Fusing tradition and modern methods of constructionThe Misty River House is a pre-existing residence situated in Henley upon Thames. The homeowners engaged Baca Architects to replace the current substandard dwelling with a meticulously designed amphibious house. This initiative aims to enhance the visual appeal of the riverfront while concurrently mitigating flood risk for its residents. The house is not located within a conservation area but is located within the local Greenbelt. The replacement dwelling will be amphibious. An Amphibious House is a building that sits on the ground, within a ‘dock’, and is designed to rise from its ‘dock’ on the rare occasion when an extreme flood occurs. This form of construction will help reduce the risk of the existing property and to the surrounding properties by providing additional flood storage under the building. This type of property has the benefit of improving the relationship of the building to the ground plain by providing fewer steps up to the building and eliminating the redundant void below the existing ground floor; that would occur if the replacement dwelling were to be stilted. It also provides an adaptable response to climate changes as the building will always float above the highest flood levels. Baca Architects built the UK’s first amphibious house in Marlow, Buckinghamshire almost a decade ago and the building is acknowledged nationally and internationally as an exemplar of flood mitigation design, especially in riverside locations.  Hydroscapes:  A meticulously planned garden by Richard Miers Garden Design (named ‘People’s Choice’ award winner at the Chelsea Flower Show 2022) serves as a natural flood alert mechanism. Terraces arranged at varying heights are strategically constructed to flood gradually, notifying residents well in advance of any imminent threat from rising floodwaters. At Baca Architects, we refer to this concept as ‘an intuitive landscape’. The bottom terrace features a lawn and wild flower meadow, the next one includes shrubs and plants, while the seating deck is situated one level above. The highest terrace, positioned just below the living room, acts as the peak point. This tiered arrangement aids in swift recovery by offering dry zones as water levels recede, and the plants play a role in minimizing the erosion of the embankment. The landscape will deliver a 10% ecological gain on the site. CONSTRUCTION: The replacement dwelling would be constructed from high quality materials. The building deploys an oak timber frame building combined with lime-rendered structurally insulated panels. This combines the best of low energy design and traditional craftsmanship with modern methods of construction. The building will be low energy construction and seeks to achieve low carbon construction in its build. The proposal has adopted energy hierarchy - to be lean, clean, and green; and archiving a significant reduction in Carbon emissions over current Part L Building regulations. The whole life carbon assessment demonstrated that the embodied carbon of the project will be less than refurbishing the existing building after every flood event throughout the building 75-year lifespan. CONCLUSION: The replacement dwelling will improve the riverfront frontage and create an attractive addition to the housing stock along this stretch of the river in Henley upon Thames. Considering that this is a replacement dwelling in flood zone 3, the proposed building will deliver a low carbon solution, high quality, beautiful, architectural design sympathetic to its setting and will protect the residents from flooding deep into the 21st Century. ​

According to Flood Re, a partnership between the insurance industry and the UK Government, there are 2 million people across the UK exposed to 'frequent flooding.' They have a greater than 10% chance of being flooded in the next decade. Climate change and increased flooding are sadly two sides of the same coin. When our practice first started research in the flood sector, the average cost of repairing a flooded home was £22k. This has now risen to £32k. Some good news: 266,000 Flood Re policies were taken up in 2022. If flooded, Flood Re will provide up to £10K in addition to the repair costs to 'Build-back-better,' making homes more secure and more flood-resilient to what will inevitably come. Baca Director Richard Coutts was invited to the Launch of Flood Re's Transition Plan 2023 at the top of the Gherkin last week. Not only for the event but also as an architect, level 40 (building by Fosters & Partners) provides some of the best views of the City of London. It also affords a wonderful view of Lloyds of London by Richard Rogers.Laura Tobin, Meteorologist, and Weather Presenter provided a great introduction to the event and some sobering statistics on climate change. She rallied the audience to keep the global temperature within 1.5 degrees Celsius. At 1.5°C, summer maximum rainfall could increase by 4%. At 3°C, summer maximum rainfall could increase by 7%. Interspersed with dryer spells, the consequences of surface water runoff will be significant. For those considering buying a house soon, please enter your postcode into the EA’s searches.  It will give you an instant indication of the risk from both river and surface water flooding. Avoidance is key. If you can't avoid it, then utilize the government’s flood insurance.Link: https://www.floodre.co.uk​

New Flood Resilient Homes.After the long lag caused by the covid pandemic, we are pleased to report a wave on new flood resilient homes will start in site this year that will test new technologies and with innovation at the threshold of current policy parameters.  Weave House has secured full planning permission in Chelmsford. A suburban infill site next to a river the site has provided both a challenge in terms of tackling traditional infill policy with the complexity of flooding. The 285m² (3000sq ft) 'part flood-resilient, part-elevated' Weave House will replace an existing, rundown house and outbuildings. The project, which is expected to cost around £900,000, features two blocks connected by a ramped spine. The landscaping will re-wild several areas of the garden by removing much of the existing hard standing.  Featured on AJ ​: https://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/news/baca-wins-approval-for-flood-resilient-house-in-chelmsford

12% Net Ecological Gain for Former Mineral Extraction Site and Car Breakers Yard Baca Architects have secured full planning permission for an ambitious aqua sports leisure park, hospitality venue, and visitor attraction in the Blackwater Valley near Farnborough, UK. The proposals include: - An aquatic sports center offering water-based activities such as kayaking, boating, and a seasonal inflatable assault course alongside gym facilities and an elevated cafe.- An equestrian center offering stabling, grazing, and schooling facilities alongside overnight guest accommodation for a local riding school.- Floating holiday accommodation and fishing experiences for visiting guests, introducing 'eco-tourism' to the local area.  The site is currently closed to the public. The 16-hectare site, of which 9 hectares are water, is in flood zones 2 and 3, was a former mineral extraction site and car breakers yard. Proposals have been developed in close consultation with both Rushmoor and Hampshire County Council, Heads of Economy and Strategic Regeneration, and the Planning Team.  Despite a challenging set of constraints, the scheme went through unanimously at Committee.  The proposals will promote healthy lifestyles and encourage physical activity, indoor and in-built sports and recreational facilities.  Working with Aspect Ecology, the proposals offer the opportunity for the existing lakes and surrounding habitats to be brought into favorable conservation management in the long term. The proposals will deliver an ecological net gain of 12.45% (Habitats) and 277% (Linear Features). New diverse wetland margins and reed beds will be introduced at three locations within the lakes, and the whole of the smaller central lake will be restored to create a pond and wetland area. Team Client: DrayparksPlanning Consultant: Bell CornwellArchitect: Baca ArchitectsLandscape & Ecology: AspectFlooding: TetratechHighways & Transport Plan: Waterman GroupBREEAM: Scott White and HookinsLeisure Needs Assessment: Avison YoungGround Contamination: Waterman GroupFloating Homes: Floating Homes Limited  #planning #architects #leisure #visitorexperience #ecology #sport #floatinghomes​

We are pleased to report that the Sulby Riverside Planning application on the Isle of Man has been submitted. The £40m scheme will provide a ‘major boost’ to Ramsey town centre and will include 205 new homes, retail units, business workspace, three public parks, and a riverside gastro-pub with function rooms. In 2019, at the ICAADE (Internal Conference on Amphibious Architecture, Design, and Engineering) in Warsaw, Richard Coutts, Director of Baca Architects,  presented “Blue Drempel – a thesis on urban flood-resilient design,” which built on the earlier philosophies developed with funding from Defra for Baca’s LifE Project. The masterplan at Sulby Riverside demonstrates proof of concept of this approach and was developed in partnership with hydrologists and flood modellers JBA and HR Wallingfords. “Blue Drempel” or Blue Thresholds is a non-defensive planning strategy that locates architectural housing types according to flood risk: floating within the river; amphibious; elevated; resilient (dry proof and wet proof) to traditional to correspond with diminishing flood risk. It connects these with the least amount of road and servicing infrastructure to allow as much space for natural landscaping. This landscaping is multi-functional, accommodating places for play and sustainable urban drainage designed to anticipate flooding. It keeps water away from housing for as long as possible during a flood event. In the event of the landscaping being breached during an extreme flood event, the resilient and adaptable measures of each architectural housing type help keep occupants dry and safe. Detailed modelling was carried out to demonstrate that the scheme poses no risks to the river’s flow, either upstream or downstream. “At its heart, Sulby Riverside is about place-making,” says Richard Coutts. “These proposals are about opening a site that has been unavailable to the public for many years and organizing a new residential community around open spaces, public footpaths and trails, and the riverside walk. It’s a progressive approach to flood mitigation that can unlock strategic sites.” Key features of the proposals include: - A new riverside walk- Three new parks and play areas- A new spine road linking Poyll Dooey Road with Gardener’s Lane- Ample car parking, with extensive provision of electric charging points- Low-energy design features throughout all homes- Significant job-creating investment, including a new riverside gastro pub- A new parade of shops- A cluster of kiosks next to a new riverside nature trail, for seasonal use  As published on the BBC: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-isle-of-man-61711140  #architecture #planning #climatechange #resilience #urbandesign #flood #amphibious​

Baca Director, Richard Coutts attended the launch of Flood-re’s ‘Build back better initiative’ at the House of Commons. Build Back Better is an innovative new way of thinking about home flood insurance. The initiative means families are out of their homes for a fraction of the time and insurers can have the confidence that the properties they cover are more resilient to flood events meaning much lower future claims    What Flood Re isFlood Re is a re-insurance scheme that began operation in 2016. It allows insurance companies to pool the potential costs of the higher risk to many properties by paying a special levy. Because Flood Re is a re-insurance scheme, it works with insurers rather than customers.The eligibility rules for Flood Re are however sometimes complex. The scheme excludes commercial properties as well as certain leasehold properties. It also generally excludes buildings constructed since 2009. This is to help dissuade developers from building on land at risk of flooding. Flood Re is due to end in 2039. By that time it aims to have paved the way to a free-market approach in which policy prices reflect risk.  How it came aboutThere had been earlier agreements between the Government and the insurance industry to help manage the market. But more severe floods (such as in 2007) had led to large payouts and subsequent increases in prices. This situation threatened a failure of the market in many areas. Parliament set out general arrangements for Flood Re through the Water Act 2014.  Performance so far and issues for the futureSince its launch, Flood Re has been able to report strong and clear benefits for most domestic customers in areas at risk. By 2019, for instance, four out of five households with a history of flood claims had seen prices drop by 50%. Flood Re has effectively stabilised the domestic flood insurance market. It now faces the challenge of helping to promote more sustainable approaches to flood prevention, resistance and resilience. These will ultimately be needed if the market is to be able to reflect risk. There is a paradox in this. If customers can buy cheaper flood insurance, they may be less concerned about taking wider action to manage flood risks. In addition, Flood Re doesn’t cover commercial or all residential properties. The Government has tended to highlight industry-led solutions to those problems. After prolonged and repeated flooding events over the winter of 2019-20, the Government announced the launch of the Blanc review, which considered the level and adequacy of flood insurance in affected areas. The report from the review, published in November 2020, found “worrying” levels of coverage in Doncaster, particularly among tenants. It has called for better information and support for both owner-occupiers and tenants, as well as better monitoring of progress. Defra launched a consultation on amendments to the scheme in February 2021. This reiterates the importance of supporting resilience and proposes no changes for general eligibility. 

Baca Architects are honoured to update the chapter: Flood Resilient Design in the forthcoming 6th edition of the Metric Handbook.  The metric handbook is … … the major handbook of planning and design information for architects and architecture students. Covering basic design data for all the major building types, it is the ideal starting point for any project. For each building type, the book outlines the basic design requirements and all of the principal dimensional data, whilst also providing succinct guidance on how to utilise the information and any comply with design regulations.As well as building types, the Metric Handbook deals with broader aspects of design such as materials, acoustics and lighting, and general design data on human dimensions and space requirements. The Metric Handbook provides an invaluable resource for solving everyday design and planning problems. The updated chapter will feature the newly completed Shipston Road Flood Resilient Multiple Unit Housing scheme in Stratford-Upon-Avon in the UK - which is in close proximity to William Shakespeare’s birth-place! ​

Baca Architects have been appointed by marine contractor, Subcon as the Lead Architects for the Australian Underwater Discovery Centre (AUCD). The commission will deliver Australia’s largest natural marine observatory (2km out at sea) at the end of Busselton Jetty, 2 hours south of Perth in Western Australia. Click to view the project page on our website here Three alternatives have been drawn up for the $30 million Australian underwater discovery Centre: The Cetacean Design reflects the shape of a whale, to raise its head over Geographe Bay. The Rock is inspired In shape and colour by Castle Rock in western Australia. And the Voyage mimics The silhouette and lines of a ship moored against the pierBustleton Jetty managers will formally reveal and present the choice of designs by Henderson based Subcon: Blue solutions on Monday, and the public is being encouraged to vote for their favourite. Subcon: Blue Solutions are a marine contracting company specializing in building offshore windfarm and artificial reefs is joined by CoreMarine Engineering; the team that delivered Snoetta’s “under” restaurant. But what ever appears on the surface, underneath, the Australian underwater discovery centre aims to be the worlds biggest natural marine Observatory, complete with an underwater trail and Underwater dining. Construction should start in the middle of next year, with the centre open by December 2022. Bustleton Jetty managers are aiming for more than 200,000 new visitors in 2023 bringing the total to more than 900,000.Bustleton Jetty Chairman Barry House says: “This is as authentic as it gets, because people are in the tank and the fish are looking in. By adding underwater dining, underwater sculptures, marine art and other features, this project will enhance Bustleton Jetty’s 155-year-old experience.” Mr House says that at its peak times, people are turned away from the current Observatory because you can only fit 44 people in each hour” In 2017 we started looking at how to make a visit to demand and after to feasibility studies a market research, determine that engaging our current unique Marine offering what’s the best way to grow and meet our environmental goals” Jetty Chief Executive Lisa Shreeve Says the current underwater Observatory will become a marine research centre promoting clean oceans and feature public interaction with world-class research and laboratory to educate people about ocean climate change.Mr House claims that the construction of the new Australian underwater discovery Centre will create work for 200 people!’s ones operation thousands of jobs will be created over the coming years as cafés, hotels, service stations, retail stores, bus companies, trade agencies all prosper, returning some $200 million in economic benefit in Western Australia. “This is an exciting stage of the project, to get the feedback on the most attractive design that will be a catalyst for drawing people to Western Australia from all over the world, especially those who love the ocean,”​