Author: Zollikon

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Monolithic Dome Church

Zollikon would like to share an update on some of its work on the exciting new-build church commission previously announced.

Having taken over the project from a well-regarded set of architects who had taken the project through a strategic and financing masterplanning process, Zollikon drafted multiple schemes to address a range of client and neighbour interests.

Zollikon was also cautious but open-minded to incorporate a building technology never before used in the UK. Monolithic concrete domes have been used in the USA and worldwide to create large sports stadia, educational classrooms and halls, hurricane proof homes, emergency shelters, agricultural silos and… churches.

The process, much simplified:

  • dig and pour a ground ring-beam and floor slab
  • attach a large “half-balloon” (hemisphere) to the perimeter
  • inflate the balloon and spray foam insulation over the entire interior surface
  • install a re-bar mesh inside the foam
  • spray concrete (shotcrete) internally to meet the foam and encase the rebar

Meeting with an experienced USA-based dome builder (originally from the UK), Zollikon was able to onboard the technique and its possibilities, checking these against the project goals and constraints, and even to push the technology into new areas (glazed arc, mezzanine, acoustic attenuation, etc) with some innovative designs that the client approved.

This will be the first monolithic concrete dome built using this technique that we know of in the UK.

If you would like to know more about this “ancient and modern” technology for your school/college, farm, charity, university, church, etc please do contact us.

This technique is incredibly cheap, fast, thermally efficient and massively strong.

Zollikon – realising the possible

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5 Impossible Flats

Zollikon is proud to discuss some flats recently designed to fit within a challenging but highly sustainable space. This development will bring a range of benefits:

  • enhance the neighbourhood by replacing a litter-strewn wasteland with a well thought-out and maintained scheme
  • replace unmanaged and even dangerous (dead) trees with an urban appropriate “living space” that includes retaining and managing wild trees, a new row of screening trees, a living wall, living roof and sustainable timber cladding materials
  • reduce a local flooding issue for at risk neighbours by enhanced monitoring of a riperian landowner who has a history of neglecting a waterway
  • eliminate any risk entirely for the scheme’s residents by building the ground floor and accesses above the flood tip-over point. (Unbelievably, this was not done in a large neighbouring scheme with dozens of flats just a decade ago!!!)
  • create a safer environment for neighbours using the “secure by design” principles of including windows overlooking public spaces, private ownership and usage. Granular statistics show crime is a problem for the general public in the immediate area to be enhanced by this much-needed Zollikon scheme
  • create much needed housing in a highly sustainable location, i.e. an area very well serviced by shops, schools, public transport, parks, medical care, work opportunities, etc.
  • create beautiful, space efficient homes with well thought-out layouts and features that people will be happy and proud to live in

Zollikon is very proud to have been involved in this scheme from the start – at which point every other person said this derelict, wasteland site was unbuildable – and to have then gone on to build and evidence the scheme’s merits, thereby securing the support of the local planning department despite all the “it’s impossible” nay-sayers.

A construction logistics plan, an extensive topograpical survey all the way to the local high street, uncovering historical records going back over 100 years, legal advice, pixel-level land registry agreement, 3D rendering, a highly original low impact build technique, graphs, photos, statistics, motion capture traffic surveys… The work was great, but the rewards far greater.

5 sets of residents will be glad that Zollikon creatively dreamed and diligently transformed the impossible into the possible, as they enjoy their beautiful new homes.

If you have a piece of land that you think might be buildable – even if “experts” have told you it is “impossible” – please do contact Zollikon for a fresh, intelligent appraisal.

Equally, if you would like to make an investment into land development, where returns of 2-20 times are achievable, Zollikon would love to speak with you about a possible partnership.

We are always happy to listen, look and think.

Zollikon – realising the possible.

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Exciting times!

Zollikon has been hard at work for some time now on the new church development and final concept selection is about to take place from a short-list of two, before we prepare and submit the planning application. I would love to share details of the concepts with you – maybe later!

Elsewhere, old projects are now being built and yesterday a delayed planning decision on a listed building from early in the year was successful after some to-ing and fro-ing with the Heritage Officer – the client now has all he sought including a new granny annex, kitchen/dining/family room, study, walk-through library, boot room, dressing room, additional en suite, double-height glazed entry, lowered and reinstated parapet roofs, solar panels, landscaped approach, additional parking and other internal layout and fenestration improvements. It really is very satisfying to play a small part in helping a lovely young family achieve their dream home in a stunning location whilst also securing sustainable investment into a fantastic old heritage building.

Approaches continue from repeat clients and new enquirers who have heard of Zollikon by word-of-mouth, and there are now several very exciting avenues on the horizon for next year. Whichever path/s opens up, more in-house development work or some interesting partnership possibilities with great people who have proven track records in their specialist fields, 2020 is already looking good.

Of course, some of the most satisfying work is on individual homes and improvements for families, as mentioned above, so I very much intend to keep going with this fun and rewarding work too. I hope the feeling is mutual and very generous, unsought bonuses recently from two wonderful clients suggest something is right!

There is plenty more learning, hard work and mutual success waiting…

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New detached house – Zollikon wins another appeal

From the very start I thought the application was a 50/50 case and indeed we did fail at the first attempt, when the Local Planning Authority (aka ‘the council’) rejected the application. The case had its definite merits and issues, but no neighbours had objected and on balance the clients and I agreed that the application ought to be given another chance – the application simply ‘felt right’.

So we pulled out all the stops for an appeal. We gathered further evidence to counter the LPA’s reasons for refusal, including going through the LPA’s own adopted policies with a fine tooth-comb. This detailed process unearthed some useful ammunition which we presented using all the skills learned from previous experience as a journalist, photographer, editor, Chartered Institute of Marketing post-grad, PLC communications manager, etc.

The rain started falling exactly as the Appeal Inspector arrived for his visit to view the proposed building plot. He declined a warming coffee and seemed tentative when we offered him a wet ladder to climb up (to see the neighbour’s garden for comparison purposes) despite my assuring him I had just secured and tested it. He survived. I also guided him around some soaked decking in case it was slippery. No slapstick mishaps please! Several minutes after he had left, we saw him outside in the street, still musing the situation. We struggled to interpret his body language – if only we could read his thoughts – perhaps he thought it was a 50/50 case too?

One morning a few weeks later, I excitedly phoned the clients to let them know the happy news of our win – clean forgetting that they were away in America. I have never heard someone more forgiving after being woken up at 5am!

Builders are now being engaged and the clients are looking forward to enjoying their new house.

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Zollikon wins new church commission

It’s a great thing to see a new church being built in 21st century Britain. Particularly a decent sized one for several hundred people, in the beautiful grounds of a large Victorian gothic mansion which is celebrating its 150th birthday.

Zollikon is delighted and privileged to assist with the design, obtaining planning permission and build of this fantastic new worship, community and conference space for a thriving, exciting church.

Though in the early stages of involvement, there are already some fantastic, innovative ideas around the architecture and uses currently being researched and modelled, including one that would be a genuinely exciting UK first. The project’s previous scoping architects did excellent work to take several masterplans though 2 pre-application cycles with the Local Planning Authority, with Zollikon arriving to oversee the second pre-app LPA meeting and lead the project into its next phases.

As a Christian, it has been a real joy to join the current church in Sunday morning worship and to work with and chat through the week, to really try and understand the church’s vision and values. Highlights? The thumping dance music that crescendos as the service is about to begin, followed by the thumping sermon exhorting us to step out and make a difference, the mid-service coffee break, the passionate conversations I have had with members about their visions for the new church building, the servant hearts I’ve met who work hard to make the existing facilities work for the church and community, climbing up the narrow, winding steps of the gothic tower to survey the surrounding views of town and country… lots of highlights!

From really knowing and understanding the existing church community, the wider communities (including residential, educational and business), current stakeholders and tenants, the huge mansion, outbuildings and grounds – and holding these factors within the contexts of current technologies, budgets, multiple visions and more – Zollikon is synthesising the historic, the current and the sustainable future. And THAT, is indeed a privilege.

More to follow…

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Flat roofed, full width, front dormer – win

These are often an unthinkable offence against design and planning policy in many planning departments. Many don’t even like them on the rear of houses but are powerless to stop them under GPDO / PDR legislation (developing an example of which has been keeping the grey cells busy this morning).

But the front, full width, flat dormer is not impossible, as Zollikon has just proved by achieving planning permission for exactly this – at the first attempt. A little more attention to the Design Statement than usual developed the case by close reference to the existing house design and an analysis of neighbouring architecture and recent planning decisions in the area to show how the proposal would actually result in a better outcome than might be the case if simply unthinkingly following rules and guidelines without any flexibility.

Thankfully, the LPA (Local Planning Authority) agreed that the proposal would ‘ameliorate the grain of the local vernacular’. Exactly!

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Attention to Detail

A BBC daytime programme was on earlier as I worked – “Dreamy Architects and Their Dreamy Houses” or something to that effect. My attention grew from almost 0% to 100% as the mistakes piled up:

  • Halfway through the build, the architects (there are 2 of them) mysteriously “find some more space” in the roof. No, I don’t understand that either! Anyway, the builder is upset but the customers don’t seem to mind that the architects have changed the laws of physics and increased the bill by having work re-done. (Zollikon uses 3D software to avoid this sort of expensive mistake)

  • On another build, the narrator tells us that tonnes of cement are being poured on the ground to improve construction vehicle access. Really? That would be more than a little odd. The accompanying pictures show concrete being poured – much more sensible! (Zollikon tries to use the correct terminology)

  • Back to the first build, and the stonemason (40 years’ experience) has not put an overhang nor drip edge on some coping because ‘it wasn’t in the drawings’. The architect (also 40 years’ experience) says it was. We don’t get to see the drawings… The architect puts his foot down and the work is ripped out and re-done. He visits once complete and seems very happy, even though the stonemason has (again?) not followed the drawings. The cameraman is studiously avoiding a wide shot of the wall and the changed detail, but I manage to pause on one camera pan and see why. The coping verge is too narrow and the end drip simply pushes water onto a bulging stone below. Result? Exactly what the architect said he wanted to avoid – a lovely, new, expensive, natural stone extension, with a mouldy green wall. (Zollikon advises minimum verges at the approved 38mm, with drips for coping and advises customers on material selection on sheltered and tall walls susceptible to damp and stains.)

I once turned down a request to appear on a Phil Spencer programme to give my expert opinion on a possible loft conversion because I was relatively new to the job at the time and I would studiously double and triple research and check every detail possible into the small hours in the privacy of the office before passing comment. It wouldn’t worry me these days – judging by the low bar for TV, perhaps it shouldn’t have worried me then.

Update:
Later the same day, ITV’s prime time “£10k Holiday Home” featured a very attractive kitchen log burner stove, with timber cabinet touching the burner’s sides and a lovely wooden worktop touching at the top. Just one word –

FIRE!!

Please be very careful when listening to TV advice or trusting any one source.

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Continuing Professional Development – Ventilation

Just back from a CPD training session on ventilation organised by the new-ish outsourced building control function now serving several local authorities in the South East. On offer was a new product to eliminate damp and mould – a loft fan which pushes dryer air into the landing/hallway below and into adjoining rooms via 10mm gaps under doors.

I can see this working better with warm roofs and where, for example, there might be an issue with tenants switching off extractor fans and blocking passive vents. Noise sensitive situations might benefit as well. Because this solution provides positive air pressure, this could also help where solid fuel burners might otherwise bring required powered extractor fans into conflict with building regulations – with particular regard to carbon monoxide poisoning. The installation work is minimal compared to drilling multiple wall cores and running additional circuits, particularly in a retrofit/upgrade situation.

Another product on show logs the number of hours the fan has been used, so (sometimes false) claims about damp building problems can be verified…

These products are not optimum for every case and there are lots of other ways of meeting the building regulations on ventilation, but it is always good to have multiple options available.

The next CPD is on fire mist sprinklers – cheaper, less damage, fit in a GU10 sized hole – another great string to the bow in the continual quest to ensure that buildings are efficient, comfortable and safe.

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Alpine Chalet

While on the subject of Switzerland (see previous post), if you would like help developing property in Switzerland please do get in touch. Projects and building land can be bought surprisingly cheaply, Swiss finance rates can be very low, tax breaks are available (e.g. no inheritance tax in some cantons) and foreign ownership is possible. Zollikon would be delighted to help with your project whether you are interested in a private holiday home or perhaps a rental investment.

On my last “busman’s holiday” I paid particular attention to converted historic agricultural buildings in the tourist heartland of the Interlaken / Lucerne region. There are many such buildings in the most jaw-droppingly beautiful scenery with healthy year-round potential – from skiing in the winter to summer hikes and cycling amidst meadows of wild alpine flowers. Whilst largely retaining picture-postcard rustic beauty externally, some of the re-worked barns are modern masterpieces internally, demonstrating world-class Swiss expertise in timber, concrete and fit-out.

To whet your appetite, some links to examples of buildings, building land and rental examples:

https://www.immoscout24.ch/en

https://www.immostreet.ch/en

https://www.homegate.ch/buy/real-estate-search

https://www.interhome.co.uk/switzerland

https://alp.holidaybooking.ch/?language=en

https://chalet.myswitzerland.com/?lang=en

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The mighty Swiss!

I am only partly Swiss but last night I was very proud to support the Swiss team in a memorable 1-1 victory* over Brazil in the football World Cup!

A tiny country with less than 1/20th of Brazil’s population, yet FIFA ranked 6th in the world and able to stand up to tournament favourites. In Swiss culture, quality, community and excellence are a way of life.

Tonight I will be waving another red and white crossed flag, to proudly support the England team…

*Someone recently told me they had hesitated to contact me as they thought language might be a problem – foreign sounding company name, foreign sounding surname. I can understand their concern. I might split the odd infinitive but do have an English degree and sub-edited at The Times newspaper as a student (where the grammar advice was “read Jane Austen”).