NJSR are using their specialist conservation experience once again in relation to high level remedial works at Holy Trinity, Southport. The works are being undertaken from cantilevered specialist scaffolding as shown in the photograph.

Named a ‘flagship’ Edge Hill University building, the Durning Centre achieved a ‘Highly Commended’ award at this year’s prestigious Green Gown Awards.

Now in their 7th year, the awards recognise exceptional initiatives from universities and colleges across the UK to become more sustainable.

The University’s new Durning Centre, was nominated in the Sustainable Construction and Refurbishment category.

At the forefront of innovative thinking and sustainable development, it has been built with a difference. It is totally heated by recovered waste energy and provides heating to two other University buildings. This has removed the need for a gas fired boiler plant at the building and made improvements in energy use at two other adjacent buildings.

In the year since it opened, the Durning Centre has achieved a 33% reduction in CO₂ emissions and 46% reduction in energy use for the same services in the previous building from July 2010.

From a total of 240 entries, covering 13 categories, a judging panel comprising further and higher education sector luminaries have selected our Durning Centre at Edge Hill University to be placed on the Sustainable Construction and Refurbishment shortlist for the 2011 National Green Gown Awards.

The whole of the Durning Centre is naturally ventilated and incorporates a heat recovery system linked to the campus data centre, using heat created by the I.T equipment to warm spaces in other parts of the building, while over 100 roof mounted Photo Voltaic Panels generate electricity. The main envelope of the building achieves a U value of 0.14, reducing the general heating costs of the building, while assisting in cooling the building in summer.

The south facing facade maximises indirect gains to the open plan offices through the use of vertical brise soleil in conjunction with overhangs at the eaves. These measures also reduce direct gains during the hotter summer months.

Following on from the successful completion of the Floral Hall development situated on the edge of the Marine Lake,  and a successful Change of Use application made during 2010, we are please to announce that our planning application for a development situated at the Northern edge of the lake, has been granted.

The scheme contains a church hall, capable of holding 500 people, and a public coffee house. The design aims to take advantage of its lakeside location through the use of full height glazing, providing the public coffee house with picture postcard views, while also opening up this edge of the site to the pedestrian route which skirts around the lake.

We have created masterplans for the re-development of a c.19 acre application site within the Castleton area of Rochdale. The mixed-use outline planning application consists of 284 dwellings, an 80 bedroom hotel, 169 retirement / care units plus retail units etc. The proposal may include a marina and associated facilities linked into the adjacent Rochdale canal.

The scheme design has progressed incorporating feedback gained through ongoing dialogue with the local authority and other relevant stakeholders and takes account of relevant planning and environmental considerations.

The design of the landscaping, and ecological features were identified as pivotal to the success of the scheme given the existing context and the SAC status of various parts of the site.

Having relocated the health club facilities into the stable block, work has commenced on the extension to the existing club house which will contain overnight accommodation. The extension will offer 81 luxurious double rooms and suites to compliment the new spa facilities and championship golf course.

The works are expected to complete in early 2012

More information on the hotel and its facilities can be found on The Mere website