Construction work is currently underway for a contemporary gymnasium designed by West Waddy ADP at a private house in Frilford, Oxfordshire.  The practice had previously undertaken extension and alteration works to the property in recent years and was subsequently instructed to design a new detached gymnasium building adjacent to the house.

The contemporary structure, designed to a tight budget and allowed by the Local Planning Authority under permitted development rights, provides the ideal environment for our clients’ aerobic and fitness workouts.

The project is being constructed by Hillsdon Construction Ltd of Wantage and is due for completion by Easter 2012.       

West Waddy ADP has joined the top 3% of employers in the South East after achieving the Investors in People (IIP) Silver Award.

Assessors from the IIP visited WWADP in December as part of the regular auditing and review of our accreditation.  The standard looks at business improvements and how objectives are achieved by harnessing the skills of people.

Partner, Stephen Simkins said, “I am delighted that we start 2012 with this very important success.  We have now joined one of the few organisations to be awarded the IIP Silver award.  This is a great achievement for WWADP and great testament to the hard work, commitment and energy of everyone working for the practice.  We managed to meet the ‘Silver’ award criteria strongly, so have our sights set on ‘Gold’ next time around.”

The IIP standard is reviewed every 3 years and specifically assesses how an organisation plans, develops, reviews and evaluates training.  Staff from across the whole business are selected by the assessors for interview.

The Practice is pleased to announce that Architectural Associate Robert A’Bear has received accreditation as a Certified Passive House Designer from the Passivhaus Institute in Darmstadt, Germany. 

The Passivhaus Standard was developed in Germany with the first dwellings constructed in Darmstadt in 1991. The Passivhaus standard dramatically reduces the requirement for space heating and cooling (typically 75% less than current Building Regulation standards) whilst also creating excellent indoor comfort levels. This is achieved by adopting a fabric first approach to the design, specifying high levels of insulation to the thermal envelope with exceptional levels of airtightness and the use of a whole house mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery.

With Robert A'Bear’s accreditation as a Certified Passive House Designer West Waddy ADP are now able to deliver low energy housing projects to Passive House Standard.  For more information on this subject please contact Robert A’Bear. 

West Waddy ADP have worked with the Vale Of White Horse District Council to sponsor a new Heritage Trail to help visitors to Abingdon to better understand the history of the town and its historic buildings.  Our involvement with the project started as part of our recent 125th anniversary celebrations and has been part of a series of initiatives to help encourage tourism to the town.  The trail was officially opened by the Town Mayor in September and leaflets explaining the route are available from the Vale of White Horse Council offices in Abingdon.

We are pleased to welcome Ralph Saull who has joined West Waddy ADP this summer as an Architectural Assistant.  Ralph completed his degree in Architectural Studies at Oxford Brookes University earlier this year and is currently assisting the architectural team during his Part I ‘year out’.

The third and final phase of works at EF International’s Oxford campus in Headington are now well underway.  Construction works are being undertaken by Kingerlee Construction Ltd of Kidlington under a £2m contract administered by West Waddy ADP.  These exciting works include improvements to the administration and dining facilities, and the provision of a new lecture theatre for students on site.  These works will conclude West Waddy ADP's overall masterplan for the comprehensive redevelopment of this site.

We are pleased to welcome Eddie Wrench who has joined West Waddy ADP as a Graduate Planner.  Eddie was formerly a transport planner at Parsons Brinckerhoff having graduated from Cardiff University.  Eddie is now assisting the planning team at West Waddy ADP on projects in the educational and residential sectors and is involved in promoting the consultation specialism within the practice.

West Waddy ADP is delighted to host an exhibition of project work by students of Oxford Brookes University School of Archtecture for the redevelopment of the lido site in Abingdon Town.

The project follows the earlier work undertaken by Brookes students as part of our 125th anniversary celebrations last year.  Final year degree students from the School of Architecture have focussed their major design project on ideas for a new swimming pool and spa at the lido site in town and have generated some very exciting scheme proposals which have recently been exhibited at the University Degree shows in Oxford and in London.

We are hosting an exhibition of a selection of the best work at our offices here in Abingdon which is open to the public from 1pm till 4pm on  Monday 4th July until Thursday 7th July.

Rob Boltman has won the West Waddy ADP  Student Award 2011 for his work on the Abingdon Spa and Lido project. 

The project brief was prepared through collaboration between West Waddy ADP and tutors at Oxford Brookes University School of Architecture following the riverside Urban Design studies undertaken by students last summer as part of our 125 anniversary celebrations.

The project involved the redesign of the lido at Abingdon to provide a spa and pool complex and explored the relationship of buildings to the river frontage in the town.  Rob, a 3rd year student who has just completed his degree, designed a witty scheme which cantilevers a glass bottomed swimming pool out over the river.  His innovative design was well considered and has generated some stunning images.

Rob wins the award for 2010 and a £250 prize which was announced at the University Degree Show earlier this week.  All of the students work is on display at the Kings Centre, Osney Mead, Oxford until 17 June, following which we are organising an exhibition here in Abingdon.

Vale of White Horse District Council granted planning permission this week for the exciting contemporary replacement dwelling at ‘Greenaways’, Boars Hill, designed by West Waddy ADP for a private client.  In his report the planning officer describes the scheme as a “high quality design” and we now look forward to preparing production information to enable construction work to start on site in the near future.

West Waddy ADP had a 100% success rate at appeal in 2010, with ALL planning appeals dealt with by the practice having been successfully upheld by the Planning Inspectorate.  This remarkable performance has been maintained in 2011 with a similar 100% success rate for this year so far.

If you are considering the merits of an appeal against a planning decision contact John Ashton.

West Waddy ADP have submitted an application for planning permission for an exciting private home on Boars Hill, in Oxford.  The proposals replace the existing dwelling at ‘Greenaways', Bedwells Heath, on a 2 acre sloping site containing a significant number of mature trees, and lying within the Oxford Green Belt.

The new dwelling is a low energy design combining high thermal insulation values to the external fabric with appropriate renewable technologies including air source heat pumps and photovoltaics.  Rainwater collection is also proposed for the property.  Materials recovered from the demolition of the existing dwelling will be reused in the new scheme to form the new entrance courtyard base and other areas of new hardstanding.  Carbon neutral timber materials are proposed for the upper floor structure and cladding thus minimising embodied energy  and  reducing the dwelling’s carbon footprint.  The pre assessment for the scheme indicates that the dwelling will achieve Code Level 5 under the Code for Sustainable Homes. 

A decision regarding planning permission is due from Vale of White Horse District Council by mid June.

West Waddy ADP were approached recently by clients to assist in an appeal against refusal of Planning Permission to redevelop a commercial premises in Witney.   Our client had original considered that they could handle the appeal themselves, however, upon receiving the evidence from the Local Planning Authority it quickly became evident to them they would need professional assistance.  With a relatively short period of time available, we successfully produced and submitted the evidence.  As well as persuading the Inspector that Planning Permission should be granted, we also managed to persuade the Inspector that the Council had been unreasonable in refusing Planning Permission and as a result our clients had costs awarded in their favour.

Philip Waddy was recently invited by the RIBA to be part of the ‘Ask an Expert’ stand at this years Grand Designs Live exhibition at Excel in London.  The event brought together top industry experts to provide one-to-one consultations to visitors to the show on all aspects of their building, renovation or development projects.  Due to the popularity of this service Philip had a full day of consultations running from 10.00am to 6.00pm and was able to give guidance and professional advice on a wide range of exciting ‘Grand Design projects’ in the South East.

West Waddy ADP have a stand at The Listed Property Show at Olympia 2 in London over the weekend of 19^th and 20^th February.

The event is hosted by the Listed Property Owners Club and brings together architects, conservation professionals, specialist tradesmen, designers and suppliers all under one roof to provide comprehensive advice and expertise for the maintenance, restoration and refurbishment of listed buildings.  Over 150 companies will be exhibiting and available to give guidance ranging from legal and planning issues, to VAT and grant aid, historic restoration work, improving energy efficiency and guidance on obtaining Listed Building consent for development proposals.  There will also be lectures and practical demonstrations including lime plastering, leadwork and thatching.  

Please contact Stephen Simkins at West Waddy ADP if you would like complimentary entrance tickets to the show.

West Waddy ADP has recently run a successful seminar entitled “Localism and Heritage: A Guide to Managing Heritage Assets” at the new Jesus College Conference Centre in Oxford.

The seminar provided an insight into the coalition government’s Localism Agenda in the context of heritage assets and gave tips and advice as to how to manage heritage assets in a practical and economic way.  Guest speaker Nick Worlledge, Conservation Officer at Oxford City Council, explained the City’s approach to dealing with conservation issues in a historic city of international renown where any development is likely to prove challenging.   Guidance was also given regarding changes in heritage policy brought about by the recent changes in Planning Policy Statement 5 (PPS5).

Other speakers from the West Waddy team included John Ashton, Geoff Huntingford and Caroline Longman.

The seminar was directed towards  land and property owners as well as others who manage historic property.

The Abingdon Shop Fronts Competition organised by West Waddy ADP as part of our 125^th Anniversary celebrations was won by Grace Edge from St Helen & St Katherine School for her designs for Mostly Books, on Stert Street in Abingdon.

Entries were judged by a panel comprising of Grant Audley-Miller, Conservation Officer from the Vale of White Horse District Council, the Vale’s Arts Officer Abigail Brown and Stephen Simkins of West Waddy ADP. The view of the judges was that “Grace’s design ticked all the boxes, having measured and surveyed the shop front, talked to the owners and canvassed the views of shoppers, and developed a design that is imaginative, could easily be implemented, and is also beautifully drawn.” 

Commendations were also awarded to:

Timothy Masters from Fitzharry’s School for the most practical design,

Georgina Lucas from St Helen & St Katherine School for the best presentation,

and a team entry from Our Lady’s School, Abingdon for the best research and analysis work.

As part of our ISO9001 Management System we monitor our performance each year including our percentage success rate in obtaining planning permission for our clients.

Currently a remarkable 94% of all planning application submitted by West Waddy ADP in 2010 have been granted consent.  This statistic is even more impressive considering most projects and development sites that the practice deals with are the subject of particular planning issues or constraints meaning that obtaining planning permission is neither straight forward nor guaranteed.

This demonstrates the added value that our combined Town Planning and Architectural skills bring to our clients.

An opportunity for the practice to showcase its masterplanning, town planning, consultation and project management skills.

West Oxfordshire District Council are currently considering sites which will provide for the housing needs of the District until 2026. As part of this process it is suggested that Carterton  can take around 1500 dwellings over this period.

The Practice became aware that the Council had suggested a parcel of land as potentially being suitable for this development but that the landowners had not been formally consulted.  John Ashton, our Planning Partner, traced the landowners and explained the process associated with the Local Development Framework. All were happy for West Waddy ADP to act for them in promoting their land for housing.  As this process can be very costly we sought bids, in conjunction with land agents Smiths Gore and solicitors Darbys, from house builders, interested in taking an option over the land and funding the development.

WWADP has held initial meetings with the District Council, Oxfordshire County Council and the Town Council and we have received some promising feedback regarding this development opportunity.  This project will allow the Practice to showcase our Masterplanning, Town Planning, Consultation and Project Management skills when looking to promote the merits of the development and the valuable contribution the site can make to the provision of housing over the lifetime of the Local Development Framework for Carterton and West Oxfordshire generally.

West Waddy ADP are delighted to have been instructed to go ahead with detailed design and construction drawings for the third and final phase of  development works at EF International's Oxford campus in Headington.

This final phase of the development will conclude West Waddy ADP's overall masterplan for the comprehensive redevelopment of this site.  These exciting works include improvements to the administration and dining facilities, and the provision of a new lecture theatre for students on site.  With an estimated construction cost of approximately £2m the works are anticipated to commence in Spring 2011.

West Waddy ADP has launched its latest initiative to involve young people in shaping the future of our town as part of our 125 Anniversary celebrations.

This latest ‘Issues’ project  involves Urban Design Masters students from Oxford Brookes University who are assessing the key issues necessary to improve connectivity between Abingdon town and the river Thames.  The findings will be exhibited at a venue in the town center in December.

2010 marks 125 years in business for West Waddy ADP. 

As part of our celebrations the Practice has launched a competition for students of Abingdon’s schools to devise imaginative new shop-fronts and signage to improve the legibility and identity of the town’s retail environment.  This might take the form of signage that develops a separate identity for each street, or a common design theme that is unique to Abingdon as a town.  Shops in Stert Street, Bridge Street, High Street, Bath Street and East & West St Helen Street have agreed to let their premises be used for the competition.  Students are encouraged to let their imagination run free in the design of the frontages reflecting the retail offer of each shop, whether it be two-dimensional signage, or three-dimensional sculptural forms.

The submission date for competition designs is Friday 29 October 2010 ad the entries will be judged by Stephen Simkins of West Waddy ADP, Abigail Brown, Arts Development Manager at VWHDC, and VWHDC Conservation Officer Grant Audley Miller.

WWADP have set aside a prize fund of £500 for the winning design concept which shows outstanding vision and imagination together with an understanding of the practical issues of fabricating and hanging their designs.  An exhibition of all of the design entries will be held on 13 December 2010 at a public venue in Abingdon.

We are pleased to welcome Josh Greig who has joined West Waddy ADP this summer as an Architectural Assistant.  Josh, a keen sportsman, completed his degree in Architectural Studies at Oxford Brookes University earlier this year and will assist  the architectural team during his Part I ‘year out’.

The President of the Royal Institute of British Architects, Ruth Reed, visited Abingdon recently to bury a time capsule and start the 125^th anniversary celebrations of local architects and planners, West Waddy ADP.

To mark the occasion a book on the firm’s history has being published. The Mayor of Abingdon Councillor Duncan Brown, staff and other local architects and town planners joined in the celebrations. After burying the time capsule Ruth Reed held a question and answer session regarding current issues affecting the architectural profession at this current time.

The time capsule, which contains items relating to the business of architecture and town planning in 2010, is being buried in the grounds of the firm’s offices in East St Helens Street, Abingdon, and is to be opened in another 125 years in 2135!

Diana Phiri has won this years West Waddy ADP  Student Award for her work on the urban design module at Oxford Brookes University School of Architecture. The partners judged the work of a number of shortlisted students whose portfolios showed an exceptional understanding of the interface between architecture and town planning. Diana’s project ‘Luminous Leys’ explored the potential for regenerating and rebranding part of the urban environment through skillful and imaginative use of light. The partners were particularly impressed with the depth and detail of this study and Diana’s excellent graphic presentation that made her ideas immediately understandable to a wide and diverse audience.

Diana wins the award for 2010 including a cheque in the sum of £500 which was announced at this years Diploma Show at Oxford Brookes University and presented at our offices at the end of June.

Following 4 years of work by the planning team at WWADP, planning permission and conservation area consent were finally given for the redevelopment of the Gipsy Lane Campus, Oxford comprising a New Library and Teaching Building. This £132m project will see over one third of the University Campus redeveloped to modern day standards.

This project has proved to be an opportunity for the Practice to showcase the full range of services offered by the planning team.

The planning team at WWADP managed all the formal planning and conservation area consent submissions for a series of enabling works prior to the submission of the main planning application for the Library and Teaching building. Whilst the first planning application and application for conservation area consent was approved by the Planning Committee of Oxford City Council, it was called in to Full Council and the decision overturned. Rather than take the matter to Appeal the University worked with the community and the City Council and significantly amended the scheme such that Full Council granted planning permission with a resounding vote of 24-10. The former Vice Chancellor and Registrar said of our work :

"Many, many congratulations on the planning application outcome. A really convincing outcome this time and a tribute to all the hard work and creativity which has gone into the project."

Image courtesy of Design Engine

West Waddy ADP & friends fielded a team again this year in the 11th Abingdon Vesper Rotary Club annual Dragon boat race, held on the River Thames. Despite a distinct absence of summer weather the event attracted about 2,000 spectators to watch a record 32 teams do battle on the 250 metre course.

Partner Philip Waddy said, 'We did much better than I thought possible, coming 5th overall and narrowly missing being in the final by just 2/100ths second!' The event is a real boost for the town, bringing local people and local businesses and other organisations together to have some fun and raise money for charity. West Waddy ADP would like to say a big thank you to all the friends and family who took part in the day and most of all to our sponsors, who helped raise £920 for local charities.

In 2010 West Waddy ADP celebrate 125 years in business since the founding of the firm by Abingdon Architect JGT West. WWADP are one of only a handful of UK architects with a continuous record in excess of 100 years and we plan to celebrate our achievements in style throughout the year.

Three generations of the same family ran the business until the grandson of the founder, Duncan West, retired in 1990. Since then, under the leadership of Philip Waddy, followed by John Ashton and Stephen Simkins the firm has continued to flourish and diversify.

During the coming year we will be organising several events to celebrate our 125th anniversary. On Sunday May 9th the firm will be competing in the annual Dragon Boat race organised by the Rotary Club of Abingdon Vesper which takes place on the river Thames almost opposite the firms riverside offices. During the late spring/early summer we plan to run a design charette for Abingdon, examining a vision for the town advanced via imaginative urban design and architectural ideas. We plan a schools project and will also be burying a time capsule containing information about the work of the firm over the last 125 years, not to opened until our 250th anniversary in 2235! Finally, we will be organising a party at the end of the year for clients, staff and guests to celebrate the firm's achievements over the last 125 years.