Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from everyone at GSA!

2023 has been a busy year, and we thank all who we have worked with, and their contributions to another successful year. It has been an industrious year, with four of our assistants undertaking their Part 3 exams and qualifying as Architects. We also celebrated two practice promotions with Clare and Enzo joining the management team in the Autumn.

Our office closes on 22nd December 2023, re-opening on January 2nd 2024. We are looking forward to continuing to work on both the current and new, exciting opportunities that 2024 will bring.

December 2023

Full Planning Permission at Castle and Cumberland Street, Luton

In late 2023, we secured full planning permission for two pioneering high-quality residential developments at Castle Street and Cumberland Street in Luton for JRL Group. Each site is designed to express its unique architectural identity, referencing the rich character of Luton’s hat making and industrial history.

Our proposals provide 626 homes across both sites, offering a unique opportunity to deliver real, transformational, regeneration in the heart of Luton Town Centre in line with the aspirations of the council’s Town Centre Masterplan.

November 2023

Visiting Royal Hill Park, Redhill

We visited the recently completed Royal Hill Park, developed as a joint venture between Countryside and the Royal Institute of Blind People. Our scheme has transformed this dilapidated greenbelt site into a vibrant, integrated community where contemporary private homes sit alongside specialist supported living homes for adults with sight loss.

The design creates a positive dialogue between built form and generous landscape. Contemporary homes cascade and rise with the natural topography, whilst the public realm is designed as an accessible, exciting sensory experience for all residents – be they visually impaired or sighted.

May 2023

Whitehill Chase shortlisted for Housing Design Awards

We are delighted that our scheme at Whitehill Chase, Bordon has been granted planning permission, and shortlisted for a Housing Design Award! A high-quality sustainable development close to the new town centre and local SANG, our proposals will see the delivery of 50 homes within previously private woodland now accessible to the wider community.

Natural woodland wraps around the site, safeguarding and reinforcing existing habitats. To the centre of the site homes are orientated to maximise views over green spaces and woodland, creating connectivity with the landscape. View corridors and vistas between existing ‘anchor’ trees define key routes within the site.

April 2023

FutureBuild2023- Take a Stand

The GSA retrofit team attended the annual FutureBuild conference this week, which urges professionals to ‘take a stand for a better built environment’. The event featured over 90 industry leading partners and featured a stellar line-up of over 300 speakers, giving insights on net zero, the scale and pace of retrofit and sustainable infrastructure.

Interest in Retrofit is growing rapidly, particularly evident by the growing number of large, high-quality projects underway in the UK, like the ones GSA are currently involved in across London. Retrofit offers a solution to some of the UK’s most vulnerable households when facing the demands of extreme climate change and energy insecurity.

March 2023

BOSC Phase 2, Bordon

We have secured a reserved matters planning approval for the second phase of the BOSC neighbourhood for BRiCSdevelopment. Our landscape led scheme will deliver 77 bespoke and characterful new homes within a woodland environment. The BOSC neighbourhood forms part of the wider Prince Philip Park development located in Whitehill & Bordon, Hampshire.

The new homes, which are inspired by the Hampshire vernacular, are set around the new BOSC Pavilion social club and playing field.

January 2023

Outline Approval for Grange Farm

The new year has started well with a planning approval in Leicestershire for our client HLM (Harris Land Management). Blaby District Council resolved to grant outline planning approval for up to 58 new homes on this 6 acre site in Leicester Forest East , known as Grange Farm.

Trees have been retained where possible - including some with TPOs - and create a focal point within the open space, visual screening as well as noise attenuation from then nearby M1. Homes are arranged in a network of streets, leafy lanes and courtyards, with many homes benefitting from a green outlook.