Haslingden Road, Blackburn

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The national house builder Keepmoat Homes had previously received planning approval for five apartment blocks for provision of affordable housing for NHS support workers on their Haslingden Road site in Blackburn. However, they approached Manor Architecture to revisit the internal layout and increase the density of units while keeping the original exterior design due to a change in brief from the client.

Manor Architecture successfully redesigned the layout, boosting the number of units per block to 37, bringing the total project count to 148 apartments. This revision also ensured a thorough compliance review against the building regulations with emphasis on Part B and Part O. Additionally, as part of this process the design was optimised for constructability, eliminating unnecessary complexities and making the build process smoother and more cost-effective.

Manor Architecture excels at analysing existing approvals, whether this is an apartment block or a housing site as a whole to identify opportunities for increases in density of units, simpler, more economical technical designs, all without sacrificing the original concept.

This approach offers several advantages such as reduced costs, easier construction, and faster build times which result in a better bottom line for the client. While this specific project required re-submitting plans due to the increased unit count, Manor Architecture's expertise often prevents this by ensuring their adjustments maintain the core design approved by planning authorities, avoiding the need for time-consuming and expensive amendment applications.