News

Pentan Architects are delighted to have been ‘commended’ in the RIBA ‘Bespoke Access Design Competition’. The international design competition sought original ideas to improve access and provide an enhanced experience for hotel guests, particularly for those with disabilities. The judging panel included Paralympic gold medalist Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, Stirling Prize-winning architect Alan Stanton, and Baroness Celia Thomas. Our proposal brought the ideas of horticulture and nature as therapy into the hotel environment, building on our knowledge of creating places for those living with dementia and disabilities but most of all making places that everyone can enjoy.

We are pleased to announce that our application for 16 new homes on the site of a former children’s home in Llanishen has secured planning approval. The new development, part of the Cardiff Housing Partnership project, with Wates Residential will provide 12 new open market homes for sale and 4 new affordable homes. The site, benefiting from being surrounded by mature vegetation, will adopt the principles of ‘home-zone’ streetscape design to bring a unique character to the pedestrian friendly development.

We are delighted that two of our largest housing schemes were both granted planning approval at this week’s committee. In total, the scheme designs include nearly 300 dwellings on sites in St. Mellons and Llanrumney and form an integral part of the Cardiff Housing Partnership Programme. Along with our colleagues at Wates, we eagerly await the start on site.

Pentan Architects is pleased to announce that, from 1st August 2016, over half of its 25 staff will be share-holding members of the practice. Martin Doyle, Claire Griffiths, Karen Lock, Lindsey Rees, Michael Riley, Jordan Scarr, Dafydd Tanner, Chris Wilkins and Geraint Williams have now joined John Carter, Jim Dale, Ed Green, Andrew Hole, Andrew Lewis, Alun Lock and Stephen Thwaites as shareholding members of Pentan Architects.

This is a considerable widening of the shares-ownership base of Pentan Architects and, coming 21 years after the formation of the practice, represents a significant step towards its ambition of common ownership.

The four founding and still-very-active directors, Andrew, Jim, John & Steve are delighted that so many of their colleagues have shown such a wholehearted commitment to Pentan; and they look forward to a further expansion of ownership in the future. They make the point that the Pentan team is its most valuable resource; and highlight this significant ownership move as further evidence of the Pentan ‘family’ spirit in action, as it strives to meet and, if it can, exceed its clients’ aspirations.

Our proposals for an 18 apartment extension to an existing sheltered housing scheme in Pershore, Worcestershire, for our clients Rooftop Housing Group, secured unanimous support at the latest planning committee meeting. The development will also provide a new community cafe, gym, health suite and IT facilities for both new and existing residents to benefit from. A new glazed link with ‘gold’ cladding houses the new communal facilities with the 18no. 1 and 2 bedroom apartments situated on the edge of the meadows with views towards the River Avon.