liz, we discovered, hidden within the footprint of her 890 square foot flat and side passage, an opportunity to create a self-contained micro unit. This unit now offers a light and airy independent living space with bedroom, kitchen, sitting space and shower room.

In order to achieve this, HUB designed a new infill side and rear extension for an existing two storey outrigger, to make use of the neglected space. The self-contained living space created, has been designed with a glazed roof to maximise daylight use. The infill side and new rear extension add to the enjoyment of the existing building, allowing for a better spatial use and relationship to the external rear garden.

To make the practicalities of Airbnb hosting run smoothly, the extension terminates in a separate garden-facing laundry.

 “Thanks to HUB I now have a stylish income generating space transformed from what was previously a small dark bedroom and a sunless side-return used for plant pots. The space is now a light and airy micro apartment featuring a stylish bedroom, small but functional sitting/eating and TV area, galley kitchen and wet room!  And the piece de resistance is the separate laundry room!”  (L. Bolton, client)

https://www.airbnb.co.uk/users/show/9572552

We are excited to see on the 9th & 10th February 20109 at The Listed Property Show 2019, London Olympia.

We are looking forward to your visit of our stand, B20.

We are proud to announce that we have received the Planning Approval for a new two storey front gable extension, internal alterations and the replacement of the existing rear ground floor conservatory and with a new single storey rear extension for a private residence in Welford-on-Avon.

About us:

HUB Architects and Designers are a growing practice founded 12 years ago. Based in North West London and soon to be in the Midlands, we specialise in High-End Residential, Educational and Mixed-Use projects in London, the Home Counties and the West Midlands. HUB have a broad experience of architecture and design, with extensive knowledge of historic and contemporary forms of construction.

We are now recruiting for a highly motivated and talented Part I or Part II Assistant, to join our team in Queens Park office, NW6.

At HUB we have been lucky enough to develop a core team that understand our ethos and have the experience, skill and talent to help us deliver the projects that we are involved in. Thanks to our workload and the size of the practice we can offer candidates an opportunity to experience a wide variety of job stages, giving our Part I and Part II Assistants a great start towards their RIBA Part II/Part III and a sound basis to progress their career with us.

About you:

We are looking for a highly motivated candidate who can demonstrate initiative and motivation.
You will be articulate with an ability to think responsively and clearly.
You will have good skills in drafting and visualisation programmes.
You can demonstrate strong technical knowledge, construction detailing and job running experience.
You have a solid understanding of UK Building Regulations.
Proficiency in Vectorworks is an advantage.
You are experienced in using Adobe Creative Suite and have 3D modelling experience using SketchUp.
Your standards of accuracy, presentation and communication with internal teams and external clients are very high.

What we offer:

A competitive salary.
As an office we offer regular CPD’s and are committed to the well-being, health and development of our staff.
Regular team evenings, attending lectures and exhibitions.
We support Part II/Part III training with a structured programme under the guidance of a Project Architect with 6 month reviews with Partners and a bi-weekly review with Project Architect.

Salary dependent on experience.

No agencies or phone applications please.

Due to the high volume of expected responses, only successful candidates will be contacted.

To apply, please state which position you are applying for and send your current CV and A4 format portfolio of recent work (max size 5MB) to info@hubarchitects.co.uk.

HUB have successfully gained Planning Approval for  alterations  and extensions to a Grade 2 listed, Ashlar stone-faced house on the edge of the Cotswolds. When we took on this project the house had a classic and well-balanced entrance, but the configuration at the rear was not suitable for family living.

HUB  have focussed on the areas that were altered in 1990’s and retained the well-balanced form of the original front reception areas. Alterations to the house will add a generous family kitchen-dining room, 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms and a library/study.  HUB look forward to the construction phase and their involvement in the regeneration of this gorgeous 1820’s house.

Another year has passed and with that another London Design Festival is drawing to a close.

We have been able to connect with fabulous home-grown and international talents throughout Decorex, 100% Design and the many talks, presentation & events taking place throughout the city over the past week.

One company has stood out for us though, Cantori from Camerano in Italy. We loved the thought and detail that went into the Decorex stand design, showcasing the Rodin console table, Aurora Baccettata chair, Albero bookcase and the Sofia lamp range, to name just a few. Those wonderful pieces were set against a rich dark green background, making each piece shine. We particularly liked the materiality of their fixtures and fittings with a careful management of the variations in bronze and brass. The pieces felt authentic and timeless, despite the very fashionable references to Gio Ponti and mid-century design.

Thank you for Christine Favier from Christine Favier Furniture Consulting Ltd., who was so kind to welcome us into the stand on behalf of Cantori and to discuss the latest collection with us.

We are very much looking forward to work with Christine and Cantori on any of our current and upcoming interior projects.

HUB Architects have been appointed by Kilburn Lane LLP to gain a full Planning Application for a development at 133 Kilburn Lane.

The proposals are made for demolition of the existing buildings and the erection of a three and a half storey mixed used development providing six commercial units at lower ground and ground floors and 8 residential units (6 x 2 bed and 2 x 3 bed) at first and second floors. The scheme also includes soft and hard landscaping, refuse storage, cycle parking and amenity space.

The proposed building has a contemporary style, which contrasts and ‘punctuates’ the existing terraces and responds to the kink in the road layout of Kilburn Lane.  The commercial units have functional storey height glazing that reflects the employment function as an office. The two upper storeys of flats are set back from the frontage, reducing their visual impact on the street and providing terraces amenity space for the Kilburn Lane flats.

The key design principles adopted for the site will be to ensure that the character of the proposed external building envelope is not overbearing or has a significant adverse impact on the amenities of surrounding properties. The proposal building will still stand its ground while making a positive contribution to the character of the surrounding area and street scene.

We are very excited to have learned that the scheme has received the approval of Brent Council and are looking forward to work with Kilburn Lane LLP to bring this development to life.

We had removed some gate-posts at the beginning of a very long-term refurbishment and extension to a house in Holland Park, that we can presume dated back to the house which was completed in 1862. They weren’t standing up straight and it turned out the the cast-iron panels of which they were constructed were heavily corroded. We are just awaiting completion of the replicas, and the fabricator sent through some pictures at the works- it will be exciting to see them finished and in place!

by M. Jardine (HUB Architect)

How do you present Architecture to a group of 60 Year 2 pupils so that it is exciting and engaging? This was a challenge faced by one of our Architects recently when invited by a Wimbledon primary school to run a workshop with their Year 2 pupils.

After a brief introduction (and rather entertaining question and answer session) the children were split up into groups and given large sheets of paper to design their own ‘dream’ home. It was amazing to see the enthusiasm of all the children and their ability to express their ideas on paper, discussing in their groups what should and should not be part of their design.

To realise these fantastic ideas, the second task they were presented with, was to create physical models workshop using all the junk modelling material they could get their hands on. Considering the short amount of time and resources available to them, their determination to realise their ideas was impressive.

It was a very successful workshop that engaged the children, giving them a valuable opportunity to explore individual and group ideas, ask challenging and unusual questions about the profession, and hopefully sparking a more permanent interest in the Architecture and design process.

It was a rewarding afternoon for all parties, and an approach HUB Architects hope to continue with in the future.

By J. Kirwan (HUB Architect)

Architecture in its physical primacy is to serve society, engage communities, uplift living conditions and inspire those whose lives are built within those conditions. As all powerful and timeless pieces of art, and with respect to architecture’s polar, immaterial primacy, artistically designed spatial experiences take one away from the everyday train of thought and project thoughts inwards in search of the deeper structures and meaning of life. It is within this metaphysical reality that the essence and greatness of architecture resides and influentially permeates the societal conditions of a given context, at the heart of which it radiates.

True diagnosis regarding London’s social housing crisis has been problematic and evasive, to say the least, with the sole solution to the myriad of detrimental symptoms exhibited within those troubled environments to construct ever-more confined spaces above and beside spaces overcrowded to begin with, built upon a functionalist ‘utopian’ architectural framework conceived of over half a century ago. In the words of Frederick Kiesler: “One box next to another. One box below another. One box above another. Until they grow into tumours of skyscrapers.” This poetic foresight and distinctly discernible description of modern, overly-dense social housing projects, written as far back as 1922, is viscerally defended in this article featuring architect Neave Brown – a visionary and pioneer of some of London’s most successfully received and humane social housing projects during the 1960s and 70s; a time epitomized by the capital’s golden age for the design and construction of social housing utopias.

In describing with impassioned urgency, the socially destructive effects that have remained cyclical, alienated and confined to those decades out-dated, short-sighted social housing models, architect Neave Brown asserts: “These blocks segregate people, divide communities, keep classes apart, keep people on low incomes in desperate places, keep children so that they can’t play together, and it’s all wrong. Not all of those tower blocks need to be rebuilt for fire purposes, but they do need to be rebuilt for social purposes.”

Immerse into this engaging discussion directed at London’s social housing crisis and high-rise blocks like Grenfell Tower, in which architect Neave Brown advocates remedies in resolutions to this seemingly perpetual problem.

https://www.dezeen.com/2017/10/05/neave-brown-interview-high-rise-buildings-only-for-very-rich-social-housing/

On a grey and dreary Thursday at the end of January, an invitation for an Upholstery Workshop for Interior Designers arrived in our inbox. A workshop presented by Kay Chattun the Creative Director and Co-founder of Lacaze London. Needless to say, that our directors agreed that a course like this could only benefit HUB and we didn’t waste any time to make sure that we secured a place.

Founded in 2008, Lacaze set’s itself apart from the mainstream furniture makers through its manufacturing processes. Each piece is handcrafted by a team of experienced craftsmen using specialist techniques that have been passed down through generations.

Handpicked and sustainable raw materials; European sourced and FSC certified, kiln-dried hardwood timbers are the core of each piece. The attention to detail, craftsmanship and knowledge reflected in their work, have ensured that Lacaze has become an industry leader in manufacturing upholstered pieces as well as stand-alone and fitted joinery.

Our aim is not only to work with the best crafts people to ensure that our clients receive the best possible quality, but also to ensure that our ethical values are represented. HUB are firm believers that nurturing new talents is the way to secure the future of our industry. Due to the lack of funding, in particularly for traditional crafts, this is sadly not something many small businesses can incorporate, as the financial impacts are simply too substantial to carry.

When I had the opportunity for a brief chat with Kay, I was pleased to learn that Lacaz has also started its own apprenticeship scheme, to ensure that their skilled craftsmen are passing on the traditional joinery methods to the next generation of furniture makers.

Lacaze have packed a great amount of information into the three-hour workshop and we walked away with the confidence to fully specify our clients’ requirements to ensure a perfect fit of any upholstery piece and it is suitability for the intended environment.

Longevity and comfort are paramount, and can only be achieved by understanding furniture construction and the behaviour of materials under different uses, i.e. when to use zig-zag springs or coil springs, what kind of foam composition and density would be best suited, as well as how to achieve that ‘hugged’ feeling when snuggling into a couch or armchair.

With no upholstery piece being complete with the perfect cushion. We will make sure that cushion-fluffing is a thing of the past by including a Dacron-wrap instead of a feather-wrap, placing feather-fillings in a feather-jacket to avoid spreading and to make sure that back cushions are made of a combination of synthetic fibres and feathers to give extra support. In simple terms, creating the perfect piece.

By K. Horn (HUB Office Manager)

The Estate sits on 130 acres in the Borough of Basingstoke and Deane. It comprises a Grade II Listed principal building – being the Main House and several subsidiary curtilage buildings. HUB was involved in the various outbuilding works on the site, including Enabling Works related to the whole site infrastructure, complete refurbishment works to a series of Cottages, one with an associated Gardeners workshop. The property dates back from the 1870’s of a baronial chateau style. Features on the estate include steep slated roofs, a castellated parapet to the main building and brickwork outbuildings and a walled garden, all situated within established well landscaped surroundings.

More significantly, our works also included the conversion of an existing oak framed Hobby Barn into an energy generation hub that sits on the outer fringe of the curtilage of the main Listed building. As the barn sat just outside the Listed Curtilage, it meant that it would be ideal as it would offer no harm the Listed Building, but merely assist it and its associated curtilage buildings. Prior to the works, the estate heating was fed via oil, which resulted in various unsightly oil tanks being dotted around the estate, most of which were not discreetly concealed. The inefficiency, undesirable visual impact, the on-going maintenance & the possibility of ground contamination via oil spillage of these tanks did not sit comfortably with the historic estate buildings.

As part of the initial infrastructure works a heat main pipe (heating loop) was buried discreetly in the grounds, which connects all the buildings on the estate to the Energy Centre. This would be the main energy source for heating the estate.  This resulted in clean, low maintenance energy giving the estate a longer lease of life whilst also meeting the demands of contemporary living. A positive result as all the ugly oil tanks could disappear along with their on-going risk of ground contamination.

The two systems of renewable energy that would be carried by the buried heating loop, which were included in the Energy Centre are Low Carbon technologies. Specifically, a Biomass Boiler System that burns recycled wood shaped into pellets and a Ground Source Heat Pump which uses the embedded heat within the earth as a renewable energy source to provide highly efficient heating for the estate.

These energy sources supplied to the estate via the Energy Centre are a sustainable energy source to limit the estate’s carbon footprint, which sits comfortably with the governments requirements to lower our emission targets, which contribute to greenhouse gas reduction & to improve the energy efficiency of the property as a whole.

Other aspects that needed to be considered as part of the design development included careful co-ordination between plant & stringent acoustic envelope requirements which needed to be sensibly incorporated into the constraints of the existing barn building, primarily ensuring that the structural oak frame structure remained intact & functional, whilst offering a discreet solution that effectively appears no different from its original state when viewed externally. This is a truly discreet delivery of long term energy provision without impacting or compromising its immediate environment negatively. A positive result all round.