The architect taken on by PegasusLife for their development at Knowle is very much respected in the profession:
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The Design Review Panel are delighted to note that Pegasus Life have secured planning permission through public inquiry for a Sarah Wigglesworth Architects scheme for a C2 assisted living community at The Knowle, Sidmouth.
Planning Inspectorate Gives Significant Weight to Applicant’s Engagement with The Design Review Pane
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This is from the pages of the SW Architects:
Sidmouth Later Living responds to East Devon’s demand for older people’s housing. 113 apartments provide adaptable homes for later living in a supportive community. Shared use of a wellness suite, cinema, library, farmhouse kitchen, guest suite, restaurant and communal lounge encourage sociability amongst residents.
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Here is a not-so pretty rendition of the same plans, from the Save Our Sidmouth pages:
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Perspectives of Knowle, before and after Pegasus Life proposals.
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Yes, not very pretty…
As asked a couple of years ago:
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Interestingly, the SW Architects behind the PegasusLife development have been keen to promote innovative design and techniques:
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And what is particularly interesting is that a new campaign from the Architect’s Journal is being backed by SW Architects:
Introducing RetroFirst: a new AJ campaign championing reuse in the built environment
Amid the escalating climate crisis, Will Hurst introduces the AJ’s campaign to prioritise retrofitting existing buildings over demolition and rebuild
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The three demands of RetroFirst
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TaxCut VAT rate on refurbishment, repair and maintenance from 20 per cent to 5 per cent
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PolicyPromote the reuse of existing building stock and reclaimed construction material by introducing new clauses into planning guidance and the building regs |
ProcurementStimulate the circular economy and support a whole-life carbon approach in construction by insisting that all publicly funded project look to retrofit solutions first |
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Architects work in a problematic sector of our economy. Worldwide, the construction industry consumes almost all the planet’s cement, 26 per cent of aluminium output, 50 per cent of steel production and 25 per cent of all plastics. Because of the way it gobbles up energy and resources, the industry’s carbon emissions are sky-high. While the UK construction industry has much to be proud of, it produces no less than 35-40 per cent of the country’s total emissions. As the government’s chief environmental scientist, Ian Boyd, has said of our current economic system, ‘emissions are a symptom of consumption and, unless we reduce consumption, we’ll not reduce emissions’…
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Endorsements
Sarah Wigglesworth, Sarah Wigglesworth Architects
‘This initiative is urgent but well overdue. The three demands are based on sound science. They are unassailable and must be implemented if our government’s commitments to zero carbon are to have any credibility. Furthermore, existing buildings are what manifest the identity of places. They embody meaning and represent a resource waiting to be fulfilled’
Introducing RetroFirst: a new AJ campaign championing reuse in the built environment