Architecture for Housing and Residential Development

We cover the latest products and materials and explore how collaboration between architects, consultants and manufacturers are helping create better designed, inspiring, sustainable and future-proof housing and residential development. 

Featured speakers include: 

Bob Prewett, director of Prewett Bizley, who joins us to share insights and lessons learned from domestic retrofit through an examination of projects completed to date. Bob is currently writing a book for the RIBA, with Harry Paticas, to be published in 2025. 

Mark Sidebotham, Practice Director at shedkm, who joins us to deliver a case study presentation on Crusader Works, Manchester, the award-winning regeneration of a collection of cotton spinning mills from the 1840s, now transformed into new housing.  

Steven Kierney, director and Danielle Simpson, architect at SKArchitects, who join us to deliver a case study presentation on Bluebird, Southend on Sea, a project of real social value, completed to the highest levels of sustainability and within the constraints of a limited budget, the scheme, for Southend-on-Sea charity HARP (Homeless Action Resource Project), provides 50 rooms for homeless people, together with communal facilities, as a step towards returning them to independent living.  

Tim Chapman-Cavanagh, director, Assael Architecture, who joins us to deliver a case study presentation on Sunday Mills, London, an innovative co-living development that offers shared amenities, community uses for residents and the public.

Sponsored by: VMZinc, 2n, Velux 

 

Programme

Chair’s opening remarks 
Jan Carlos Kucharek, Editor, PiP and Deputy Editor, RIBAJ 

Domestic retrofit: lessons learned
Bob Prewett, Director, Prewett Bizley

Zinc in the housing and residential sector over the last 170 years
Jonathan Lowy, Operational Marketing Manager, VMZinc

Case study: Crusader Works, Manchester
Mark Sidebotham, Practice Director, shedkm

Delivering simple and secure entry and movement within buildings for residents
Jez Hildred, A&E Presales Manager UK&I, 2n

Case study: Bluebird, Southend on Sea
Steven Kierney, director and Danielle Simpson, architect, SKArchitects

Preserving a period home in Tynemouth with VELUX Heritage conservation roof windows
Richard Williams, Senior Architectural Development Manager, VELUX

Case study: Sunday Mills, London
Tim Chapman-Cavanagh, director, Assael Architecture

 

Speakers biographies

 

Bob Prewett 
Director, Prewett Bizley

Bob has 20 years of experience in low energy retrofit and frequently shares his findings. In 2024 he took part in CIBSE project called ‘Retrofit Revisited’, work which lead onto reviewing data collected over 13 years from and early project (see Architecture Today). Other guidance he has been part of, include the Bristolians Guide to Solid Wall Insulation and the London Councils’ London Retrofit Action Plan. He is currently writing a book for the RIBA with Harry Paticas, to be published in 2025.

 

Jonathan Lowy
Operational Marketing Manager, VMZinc

Jonathan Lowy has over 24 years’ experience working with VMZINC. Having operated in both technical and sales positions in three different countries, he has an excellent understanding of not only the market needs but also the technical possibilities of zinc as a roofing and cladding material. Jonathan has also been involved in technical certifications whether that be, Environmental Profile Declarations or BBA certifications and fire testing. Much of this knowledge has been used to write technical literature aimed both at architects and installers. Before joining VMZINC, Jonathan worked as a land surveyor in Paris, ironically spending quite a lot of time on the zinc roof tops of Paris! Jonathan graduated from Nottingham Trent University in Construction Management in 1990.

 

Mark Sidebotham
Practice Director, shedkm

Mark became a Director in 2000, having been with shedkm since its inception. He runs the Liverpool studio with fellow Director Ian Killick and works across a variety of sectors including education, health, commercial, culture and private/public residential.

Mark has led many of shedkm’s regeneration projects in both the residential and commercial sectors including Crusader Works and Kampus in Manchester and Littlewoods in Liverpool. 

He leads the company’s policy development in sustainability, in both its outputs and operations and oversees the delivery and technical development of the studio.

 

Steven Kierney
Director, SKArchitects

Steven Kearney is the founding Director of SKArchitects an award winning practice.

Steven has worked in both the private sector for a number of architectural practices and in Local Authority at Chief Officer level delivering major regeneration projects and the whole range of planning and engineering services. 

Since 2008 SKArchitects has grown as a practice with a strong track record and reputation for design quality.

SKArchitects has received a number of awards from the RIBA Architects' Journal, Inside Housing Award, been short-listed for the prestigious RIBA Stephen Lawerence Award, long listed for the RIBAJ MacEwan.

Steven has sat and chaired a number of Design Review Panels and has been a panel member for the Regional Design Review Panel, Inspire East as well as the Peterborough Design Review Panel.

 

Danielle Simpson
Architect, SKArchitects

Danielle is an Architect at SKArchitects working on a number of projects from bespoke residential through to large mixed-use developments with a passion for creating unique experiences of place. Danielle was the Project Architect for the recently completed Bluebird project, an award-winning development and one of the first Passivhaus Certified homeless shelters in the UK delivering 50 bedspaces for a Southend-on-Sea based homeless charity. Danielle also tutors on both the Part II and III courses at the Welsch School of Architecture and enjoys being involved in mentoring the next generation of architects. 

 

Tim Chapman-Cavanagh
Director, Assael Architecture

Tim is an experienced architect and project director at Assael Architecture, a large London-based practice that specialises in the intelligent design and successful delivery of residentially-led mixed-use developments.

Tim has been responsible for the design of many high-profile projects across all living concepts at Assael. More recently, he has spearheaded Assael’s development in the Co-living sector, contributing to the publication of the Urban Land Institute and JLL’s The European Co-living Best Practice Guide in 2022, and directing the design on several Co-living projects across London and Surrey, including the RIBA Award winning Sunday Mills in Wandsworth and Folk at Florence Dock in Battersea.