Education.
About Us Welcome to Peak Architects, an agile and experienced practice with expertise across key sectors from housing, education and hospitality through to industrial units, urban and rural residential developments, retail and public sector buildings. We are an award-winning RIBA Chartered architectural practice with offices in Sheffield and the Hope Valley with a proven track record of delivering inspiring designs and buildings. We fully understand what developers, public bodies, funders and operators require to create successful projects, and our designs are based on financial feasibility to ensure they stack up to the core of the business case. Our strong, value driven approach sees Peak Architects trusted by our clients because we go out of our way to understand their needs and expectations. Our growing team excels at working together with our clients in order to deliver the best outcome, always focused on guiding the client through different phases of the design, planning and construction stages to handover.
Our Team The practice is led by Paul Holden, who has over 30 years’ experience within the architectural and construction industry across the globe. As well as being an architect, Paul is a qualified urban designer who has delivered landmark developments in central London and Birmingham. Established in 2015, the company has quickly built a proven track record of delivering inspiring designs and buildings across a large variety of sectors in the architectural design and interior design fields. Since its inception, the company has grown significantly to a team of fifteen and uses a variety of media from model making and hand drawn sketches to the latest computer modelling and 3D visualisations to communicate its ideas and allow the client to be central to the developing designs and decision making process.
Heritage and Conservation
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Central to our approach is the conservation, protection and sensitive conversion of historic buildings to preserve their character and fabric. We have a series of principles that we advocate, these being: • Use of traditional materials and construction techniques where possible which preserve and enhance the building’s local context; • Sensitive integration of sustainable construction methods and technology; • Placing new elements and facilities as free standing ‘sculptural elements’ within the spaces; • Where possible, off-site manufacturing is promoted to lessen works on site to reduce the programme, impact on the site and improve build quality; • In developing and implementing any heritage project, early stakeholder engagement is essential in ensuring an agreement on the approach, layout and methodology.
Peak Park
Peak Architects have considerable experience and a good working relationship with Peak District National Park Planning Authority. The key to our approach is to engage early with the Planning Authority and, where buildings are listed, with Historic England. This approach has allowed us to maintain a high planning success rate in providing innovative design solutions that utilise locally derived materials and reinforce the character of the National Park, whilst being bespoke to each client. We have an extensive network of consultants and contractors who work locally and nationally and can, as necessary, assist in providing a comprehensive design service for new build, retrofits or conversions in the Peak District National Park.
Sustainability
Sustainability is a fundamental aspect of all buildings and we believe it should be embraced as an opportunity to add value, promote innovation and enhance the environment within which we live. It requires a holistic approach and it is crucial that it should be bedded into a building at the outset. Above all, sustainability must be a practical attribute, neither bolted on as a series of clever accessories, nor so overburdening or complex that it makes living in the building impractical. Peak Architects have an extensive working knowledge of refurbishment of buildings utilising ‘Enerphit’ principles and ‘Passivhaus’ design when applied to new build projects.
Every client is different, every project is unique!
Our Work
Trent Vale SEN School Location Derby Client Derby City Council Status Planning 2018
SEN school with a specialism in delivering education to children with ‘behavioural, emotional and social difficulties’. The design allows for flexible educational delivery (pedagogy) for children in key stages 3 and 4. The design was focused on a curriculum-led cluster model; each cluster was self contained in terms of teaching, social (internal and external) and welfare facilities. New Build | Education
The Stickyard Outdoor Education Centre Location Chatsworth House Client Devonshire Education Trust Status Completed 2019
Conversion of an existing Grade I* listed cart shed and ‘Belfast Trussed’ barn into an outdoor education centre for the Devonshire Educational Trust.. The project provides a dedicated classroom and history room, with flexible covered outdoor space, providing a range of educational spaces for the delivery of a range of pedagogies. Refurbishment | Heritage & Conservation | Education
Coxmoor Golf Club Academy Location Sutton in Ashfield Client Coxmoor Golf Club Status Feasibility
Peak Architects were invited to enter a limited competition for the refurbishment and extension of the Club House for Coxmoor Golf Club & Academy. Our bid was based upon an innovative design that incorporated the original elements whilst providing flexible accommodation. Combining existing structures and new linking forms the overall design which was unified by a lightweight roof structure. Refurbishment and Extension | Hospitality & Leisure | Education
Chatsworth Birdhide Location Chatsworth House Client Chatsworth Settlement Trust Status Completed 2020
Within an extremely limited budget, Peak Architects designed a beautiful and original woodland bird hide on the Chatsworth Estate in Derbyshire. It’s location, on the edge of a copse of trees adjacent to the Children’s Farmyard, allows young bird watchers to feel part of the woodland habitat. The hide has a cedar shingle-clad exterior that will slowly turn to a metallic grey, with a birch ply lining. New Build | Education
Aldine House, Sheffield Location Sheffield Client Sheffield City Council Status Completed 2023
Peak Architects was appointed to review the existing Aldine house secure childrens home in Sheffield. Overall the scheme improved internal circulation and added two new en-suite bedrooms, shared lounge and kitchenette space, new classroom, new plant room and office accommodation which directly linked to a new vehicle-lock. New Build | Refurbishment | Education
Vernon Park School, Stockport Location Stockport Client Stockport City Council Status Completed 2014
Working with the School’s senior management team, Peak Architects designed a new reception and administration area to Vernon Park School. The timescales were extremely short and, from appointment in February 2014, Peak Architects received planning, procured the works and oversaw construction on site so that the works would be complete for the start of the new school year in September 2014. New Build | Refurbishment | Education
Rotherham College - Construction Block E Location Rotherham Client Rotherham College of Art and Technology Status Completed 2015
Peak Architects were appointed to work on a new construction and motor vehicle accommodation block at their Rother Valley Campus. Our solution was to create a simple learning barn providing approximately 10,000sqft of accommodation; housed in a simple portal frame building with mezzanine accommodation providing teaching classrooms and support facilities. New Build | Education
Works undertaken by Director, Paul Holden whilst at Bond Bryan Architects
James Brindley School, Stoke on Trent Location Stoke on Trent Client Stoke City City Council Status Feasibility
As part of the Stoke Cities Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme; I worked on the development of three school schemes as part of the Vinci Construction team. New Build | Education
Chatsworth Education Centre Location Peak District National Park Client Devonshire Education Trust Status Completed 2018
Conversion a former Grade I* listed, former potting shed, into a flexible education and art space. The building incorporates underfloor heating, utilising the ‘Ty Mawr’ insulation and lime screed system, together with an innovative mechanical heat recovery system which uses excess heat from the adjacent glasshouse pump room to heat and ventilate the education rooms and toilets. Conservation & Heritage | Refurbishment | Education | Peak Park
Church of the God Location Sheffield Client Church of the God Status Planning
Peak Architects were employed to provide a new Community and education Hub that created a new entrance to the existing Church, as well as providing a welcoming inclusive outreach to the local community. Design concepts propose an open glazed ground floor that opens onto a central landscaped courtyard. Corten cladding is proposed which ties into the existing brickwork on the existing buildings. Community & Ecclesiastical | New Build | Education
Barrow Farmstead Location Wentworth, Rotherham Client Fitzwilliam Wentworth Estates Status Planning
Conversion, reconfiguration and extension of the historic Barrow Farmstead for the Fitzwilliam Wentworth Estate . Set in a conservation area on the outskirts of Wentworth village, the scheme will provide a variety of commercial serviced office and training accommodation in this stunning rural setting. Conservation | Refurbishment | Education
Rotherham College (RCAT) Campus Location Rotherham, Eastwood Lane Client Rotherham College of Art and Technology Status Planning 2015
Redevelopment of the Eastwood Lane Campus providing 100,000sqft of accommodation. The accommodation consisted of four blocks clustered around a central atrium; the blocks gradually stepped down the hill to accommodate the 13.0m fall across the site. The scheme was taken to RIBA Stage 03, but was not taken forward due to cuts in the Learning and Skills Council’s (LSC) funding. New Build | Education
Works undertaken by Director, Paul Holden whilst at Bond Bryan Architects
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