Building healthy and resilient communities for future generations

Architects Masterplanners Urban Designers
Continuing Care Multigeneration Co-Housing

Quality of life, belonging and wellbeing should be at the forefront of all housing, not least senior housing projects. For many, the prospect of retirement, the need for assisted care or a nursing home has not been positive. Experiences of many an older relative has not encouraged a positive view but rather fear. It does not have to be this way. Where the principles of community, wellbeing, engagement and cooperation are built into the design from the beginning, this can all change. Any hesitation in setting out to develop a new senior residential scheme may result from these fears.

Project Planning – the process. Before diving into design detail I would like to tell you about how our process ensures that your project will get off on the right foot.

The Number One cause of budget over runs is rushing to the design phase before completing research and analysis. This is like a doctor rushing a patient to surgery without a proper diagnosis. An out of control project is stressful, massively expensive and unnecessary.

The solution is good pre-design planning. This is why we created the Project Planning Pack. This is information you need before talking to an architect or a contractor. Click on the link to get your free copy.

Book a Feasibility Call If you need preliminary guidance now, book a 30 min feasibility call on this link.

This will give you information about what to expect from the call and allow you to set a date and a time.

Your Needs and Options Review

This is for when the times come to progress your project, but don’t feel ready for a full design service. We recommend you start with our Needs and Options Review. Find out more about this important pre-design service by clicking the link.

Discover how we have assisted clients in three important ways: Architecture, Urban Design and Vision building

Architecture

At Noel Isherwood Architects we are well versed in architecture across many sectors.

Urbanism

A City is not an accident but the result of coherent vision and aims” Leon Krier – Masterplanner.

Creating a vision requires two things i) early visual aids ii) people engagement

Our Customers Say

Peter Davies

Noel has a real depth of understanding and a track record in building communities based on an extensive portfolio of facilitation in design and development in communities across the UK

Peter Davies

Chair ‘The Size of Wales’ and former Commissioner for Sustainable Futures (Wales)

Pauline Hawkes

Noel is brilliant. We’re so happy that he’s our architect and we have complete trust in him to do the right thing on our projects. We also like that he has an understanding of Urban life and this reflects in his work and he is an artist which to me adds creatively to his outlook for the finalising of the drawings.

Pauline Hawkes

Phoenix Community Care

David Saunderson

Renovation of two Grade II listed 16th Century timber frame structures which had fallen into disrepair, exasperated by crude Victorian additions. The innovative restorations included repairs to the timber structures, re-cladding of the external wall fabrics and conversion to living accommodation at first floor level taking advantage of the exposed timber roof structures with bedrooms at ground level. The result was an astounding success, featuring on Anglia Television news on completion.

David Saunderson

Rupert Edwards

Noel worked closely with us from the inception of our initial vision for creating a more liveable and spacious home in the heart of Limehouse (London). We worked together through multiple design options to test our ideas and to consult with the Council planning dept and neighbours, so that our planning application would be considered favourably. We were happy with the attention Noel provided in iterating the vision for the site, and delighted to have gained a significant planning consent, which adds value to the property and makes for an exciting project, which is well on its way to completion

Rupert Edwards

Ian and Sally

We appointed Noel as our architect because of his experience of working with historic buildings in traditional neighbourhoods. Noel fully understood our brief and provided us with the guidance and designs we needed to erect a new three storey building in a conservation area. The design fitted in seamlessly with the historic context and provided us with a very comfortable London residence. We are very happy with his service and the resulting completed building.

Ian and Sally

Additional tools to help with building sustainable communities.

Sustainable Placemaking

National and local governments are placing more emphasis on sustainable placemaking and resilient communities. We have responded by producing a guide to support your efforts in delivering these goals. The ‘Ten Steps to Sustainable Placemaking’ gives guidance on bringing together the separate disciplines of architecture, urban design and masterplanning. We believe there should be a seamless connection between each discipline as this is not often the case. Our approach ensures the best integration between architecture and urban design.

The Ten Steps to Sustainable Placemaking (Part 1) The first 5 steps (Part 1) are now available as a 1 hour CPD presentation which you can book as an individual on set dates.

Alternatively, book this for your company on a date to suit your team or colleagues. It is relevant to all working in the built environment and particularly for planners, engineers and architects.

If you book by September 2023 you will benefit, as these presentations will remain free till then. After that a charge will be made.

What attendees from a planning consultancy thought about previous online presentations:

Ten Steps Webinar
For details of the next 10 Steps webinar event please send an email to office@noel-isherwood.com

Education and the promotion of sustainable communities.

A conversation about Poundbury, the notable urban village extension to Dorchester in the UK. The then Prince of Wales speaking to the then Poundbury Representative for the Prince’s Foundation with the then CEO, Hank Dittmar.

After this conversation about Poundbury Noel went on to create the 8 part Poundbury Series. The series was filmed with presentation by the BBC’s architectural specialist advisor Dan Cruikshank.

Jeffrey Hart, the ‘Natural Builder’ came to my office to interview me about my Poundbury experience and sustainable communities in general. He is a graduate of the Prince’s Foundation program in Heritage Skills.

I was privileged to make a research trip to Strasbourg with a Graduate Fellow and Rhodes Scholar who assisted me in analysing the tram system and how it was delivered across the city of Strasbourg. The Strasbourg Report records this research. The document has since been utilised in early planning in key regions of urban regeneration in the UK.