Project: Industrial Development
Size: 2880 sq m.
Stage in 2019: Planning
The proposed development comprises a total of 10 number warehouse units with other associated stores, offices, toilets & kitchen facilities in a single building of 3 storeys of GIFA 2880 sq.m. The site is located in North Manchester with the busy routes of Cheetham Hill and Inner Ring Road close by and the local area to the north & south is primarily Industrial. Currently a brownfield site, the immediate surrounding area consists of warehouses and industrial units of a non-residential nature.
The brief given to Studio Tashkeel Architecture was to re-develop the site into good quality warehousing units for light-goods. The building proposal would need to look presentable and smart for the companies which would occupy the future facility.
The immediate neighbourhood has a wide range of external materials used, predominated by red brick masonry and standing seam metal roofs of both pitched & flat profiles. A 5-minute walk would take you to the emerging residential area on the city fringe, which also have a varied material palette of red, blue & buff brick masonry, concrete render and rain-screen cladding solutions.
The form of the building is largely utilitarian. The form has been arrived at based on the function of the proposal as light-goods warehousing. This mainly requires certain design criteria such as the heights of the floors are not set too high and b. warehouse areas are conveniently designed such that the movement and storage of goods are carried out easily and efficiently. The scale of the building is influenced by the adjacent units (2.5 storeys and 2 storeys). This is an appropriate scale for the design as it ties comfortably with the local building stock.
In order to make a departure from the horizontal profile of the site, the verticality in the design has been accentuated by the introduction of vertical elements such as the three-storey brick piers and slender shop front glazed panels. The external material chosen for the front façade is Brick masonry as the predominant material in the local area is facing brick. The material has been varied by means of colour and depth. This is expected to create good light and shadow on this south-facing elevation. The proposal is anticipated to improve the visual appearance of the immediate context & be a valuable addition to the area.