AC Architects are pleased to announce that Marek Sekowski has recently qualified and registered as an Architect.

Since joining AC Architects, Marek has built up a wide range of experience, being involved in several key projects which the firm has worked on, including the award winning cloisters at Thetford Grammar School. In particular Marek has rapidly built up and developed expertise in sustainable building detail and technical knowledge.

AC Architects have recently visited the Centre for Alternative Technology in Wales. It was a long anticipated visit, given the company’s commitment to low-energy solutions and sustainable architecture.

The visit showed in practice some new low-energy and old, revived building techniques, many of which AC Architects are familiar with, and some of which the company director, Anne Cooper, is planning to show-case in a new, sustainable one-off building.

AC Architects Cambridge Ltd is delighted to have been awarded a ‘Highly Commended’ certificate in the small organisations category at the recent Cambridge Climate Change Charter 2010 Awards.

Anne Cooper, the director of the practice, accepted the award at a ceremony in the Grafton Centre, Cambridge on the 16th June, in front of an audience which included the Leader of the City Council, Sian Reid and Ian Nimmo-Smith, the Deputy Mayor.

This hugely successful scheme run by homeless and housing charity Shelter, and the Royal Institute for British Architects (RIBA), is now in its 14th year and continues to offer a great opportunity for homeowners to discuss changes to their home with a local architect.

It couldn’t be easier: an Architect with extensive experience in home improvements and extensions will give up their time for free to offer an hour-long consultation in your home, in return for a suggested £40 donation to Shelter.

For more information or to sign up, please email us at info@acarchitects.com Just put ‘Architect in the House’ (or AITH) as the subject heading of your message and include your name, address and telephone number together with a brief message and you will be contacted in due course.

Consultations will be arranged on a first come, first served basis and will take place between the end of July and November 30th 2010.

We look forward to hearing from you!

The Open Eco-House event was successfully launched at the Eco-Renovation Question Time, which attracted a large crowd of Cambridge residents keen on reducing their carbon footprint.

The Eco-House event will showcase some of Cambridge residents’ eco-renovations. The event includes three eco-renovations which AC Architects have designed, lending their long-standing eco-expertise to the schemes.

As part of the 2010 Cambridge Environment Festival, company director Anne Cooper will be lending her expertise as part of a panel answering questions on the eco-friendly possibilities for converting your home. Cambridge Carbon Footprint have organised the panel, which includes field specialists from the various areas of sustainable intervention.

The panel will be made up of Anne Cooper (Sustainable Architect), Andy Brown (Sustainable Construction consultant), Tim Acheson (Green builder) and Justin Smith (Council officer and grants specialist). Sian Reid, the Executive Councillor for Climate Change & Growth will be chairing the event. AC Architects Cambridge Ltd. are sure the event will be thought provoking and memorable.

This event also launches the Open Eco-House days, where some of Cambridge’s residents are holding open house days to demonstrate their eco-friendly renovations and designs. AC Architects are pleased to report that some of the houses whose green credentials we have helped realise form part of the Open House line up.

Proposed works to a slippery walkway in Murray Edwards College (formerly New Hall) have received Listed Building Consent. The College is Grade II* listed, and alterations are carefully considered to maintain the character of this building. The new walkway surface will sit comfortably within the iconic colour scheme of the College, and provide easier access for future generations.

AC Architects are pleased to be welcoming members of Cambridge Carbon Footprint to their offices this week to explain some of what makes the development sustainable.

The building’s renovation was one of the major winners in the International Green Apple Awards 2007, and has also been commended by RIBA East for its environmentally-friendly design.

The company director, Anne Cooper will be giving a talk explaining the design strategy and the low energy solutions employed. Visitors will be touring the building to see it in operation.

Transition Cambridge Launches Eco Story Writing Competition

More than £750 worth of prizes to be won, sponsored by AC Architects Cambridge Ltd

Transition Cambridge, part of Transition Towns which promotes community action to increase our resilience to peak oil and climate change, has just launched an innovative, eco story writing competition for the local community. They are calling on children and adults alike to send in their stories set in Cambridge in 2050, happily adapted to a new, low carbon society and environment. The competition aims to get local people to think beyond the current oil and climate crises in a positive way.

This competition is open to everyone who lives, works or studies in Cambridge, or within 20 miles of Cambridge. Stories will be judged in three age groups: under 14 (maximum word count 1500); 14 to 17 (maximum word count 2500) and 18 and over (maximum word count 2500). They must be sent in on or before 30 April 2010. Visit www.transitioncambridge.org for competition entry details, entry form and ideas!

Following this summer’s hugely successful ‘Architect in The House’ initiative run by homeless and housing charity Shelter and the Royal Institute for British Architects (RIBA), AC Architects Cambridge Ltd has decided to continue fundraising for Shelter – all year round – by launching its own ‘Home Designs’ scheme.

It’s very simple, a professional Architect with extensive experience in home improvements and extensions will give up their time for free to offer an hour-long consultation in your home, in return for a suggested £40 donation to Shelter.

Thanks to the generous support of the public this summer, our practice raised over £600 for Shelter and now, through ‘Home Designs’, we hope to raise even more money for their vital work throughout the entire year.

Members of the public interested in signing up to the ‘Home Designs’ scheme can contact AC Architects Cambridge Ltd on 01223 576315 or by emailing info@acarchitects.com. If you email, please ensure you put Shelter/Home Designs as the subject heading of your message and include your name, address and telephone number together with a brief message and you will be contacted in due course.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Notes to editors:

1. For further information, high resolution images, an interview or photo shoot, please contact Carri Koon, Carisma Communications on 01366 387 027 or email carri@carismacommunications.co.uk.

2. For further press information on Architect in the House 2010, please contact Julia Pitman in the Shelter press office on 020 7505 2162 or email Julia_pitman@shelter.org.uk.

Company Director Anne Cooper and Architect Margaret Reynolds have recently given a lecture at ARU. The talk focused on the future of sustainable housing and how the Code for Sustainable Homes and similar initiatives might shape home design. Reflecting one of AC Architects’ principle concerns (sustainability), the talk was illustrated with practical, sustainable approaches already designed by AC Architects. This talk was well received, and both Anne and Margaret have repeated the lecture at Cambridge Architectural Research.

AC Architects are pleased to be supporting an initiative to reduce energy use. The current shop window display reflects this, suggesting easy ways that everyone can reduce their energy use, bills and Carbon footprint.

Planning permission for a new house on a highly sensitive site adjacent to a grade II* listed building has been obtained following a planning appeal.

AC Architects Cambridge Ltd designed the building and worked in collaboration with Januarys to put together evidence to support the appeal process.

The house is designed to be in-keeping with its immediate neighbours around the listed building whilst being inventive with the spacious layout internally maximising the potential for double height spaces, sloping ceilings and light from all sides.

A sustainable agenda includes solar thermal panels, a ground source heat pump and super insulation.

AC Architects Cambridge Ltd has secured planning permision for additional bedroom & family room accommodation to a house in Girton. The design provides a better connection between the house and garden whilst maintaining a low key appearance to the road as illustrated.

AC Architects’ charette proposal for Mitcham’s Corner, Cambridge, is featured in the Cambridge Association of Architects forthcoming exhibition, “Cambridge Live”, being held at the Guildhall, Cambridge from the 25th of June 2009. Details of their ideas can also be found in the Cambridge Architecture Gazette published to coincide with the exhibition.

AC Architects Cambridge Ltd have taken part in a Design Charette sponsored by Cambridge City Council and organised by Cambridge Association of Architects.

The event took place at the Guildhall where groups of architects were asked to focus on selected areas of the city felt to be in need of forward planning.

AC Architects Cambridge Ltd chose to look at the area around Mitchams Corner. Their offices are located there – an unusual case of Cimby-ism (Change In My Back Yard).

The proposals looked at simplifying the road layout; at regenerating sites and providing a better link through to the riverside. Pictures of the work displayed are shown here.

AC Architects Cambridge Ltd has secured planning permission for a family room extension to a house in Haslingfield. The modern design is for a simple form with sliding folding doors connecting the extension seamlessly with the terrace. Folding timber shutters on the south elevation and fixed louvres above the terrace provide solar shading.

AC Architects Cambridge Limited have designed a low-carbon house which is now under construction in Cambridge.

Construction photos show the progress on site.

AC Architects Cambridge Ltd are major prize-winners in the International Green Apple Awards 2008 for the Built Environment and Architectural Heritage. The prestigious Green Plaque was awarded on Monday, 10th November, at a ceremony at The House of Commons, hosted by Patricia Hewitt MP, for the conversion and extension of a group of listed buildings, The Cloisters, at Thetford Grammar School in Norfolk. The Cloisters provide a new state of the art Sixth Form Centre and Drama Studies Centre.

The Green Plaque is awarded annually to select winners of the Green Apple Awards for the Built Environment and Architectural Heritage. In June this year, AC Architects Cambridge Ltd also received the regional Silver Green Apple Award for The Cloisters. The award ceremony took place at the Tower of London. The prestigious ‘Green Apple’ was presented by top botanist and TV personality Professor David Bellamy, OBE. The trophies are awarded annually in recognition of building projects that enhance the built environment and/or protect our architectural heritage.

AC Architects Cambridge Ltd has secured planning permission for the loft conversion and extension to a property in Lyndewode Road which falls within the Central Cambridge Conservation Area.

AC Architects Cambridge Ltd has secured planning permission for their client, Murray Edwards College Cambridge , for the design of two Fellows flats on land to the rear of 36 Huntingdon Road, Cambridge.

For the third time, Margaret Reynolds of AC Architects Cambridge Ltd is running the RIBA Architecture stall at the Perse School, Hills Road, Cambridge on Monday 17 November 2008, 7-9pm.

This stall, complete with its RIBA banner, information packs and laptop, has proved very popular at past Careers Fairs. Students can collect information on careers in architecture and discuss places to study, as well as checking out websites which are now increasingly useful for career decisions.

They can also see examples of low energy design and historic renovation carried out by AC Architects Cambridge Ltd. AC Architects Cambridge Ltd support the Connexions Work Experience Programme and provide an annual placement for students considering a career in architecture.

The design for a new sustainable 3 storey house in the central Cambridge conservation area has a long planning history. The original design for the site by the architect, Nicholas Hellawell, was given planning consent in 1999.

AC Architects were asked by Nicholas Hellawell in 2006 to update his design for this challenging urban site and amend it to reflect changed planning criteria and obtain a revised planning consent. This incorporates high thermal efficiency with solar thermal panels, heat pump and underfloor heating as well as rainwater harvesting.

AC Architects Cambridge have announced that The Cloisters, the new Sixth Form Centre and Drama Studies Centre at Thetford Grammar School, Norfolk, has been shortlisted for a Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) East Spirit of Ingenuity Award 2008 in two of eight award categories – ‘Heritage Award’ and ‘Education & Healthcare Award’. This follows last month’s news that the Cambridge-based practice became one of the major prize-winners in the International Green Apple Awards 2008 for The Cloisters, under the category Built Environment and Architectural Heritage (1).

AC Architects is one of the major prize-winners in the International Green Apple Awards 2008 for the Built Environment and Architectural Heritage. The Cambridge based practice has been given the regional Silver Award for the use of traditional skills in the conversion and extension of a group of listed buildings (The Cloisters) at Thetford Grammar School in Norfolk. The Cloisters provide a new state of the art Sixth Form Centre and Drama Studies Centre. This accolade follows last year’s Green Apple Award for the environmentally friendly design of the practice’s own recycled Victorian office building in Victoria Road, Cambridge. The award ceremony took place at the Tower of London last week (Monday, 2nd June). The prestigious ‘Green Apple’ was presented by top botanist and TV personality Professor David Bellamy, OBE.

AC Architects Cambridge Ltd has been announced as one of the major winners in the International Green Apple Awards 2007 for Environmental Best Practice, for the environmentally friendly design of their own recycled office building in Victoria Road, Cambridge. The ceremony, which took place at the House of Commons in London last Friday the 9th November, recognised some sixty projects from across the UK and further international projects which were presented with prestigious ‘Green Plaques’ by author, broadcaster and environmental campaigner David Bellamy, OBE.

AC Architects Cambridge Ltd celebrated their 10th Anniversary on Thursday 1st November and marked the occasion with an Anniversary Reception at Thetford Grammar School’s recently completed Sixth Form Centre and Drama Studio (‘The Cloisters’), designed by the practice.

Award-winning AC Architects Cambridge Ltd have received a Commendation from the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) East for the environmentally-friendly design of their re-cycled Victorian offices in Victoria Road, Cambridge. The project has been recognised as part of RIBA East’s Spirit of Ingenuity Awards 2007 in the award category ‘Sustainability’. These awards recognise architectural design excellence in the East of England.

Award-winning AC Architects Cambridge Ltd have announced the completion of an ambitious conversion and extension of a group of listed buildings at Thetford Grammar School in Norfolk which provides a new state of the art Sixth Form Centre and Drama Studies Centre. The new Centre was officially opened on Friday, 14th September at 12.30 pm by Whitbread winner DJ Taylor.