Riva Architects – Jersey Design Awards 2019
Taking the honours in no less than three categories of the Jersey Design Awards 2019, Carlo Riva Architects continue to deliver projects of a high design standard.
Speaking of the three projects which were honoured – Logie Point, Les Ormes and Loup de Mer – Carlo Riva said: “The recognition won by Riva Architects this year is indicative of the fact that the last two years have been particularly busy and prolific for us (the Design Awards take place every two years).
Logie Point
Winner of the Major Project category in the awards, Logie Point is a contemporary five bedroom house with annexe, situated on a headland on the South West coast of Jersey.
Exceptional design was key to this project, located in an area of outstanding natural beauty, perched above the rocky coastline of Corbiere and the expanse of St Ouens Bay.
The house, built by Houze Construction, is designed to make the most of the surrounding panoramic views, blending harmoniously with the surrounding landscape.
Carlo Riva said: “The overall theme of the project is about integrating the house into the natural landscape, whilst making the most of the dramatic views. The award judges said that the architecture of the house is of international significance and that should be recognised.”
The site was previously occupied by a hotel which was demolished, and the client then purchased the site which already had planning permission for a development of four houses. The initial designs for the property were drawn up by Guz Wilkinson International, a British architect working in Singapore – which is where the clients moved from to take up residence in Jersey. Riva Architects then took up the project as the client’s local architects.
The architects selected a ‘stripped down’ palette of Cumbrian Stone, large sheets of glass imported from Switzerland a combination of ’green’ roofing and wave-like metal sheet roofing that appears to ‘float’ above the walls of glass, while the building’s stonework complements the surroundings and was carried out by local stonemasons – Granite Le Pelley. Large areas of photovoltaic panels are also incorporated into the design of the roofs.
The principal elevations face north towards the sea and feature large areas of glass panels and terracing to take advantage of the views.
The main house wraps around a reception courtyard including a nature pond complete with reeds, which can also be used for swimming.
Carlo Riva commented: “The property also has a guest wing annexe overlooking Corbiere light house and is constructed in similar materials to the main house, and again tailored to make the most of the views, as well as to make the building appear to be ‘growing’ out of the natural landscape.
“Houze Construction did a great job over the two year build programme for the project, in what proved to be a difficult and complex build process.
“I think the project stood out enough to win the award through its international credentials – including a designer from Singapore, windows from Switzerland, roof metalwork from Germany and stonework from Cumbria. We definitely tried to push accepted levels of excellence when it came to design – particularly as the clients had high expectations and the design needed to match the exceptional quality of the site.”
Loup de Mer
Highly commended in the Best Medium Scale Development category of the awards, Loup de Mer is a two-bedroom cottage located on the south west corner of Jersey overlooking the sea and close to Logie Point.
Situated on a sloping site, the cottage has an ‘upside down’ plan, where the living accommodation is arranged on the first floor from where the property is entered, with the bedrooms being downstairs.
The cottage is situated on a site formerly occupied by a house which was demolished, with some of the building’s granite being set aside, dressed and re-used as part of the new property to provide an architectural link with the history of the area.
Externally, there is a patio and a small garden with views of the sea.
The building is designed to nestle into the natural contours of the site, is ‘quiet’ in terms of architectural style and seeks to maximise the surrounding views, including those of Rocco Tower in the middle of St Ouens Bay.
Carlo Riva said: “The project was a self-build scheme and the clients are very pleased with the result. The awards judges liked the palette of materials used and felt that they were a local interpretation of Jersey’s natural materials.”
Les Ormes self-catering apartments
Winner of the Best Unbuilt Scheme category in the Jersey Design Awards, Les Ormes Sports and Leisure Centre self-catering development was another triumph for Riva Architects.
Carlo Riva said: “The scheme is designed to expand and complement the existing self-catering offering at St Ormes Sports and Leisure Centre and is geared to reflect and represent the unique qualities that Jersey has to offer.”
The development will comprise the construction of a range of self-catering apartments including 44 one-bedroom units, two two-bedroom units, 13 four-bedroom units and one six-bedroom unit.
The proposed buildings are wrapped around an outdoor piazza designed as a village green serving the entire development.
Carlo Riva said: “I think the project stood out to the awards judges because it has good local relevance and utilises the Jersey palette of materials such as granite, which is evocative of some of the old defensive forts on the island, for example.”
The project is part of a £14m overall project which is a major investment into local tourism.
Heightsafe
Heightsafe specialises in the design, supply and installation of roof access and roof safety equipment. This equipment ensures that all personnel who require roof access, whether that is a client or contractor, are protected from a fall when working at height.
Having diversified our service offering to accommodate the growing requirements of our clients, the company has six key internal divisions – Design, Supply and Installation; Compliance; Lighting and Surge Protection; Rope Access; Roofing and Cladding; and BMU, Hoists and Cradles.
We have been in operation for 11 years and take pride in our service quality, dependability and trust. These foundations have enabled the company to go from strength to strength, and we are continually investing in our staff.
Heightsafe is one of the UK’s leading independent providers in our chosen field and our long-standing clients include organisations like Berkeley Group, Vermont Construction, Travelodge, John Lewis and many more.
For Logie Point, we were approached to design a safety line system which provided a safe method of work for contractors and on-site maintenance teams. This accommodated for solar panel contractors to service and clean PV panels in situ on the roof.
Our involvement with Logie Point has helped us to access new national markets, furthering our offering across the country. We were, once again, able to demonstrate our ability to provide a bespoke solution that ensures that personnel are secure.
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