Dk Architects Ltd

LOVE ISLAND - This kitchen island has been lovingly made by Workhaus Joiners of Hove for installation in a local Arts & Crafts suburban house currently undergoing some major surgery. The back of the house came off a while ago so this is an old picture. I shall add an update shortly showing the house in its new form and including the kitchen units.

We won a High Commendation from the Sussex Heritage Trust for a small project in Clayton. The fuller description will be on our website next week. The judges comments were "A clever use of space. The design enhanced the front elevation and the Second Floor is a triumph."

Anyone in Brighton may have noticed a bijou residence taking shape part of the way up Southover Street. It is coming along well and is attracting very admiring comments and a lot of interest. Clad in Trespa it has a really interesting sheen. The banding relates to the banding on the pub two doors up.

Some Architectural highlights from Galicia, Spain - Pontevedra and Santiago. Also Gaudi's early work at Comillas and Frank Gehry's Guggenheim, Bilbao

In Southover Street, Brighton the micro house and annexe is coming along well. Cladding yet to be added.

We have a project in Clayton which is now complete. It is a house that used to have its front door facing West towards Underhill Lane, but now everyone comes in at the back from the yard where the car is parked walking through the garden. It was also smaller rooms on the Ground Floor and short of space at First Floor Level. There was also the opportunity to make the existing loft bigger and make it a comfortable Master Bedroom Suite and give it a bit of character with 'Diocletian' or 'Thermal' windows on either side and to house bats in special niches amidst the tile hanging - look carefully.

A small but perfectly formed development in Southover Street, Brighton is now taking shape. It will hopefully look both contemporary and respectful of its setting whilst also being a fantastic starter home.

https://www.futurebuild.co.uk/…/solar-h ouseholds-expected-t…

For anyone who has been watching the BBC's 'The Little Drummer Girl', there was a scene in the last episode where a block of flats is used as a background for a romantic interlude. Berthold Lubetkin would have been delighted to see it was his Bevin Court and the trademark staircase featured in it. I had the immense privilege of meeting with him when I was a student when I did a video documentary (first one attempted as a thesis and on old, clunky technology) about the Finsbur...y Health Centre - the video is on You Tube via the website if interested. We had several meetings in Clifton and at the Health Centre and exchanged home-made Christmas cards for several years until he died. He knew I was filming on that day - I think this was 1984, and this was his first return visit since it was finished in about 1936. I asked him what it was like to be back and he said in his Georgian timbre "It is like meeting up with an old girlfriend from many years ago - it is nice meeting up but you realise that you both look a bit worse for wear!" He was quite a character. Photos from the book.
See More

From today's Argus 'WORK HAS STARTED TO BRING THE SITE OF LANCING'S FAMOUS CINEMA BACK TO LIFE. The building, which originally opened as a cinema in the early 1940s, is being converted into 12 luxury apartments including studios, one-bedroom and three-bedroom homes. Machin Group, based in Shoreham, has worked closely with Adur District Council and campaigners to ensure the building keeps its historic façade, front entrance and Luxor signage. It will be adding modern, luxur...y design to the lobby, public spaces and apartments themselves.
Plans were approved last October with Machin finally given the go-ahead to start last month. While the exterior will receive a much-needed facelift, the interior will be completely transformed. Machin Group has raised almost £2m via its subsidiary property investment management company Machin Investments Ltd by recruiting local investors and banks to back the project and the Lancing community and ensure the site remains a town centre landmark. Machin Group Managing Director Will Machin said: “We’ve been determined to keep this project local - using local contractors and services as well as making significant contributions towards the Lancing’s affordable housing and infrastructure. “So we’re confident the end results will benefit everyone – particularly the community. “It’s fantastic to see new life being breathed back into the town and the Luxor forms an important part of that local regeneration. “Lancing is certainly on the up and has a lot going for it – direct trains to Brighton and London Victoria, bars and restaurants and a coastal lifestyle.” '
Whilst we took over the detail design of this project there has been some re-working required, which we trust will create something special for Lancing.
See More

25 years on, one of the first projects of the practice 'Meadowdown', just off the South Downs Way and West of Alfriston has matured into something rather special. The setting overlooking the Cuckmere Valley in the South Downs National Park is magnificent. The gardens in particular have been planted beautifully by our clients and look quite stunning. Our clients took our house design which we always loved and made it even better with their own touches. It was a great moment of... Architect and Clients working closely together, along with the Engineer and the Contractor and all the subbies and the end result being fantastic! With some regret they are now leaving this much loved property and happily moving to another property designed by the practice, so you may want to seriously consider this truly unique opportunity to acquire something very special. The sales details are with Strutt & Parker and the photos are from their brochure … (House and garden shots by Edward Reeve Photography, Lewes and aerial shots by Fergus Kennedy.) Compare to the earlier shots on the practice website - https://www.dkarchitects-uk.com/…/idyll ic-south-downs-retr…/
See More

Back in early May I was meant to be part of the Brighton2Brussels Charity Bike Ride on behalf of the Mayor's Charities which included The Martlets Hospice. We had great care from them looking after a family member and I was keen to be part of it for a second year. I had some very generous sponsors too. However 12 days before we were due to leave I was involved with a bike accident at the Olympic Velodrome and broke my collar bone and that stopped me from participating. Now ...largely recovered I am aiming to fulfil my part by cycling an equivalent distance of about 180 miles over 3 days. I am using the Sustrans route maps to get me to the Isle of Wight then around the island and back again. Sustrans is a charity committed to extending and improving the national cycle network and DK Architects are very happy to support them. Thank you to all my personal sponsors and I'll post a photo or two afterwards.
See More

Over a year ago in March 2017, I referred to a project that was emerging from behind the scaffolding at 61 Hove Park Road, but never showed any of the completed work. Belatedly I am putting that right. It is light, bright and welcoming now and I have heard the tenants love it.

OK, last one for today - Hamburg again. A large architectural structure, but I don't know who by. If you know please let me know. It was a bit of the style of James Stirling at one phase of his work, but I'm pretty sure its not him. A bit like an industrial plant and very large and at the same time a bit anonymous. Probably offices and maybe some other functions too? Not everyone's cup of tea, but I liked it.

Another golden moment in Hamburg - the 1920's Expressionist masterpiece by Henry Sloman - 'The Chilehaus'. The building is massive and dramatic and the level of detail really impressive.

From a recent trip to Hamburg a few photos of the centre including the huge 19th century dockside brick warehouses and examples of great brickwork design.

From a recent trip to Copenhagen, some pictures of the new city quarters, historic centre and for those of you that have been fans of the Scandi-Noir drama 'The Bridge' a few shots of the Police Station and a very distant shot of the bridge itself.