Commercial

American Barns, Lighthorne

The American Barns was an existing barn conversion that was home to a number of high tech companies and with Jaguar Landrover and Aston Martin nearby our client who owned the site saw an opportunity to expand the office space available with a new building opposite the existing.

Archiwildish’s brief was to create a modern, efficient and naturally light office environment that complimented the adjoining historic American Barns, to achieve maximum use of the internal space a steel frame with concrete beam floors was opted as this allowed for large uninterrupted internal open spaces. With a central communal lobby area that incorporated the stairs, toilet and shower facilities, cleaning cupboards and a lift the 4 open plan offices were free to be organised the occupants as best suited their working needs.

Careful material choice and exterior styling created a fresh modern looking building that also related well to the existing building and surrounding rural landscape. Although close to the major road network and nearby to automotive manufacturers this site is still very much a rural one and stands as testament to achieving sustainable development in the open countryside that is both harmonious and sustainably enhancing with the creation of rural employment opportunities.

Hillers, Dunnington

Hillers Farm Shop is a popular local farm shop that hosts not just a supply of groceries, but also a restaurant and garden supply centre. The restaurant was previously too small for the demand of customers and a marquee was a temporary solution that just was not good enough for the client.

The design of the restaurant extension was inspired by a rustic lean-to shed to incorporate the rural settings of the local countryside as well as matching the existing exterior of the farm shop and grounds. The combination of glazing and agri-industrial cladding allows our design brief to be met and create a customer friendly space. Our plans were submitted for planning approval in 2020 and the project was successfully completed in 2021.

Village Hall, Cherrington

The replacement Cherington, Stourton and Sutton under Brailes Village Hall was built on a farmers field opposite the site of the old hall, so that the old site could be redeveloped for a new house which helped match fund a grant from the National Lottery.

Designed to cater for multiple end users (flower show, clubs, classes etc) the ambition with the development of the new Hall was to tackle rural isolation providing a hub that would bring together all members of the community.

Achieving financial sustainability for the continual running and upkeep of community buildings is often a problem and so Archiwildish addressed this issue through the design making the aesthetics inviting and pleasant so that private events like weddings would want to use the Hall (bringing in revenue) plus the internal flow of the building needed to be adaptable and multipurpose.

Working with the National Lottery meant there was a rigid budget and little contingency, therefore a steel frame construction was chosen as the most cost effective way to achieve the clean open space inside.

Opened in 2018 the Hall is used daily and has brought the 3 communities it serves closer together as well as being used by people from further afield for private events. A testimony to the ambitious villagers who thought big this is a venue that all can be proud of.

EV Charging Station

Having spent their career working in heavy haulage our client wanted to diversify their business and leave a environmentally green legacy for their children.

Approximately 1 mile from the centre of the picturesque and popular village of Bourton on the Water in the heart of the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, our client wanted to convert their roadside haulage and scrapyard site to a drive through café / shop facility, working with ArchiWildish the idea was suggested that a larger than usual number of EV charging points were added to create a facility for people visiting the area to be able to stop and recharge their vehicles.

It was 2018 when we submitted the application and at the time all perceptions were that you charge your electric car at home, then charge it at work and drive home again. The concept of a roadside (petrol station like) charging facility was ridiculed by the County Council’s Highway Officer and objectors to the scheme and after a protracted 18 month planning application the proposal was refused by Cotswold District Council Planning Committee.

The refused planing decision was heard at an Appeal Inquiry a year later, but because the conclusions of the original Highways Officer were based on inaccurate presumptions and because of changing attitudes towards how people would ultimately use their electric vehicles, the scheme was successfully approved.

Throughout the whole process the original Archiwildish design remained unaltered and received praise for its sensitive approach to the AONB. With construction planned for commencement in 2022 Archiwildish are pleased to be providing ongoing services throughout the Building Regulation and Construction phase of this exciting project.