Spotlight On GMA Architecture
Knowles works with a number of prestigious London-based architects and we are pleased to include GMA Architecture into our portfolio. GMA Architecture have provided their precise and stylish designs for our retrofit basement constructions on a number of period properties across London.
GMA Architecture is a Twickenham-based design and architecture company with almost 30 years of experience. The team provides designs and consulting for residential, commercial and healthcare buildings, as well as complicated projects like the restoration of listed properties within conservation areas, like the projects they have worked on with Knowles.
Bathurst Mews – Retrofit Basement For Listed Property
Knowles worked with GMA Architecture on two joined period properties on Bathurst Mews near Paddington Station in West London, right next to Hyde Park. These lovely 19th century mews houses were once the stables and servants’ quarters found at the back of the ornate town houses of this affluent area, but have since seen a revival in popularity and are now a very desirable place to live.
The properties on Bathurst Mews required a great deal of sensitivity in the design in order to keep the period features and charming feel. These houses are terraced and very close to each other, so the Knowles team needed to work hard to avoid disrupting the peace on this leafy street.
The project took 37 weeks in total to finish and spanned 75m2 across two adjoined properties to give the house a whole extra floor. First the concrete floors were retained and supported by structure steel piles and then excavated as quickly as possible to avoid noise disturbance. The ground conditions in this area are sand and gravel over a clay layer so a waterproofing system of localised.
Wilton Place – Basement Under Existing Period Property
Another more recent project that Knowles is currently working on with GMA Architecture is the period property on Wilton Place in Belgravia, Knightsbridge, London. This property is again a Georgian terraced house, so disruption to the neighbouring properties is paramount.
This project is ongoing and predicted to take around 33 weeks in total. The finished basement will be a mammoth 140m2 and started with the demolition of a rear extension. The basement is being extended to run beneath the garden and the rear extension will be rebuilt to include a shell finish with matching Georgian-style windows and a new roof.
About GMA Architecture
GMA Architecture was formed in 1982 but has been consulting for architectural projects since 1978. The team focusses on residential, commercial and healthcare buildings, with many designs for charities and hospitals. They also focus on restoration projects, where the client needs to stay within the period style of the conservation area. They take into account detailed planning and environmental issues and have designed properties across the United Kingdom, Middle-East, Cayman and Channel Islands.
To find out more about GMA Architecture, go to www.gmaarchitecture.co.uk.