News

Planning consent has now been granted for a significant new addition to Preston’s skyline – a development that feels both timely and important for the city.

Congratulations, Jamie!

We’re delighted to share that Jamie Boardman has successfully passed his RIBA Advanced Diploma in Professional Practice in Architecture (Part 3) — officially qualifying as an Architect!

We’re proud of how the final design balances heritage with bold, contemporary intervention.

This could be a beacon. A landmark.
A statement: that Islam is a culture of beauty, depth, and peace.
A place for reconciliation.
For learning.
For confidence in the future.

Our ‘5 minutes with…’ series takes a glimpse into the views and opinions of our colleagues with a series probing interview questions we’ve always wanted to ask.

Preston City Council has approved plans for a new residential development within the Winckley Square Conservation Area.

Our ‘5 minutes with…’ series takes a glimpse into the views and opinions of our colleagues with a series probing interview questions we’ve always wanted to ask.

Placing a spotlight on the achievements of the regional property community, and to celebrate the success of built environment businesses, this year Insider has launched the inaugural Lancashire Property Awards.

Our ‘5 minutes with…’ series takes a glimpse into the views and opinions of our colleagues with a series probing interview questions we’ve always wanted to ask.

Preston City Council has approved plans for two adjoining apartment blocks on Fylde Road in Preston. 108 new homes will be delivered on the former steam mill site which has largely remained derelict since the majority of the building was demolished in the 1960s following a fire.

This month we are pleased to announce that Steven Gallagher has stepped into the role of Managing Director. High performing since joining the business seven years ago, he has been an integral part of the team and business growth. Over the last nine-months, since being promoted to Director.

Last week we have had the pleasure of welcoming work experience student Maarya to David Cox Architects. Currently studying at Preston Muslim Girls School Maarya is interested in design and the built form and was keen to learn about our studio environment and current projects.

Two planning applications for apartments on Blackpool’s promenade have been granted permission this week [9. April]. Designed by David Cox Architects working with Smith & Love Planning Consultants, consent has been given by Blackpool Council for the high-quality apartments at either end of a crescent of buildings in the South Shore area.

Fylde Council has given the green light for the entertainment centre which will provide some unique facilities to holiday makers and day visitors on a ‘pay and play’ basis. The new 53,000 sq ft development, designed by David Cox Architects.

The 2023 finalists have just been announced and we’re thrilled to confirm Makkah Mosque is shortlisted within the ‘Best Future Design’ category for the national Beacon Mosque Awards.

Preston based David Cox Architects is pleased to announce two promotions to strengthen the senior leadership team. Steven Gallagher has stepped up to become director with a remit of leading the studio in conjunction with David Cox. Following six years at the architectural practice.

Stoneygate Central will kick start the first significant scheme within the Stoneygate Masterplan, following planning permission being granted by Preston City Council.

The green light has been given for Makkah Mosque, a major rebuilding project which promises a ‘beautiful’ result for the community. Plans to demolish and rebuild the Mosque in Great Lever, Bolton have been in the pipeline for many years.

Architect, Helen Knott, has taken the mantle of Preston’s first Certified Passive House Designer. The certification, and knowledge gained during the course which resulted in a Passive House Institute exam, enables Helen to deliver Passivhaus standards and methodologies which provide a high level of occupant comfort using very little energy for heating and cooling.

The Wildes Hotel Group is transforming a historic site on Bridge Street, Chester into a one-of-a-kind boutique hotel, restaurant and space, which is set to open in Spring 2023.

Planning applications have been submitted for two apartment buildings that will bring to market 92 high quality apartments in Blackpool. The proposals, put forward by Coastway Ltd and Headlands Ltd, will also help regenerate a well-known Blackpool area by delivering a mixture of 1, 2 and 3 bedroom residences.

A unique Preston sign has been designed, fabricated and is ready to be unveiled this Wednesday 30 March on the Flag Market. The iconic sign is made of steel, coated blue, with rope weaved through it to symbolise the rich history of the cotton and textile industry in Preston.

We were thrilled to be invited to attend the Think Architecture schools outreach event at Brownedge St Mary’s High School hosted by the RIBA which gave local students who have an interest in architecture chance to learn more about the profession and how to become an architect.

A campaign team, including David Cox Architects, has launched a competition inviting local residents to produce their designs for a new bridge over the River Ribble that could replace the Old Tram Bridge. The bridge, which dates back to 1802, has been closed for three years on safety grounds.

The architectural practice behind Nurtur House in Sheffield has just been awarded a prestigious Northern Design Award 2021. David Cox Architects was announced winner of the ‘Best Residential Development’ category following judging by prolific industry names including Wayne Hemmingway, Linda Barker and George Bond.

Our amazing scheme (if we do say so ourselves), Nurtur House, has been shortlisted for a Northern Design Award, in the Residential Development category. From the very outset, this student living development in Sheffield has been a scheme of which we are very proud.

Pillars’ £35million Urban Hub in Preston has reached a key milestone in the construction of the 425-apartment student accommodation. The construction company appointed by Pillars to lead the development of its flagship project.

The prestigious Red Rose Award 2021 shortlist has now been announced and guess what… we’ve made it through to the finals! Shortlisted in the ‘Built Environment Award’ we are thrilled to be in excellent company with some significantly larger businesses from across the region.

Joining as a Part II Architectural Assistant, we are very pleased to announce Jamie Boardman as a new team member at David Cox Architects. Following his Part I, Jamie secured a year-out placement at Pye Design Architects in Wigan, whereby he worked on over 50 projects across the residential, commercial and education sectors.

David Cox Architects is very proud to announce they have been selected as a finalist in the esteemed BIBAs 2021. Shortlisted in the ‘Construction Business of the Year’ category, the team has successfully progressed through the written award submission and interview stage.

Proposals to extend !Audacious Church on Trinity Way, Salford have been given the green light by Salford City Council [29th July]. Designed by Preston-based David Cox Architects, the new five-storey link building adjoining the existing Church will allow for increased capacity at the venue.

The Leaders Council of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is currently in the process of talking to leadership figures from across the nation in an attempt to understand this universal trait and what it means in Britain and Northern Ireland today.

David Cox spoke to Smith and Love, a local Preston-based Planning Consultants firm, in a question and answer session about house design and finding the right builder Designing a dream home is a very personal process and here in David Cox Architects we use our expertise to help our clients.

Construction is progressing well on the three-storey luxury apartment development in Withington, Manchester. The scheme will provide 13 luxury apartment units in the heart of Withington. You can see some photos below taken during the construction period

Construction on a new mosque for the local community is in full swing. Take a look at some photos from the construction site below. The madrassah will provide education and learning facilities to the local community and can accommodate 440 pupils

Approaching the small hamlet of Lane Ends, within the stunning Forest of Bowland, sits a building which makes you stop in your tracks. Bambers Croft has been designed to wow, but with an understated confidence.

The vision for Preston’s Stoneygate area takes a significant leap forward with planning approval received for a landmark residential development last week [5th November]. Preston City Council has granted planning permission for ‘PR1’ located on the Avenham Street car park site.

“WE LOOKED AT EACH HOUSE BEING INDIVIDUAL AND A VARIATION OF DIFFERENT ‘WOW’ FACTORS; FEATURES THAT PROVIDE A JOY TO LIVE IN”. From the initial client meeting, the brief touched on phrases such as ‘individual’,’ exceptional’, ‘different design quirks’ and ‘not doing the ordinary’; very welcome project requirements and a shared vision from the outset.

With a buoyant studio and some exciting new projects afoot, we are incredibly pleased to announce a new team member has joined DCA. Registered Architect, Ayesha Sumar, will be working across a wide range of our residential and commercial projects and brings technical knowledge of both Revit and Lumion.

David spoke to Lancashire Business View this month to discuss the latest projects in the studio, design excellence and a client-focused approach being at the heart of the practice, and, of course, winning the Red Rose Award 2020 Property Business category.

A key brownfield site, adjacent to the University of Bolton’s Deane Road Campus, has been granted permission for new student living accommodation. The five-storey 87-studio apartment scheme, designed by David Cox Architects on behalf of land-owner Makan Investment.

We won! What a great night at the Red Rose Awards 2020! We beat stiff competition to take home the ‘Property Business Award’. The judges commented, “In its building projects David Cox Architects has been investing in technology, puts faith in its young team members and is also active in the community.

Unicorn Hall development is ‘the next piece in the jigsaw’ for the regeneration of the wider area. The Unicorn pub, which closed to the public in 2017, will see the next chapter of this historic building come to life after planning permission was granted this week [3rd March]. Designed by David Cox Architects.

Client, project team representatives and the Lord Mayor came together this week to mark the topping out of Sheffield’s newest student-living development promoting health and wellbeing. Warden Construction led the celebrations, alongside developer Fraser Morgan, architect David Cox Architects and special guest, the Lord Mayor of Sheffield.

We have a very proud team this week after finding out we are a Red Rose Awards 2020 finalist for Property Business Award. We are looking forward to sharing out DCA story and successes over the last 12 months at the interview stage!

Our very own Helen Knott has been welcomed into the FBE Lancashire branch as a new committee member this week. She will be working alongside chair, John Chesworth (MD at Harrison Drury) and the other committee members, to assist in flying the flag for the built environment and promoting the property sector within the county.

Construction has begun on the latest student accommodation project at DCA! Phase 1 of the steelworks has begun and is progressing as scheduled. This project is bringing a new student hub to Sheffield that will provide high quality accommodation and exciting communal spaces.

It’s been 12-months since Bistrot Pierre opened its doors in Preston city centre. The conservation and renovation of the historic Grade II Listed Fishergate Baptist Church has certainly created a stylish and very popular addition to the high street, and has protected the building for generations to come.

“It would just be fantastic if city centre living encompassed a wider range of people, not just the young professionals, if we could get family housing in the city centre, especially a city like Preston.” David joined the Lancashire Business View roundtable property debate earlier this month, in association with Anderton Gables. Lancashire is seeing housebuilding grow at rapid rates.

Stephen’s design was inspired by Mies van der Rohe, one of the pioneers of the modernist movement in architecture. He started his design with concept sketches, then he utilised BIM resources available in the office to present his proposal in 3D.

Delighted to be sponsoring the second property networking event ‘Ladies in Property Lancashire’, courtesy of host Smith & Love. The inaugural event earlier in the year was a huge success and training consultant Caroline Dakin will be joining us this time to talk about resilience in the workplace.

Tallest residential building will be ‘game-changer’ for Preston city living. The team behind plans for a luxury high-rise residential development in Preston believe it will meet growing demand for a new style of living in the city.

Planning was granted for the residential development ‘The Quarters’ on Grimshaw Street this week. With no objections from the consultees this new block of 28 apartments, on behalf of Pillars Construction Ltd and Smith & Love acting as planning consultant.

Earlier this month David shared his thoughts on designing inspiring spaces for students with Fraser Morgan. With health and wellbeing now at the forefront of design considerations, David comments on how student living developments have changed over the years, overcoming challenging sites and also takes a glimpse into the future of this evolving sector.

Very proud of our team & looking forward to the judges visit! It might be our first year of entering the prolific BIBAs, but we’re thrilled to announce we have secured three finalist places.

The next Preston Partnership event, taking place on 6th June, will include a keynote speech from Andrew Carter, Centre of Cities. With a focus on assisting Cities across the UK realise their economic potential, boosting productivity and rigorous research and policy ideas to help Cities addresses the challenges and opportunities they face, we’re in for a very interesting morning.

Our student accommodation project on St. Thomas Road, now completed! We are pleased to announce the completion of our student accommodation project in Preston. As the site is adjacent to terraces of Victorian housing and situated within the Moor Park Conservation Area, the design had to be carefully considered.

We welcomed Aamina Khan and Matthew Mayhew into the office last week. Both are third-year architecture students at UCLan and joined us due to our involvement in the RIBA student mentoring scheme. Showcasing practice life, detailing our live schemes and critiquing portfolio work via this mentoring process is something we thoroughly enjoy as part of our business activity.

In the latest in a series showcasing regional architecture practices, Place North West sat down with David Cox to talk about what makes Preston unique, transforming its housing offer, and how developers can kick-start the next phase of the city’s growth.

We are thrilled to announce our student living scheme, Canterbury Hall, has reached the RICS Award 2019 shortlist. Submitted into the ‘Design through Innovation’ category within the North West region, the Preston development is a great example of how creative architecture, with a focus on ‘wellbeing’, can help students feel healthy and content within a calming and well-designed environment.

Grimshaw Street development in for planning. A decision on the 28-unit residential development, designed by David Cox Architects, is expected by Preston City Council in early 2019. With further projects in the pipeline the developer, Pillars Construction, hopes to make this a signature development.

ARCHICAD is UK’s ‘BIM Product of the Year’ 8th Year in a Row. Our office uses ARCHICAD to deliver high standard services. Its unique technology for integrated 2D and 3D project navigation helps bridge the gap between the design studio and the construction site.

Aerial photos of Greenways, a private residential project, are taken using a drone as construction is well under way. This large scale extension is designed in an arts and crafts architectural style in keeping with the existing house.

ISO 9001 is recognised worldwide as the international benchmark for quality within an organisation. It ensures services meet the needs of clients through an effective quality management system. By achieving our ISO 9001 certification, David Cox Architects Ltd are able to demonstrate:

Alistair Norris joins us after gaining his Part 2 architectural degree from University of Central Lancashire (UCLan). We are pleased to have Alistair to be a part of our dynamic team.

Fishergate Baptist Church has been restored, reopened and in use once again! It has been a real pleasure to be involved in this restoration project from design conception through to completion.

Planning has been given the green light for new student accommodation scheme ‘THE URBAN HUB’, designed by David Cox Architects. Preston based, David Cox Architects, has designed a student accommodation block which will provide 425 self-contained studios over six storeys within the City.

All set for September, when 191 UCLan students will arrive to move into their new studio flats, and enjoy the communal lounge, gym and roof terrace. The cladding is up and the scaffolding down, so keep an eye out for the final finishing touches.

Set to open in mid-July, the formerly disused and dilapidated church will house the upmarket Bistro Pierre Restaurant. An exquisite restoration will give the building a new lease of life, while maintaining its historic and divine character.

Construction works progressing well on the 2-storey residential project. The family home will come with a large basement and curtain walling on ground floor.

An outline planning application has been submitted for a 20 storey student block for client ASSH Investments. Working with PWA planning consultants, DCA has designed a 300 room, 20 storey student block which includes a mix of studios and apartments.

Canterbury Hall has been in the making for over 10 years and the steelworks have finally been erected. All floors, block-work and staircases have now been fitted in the east block with the rest of the building to follow. Take a look at the images below from the latest site visit.

Max made his way from Dusseldorf, Germany to complete a week of work experience. Within this week Max produced a design for a house hanging off the side of the cliff and presented it within a 22 page booklet.

Construction has begun at the fishergate baptist church The scaffolding is up, the steel is in and the work is well on its way. This church has been unused for some time and it was beginning to fall out of repair.

Thank you to all who came down to the website launch event at the forum on Winckley Street. We had a good night and we hope you all did too!. We hope to continue developing as a company and this website shows how we are evolving as a practice. Onwards and upwards!

A site visit to the completed Church Court development! Some of the team visited the completed project which has generated a great deal of interest with many of the apartments and commercial units already let.

The design team for the Jamea Masjid education centre has met the for the first time! The meeting was hosted at our offices with 15 people attending the meeting where the next steps in terms of design and tendering were discussed.