Mixed-Use Architects for Developers in Manchester
At Andrew Wallace Architects + Interior Designers, our priorities when developing mixed use buildings are to enhance the viability of your scheme and extract maximum value.
Our team of mixed use architects bring a wealth of experience working with business owners, delivering innovative small to medium scale commercial projects across the UK, from simple house conversions into flats to designing modern apartment buildings. We proudly provide services for a diverse range of clients, including private homeowners, small developers, and large-scale enterprises.
We work with developers and landowners of all sizes, from a single plot or a building to convert, to apartment buildings and mixed-use schemes with shops or workspace below, helping you understand what a site can achieve and taking the scheme through planning to completion.
Site Appraisals, Feasibility and Planning
If you’re not sure of the exact approach to developing your site, our mixed use architects will explore various options. This will determine its optimal layout whilst overcoming any constraints. We aim for practical but visually compelling designs which are rigorously thought through. We design with sustainability and your project objectives in mind. Find out more about our feasibility studies and site appraisals.
We will take you through the planning process and local authority guidelines. This includes showing how the development respects local area character, existing typologies and street scenes whilst creating a distinctive sense of place that supports local identity. As project leaders, we bring together a team of relevant consultants to deliver as a coordinated group.
Schemes We Design
Homes over shops and workspace. Ground-floor retail, cafés or offices with apartments above, like our award-winning Marks & Spencer scheme in South Manchester.
Apartment buildings and small housing schemes. From a terrace of houses on a tight suburban plot (Housing 175) to apartments on brownfield land (Housing 214) and family houses on a wooded site (Housing 080).
Converting buildings into flats. Turning houses, offices, mills and other commercial buildings into well-planned homes, including change of use.
Live-work and community uses. Schemes that mix homes with studios, workshops or community space.
Planning for Mixed-Use Schemes
Mixed-use and residential schemes are judged on how they fit their surroundings as well as on the numbers. Planners will look at the scale and character of the street, the amount of outdoor space and daylight for new homes, the effect on neighbours, parking and servicing, and whether the site is in a conservation area or close to listed buildings.
We look at these questions early, so the scheme is shaped around what the planners are likely to support. Where it helps, we recommend pre-application advice from the council before a full application is submitted.
Working With Your Team
We regularly work alongside quantity surveyors, structural and services engineers, planning consultants and contractors, and can lead the design team or slot into yours. We can be appointed directly or novated to your contractor on a design and build contract, and we can stay involved on site through to handover.
Why Choose Our Mixed Use Architects?
Take a look at some of the main benefits of working with our team of mixed use architects at Andrew Wallace Architects:
- When you work with us, we guide you through every step of the process.
- We have experience with projects of all sizes.
- Our commitment to improving people’s quality of life does not come at the expense of the ecological footprint.
- We collaborate with clients, engineers, consultants, and other designers to give you the highest quality experience.
How we work: 1. Free first call · 2. Site appraisal and feasibility · 3. Planning · 4. Technical design and tender · 5. Construction and handover. See how we work.
Hire Our Mixed Use Architects Manchester
At Andrew Wallace Architects, we understand that each client has their own unique set of challenges, needs and ideas. Our mixed use architects can oversee all aspects of onsite construction, helping to keep the scheme on track and in line with your brief and aspirations.
If you’re looking for mixed use architects for your next project, please get in touch.
Mixed-Use Projects
- Marks & Spencer, South Manchester: a glazed Marks & Spencer shop at street level with three storeys of flats above.
- Housing 214, Manchester: a residential scheme on a brownfield plot in the New Cross regeneration area on the edge of Manchester city centre.
- Housing 175, Manchester: a terrace of five houses for a commercial developer, designed to make the most of a tight suburban site.
- Housing 080: a small development of four- to six-bedroom family houses on a wooded site, designed for sustainable living.
- Housing 093: compact, high-quality homes designed to fit an irregular brownfield site.
- House 015, Manchester: an apartment created inside the shell of an industrial building.
New to mixed-use development? Read our guide to mixed-use architecture and our advice on how to choose a mixed-use architect.
Mixed-Use Architect FAQs
Are you interested in hiring our mixed-use architects? Check out our FAQs below if you’re still unsure. If we haven’t answered your question, give us a call on 0161 448 0483.
What Is a Mixed Use Development?
Mixed-use developments typically combine residential, commercial, and sometimes industrial spaces in a single building or area.
Why Should I Hire A Mixed-Use Architect?
Mixed-use architects specialise in effectively designing spaces that balance multiple uses, whilst remaining functional, aesthetically pleasing, and compliant with planning and building regulations.
What Types Of Mixed-Use Projects Do You Work On?
The team at Andrew Wallace Architects handles a range of projects, including:
- Urban complexes
- Live-work spaces
- Retail/residential buildings
- Community hubs
How Do Mixed-Use Architects Work With Other Professionals?
A large part of a mixed-use architect’s role is to collaborate closely with engineers, contractors, interior designers, and other consultants. This helps the project run smoothly.
What Is The Typical Process For A Mixed Architecture Project?
Below, we’ve described the steps typically involved in the process of a mixed architecture project:
Initial Consultation: Our mixed-use architects take the time to understand the client’s goals, budget, and project requirements.
Site Analysis: We evaluate the site conditions and local planning policies, including land use designations, permitted development rights, and any restrictions such as conservation areas or Green Belt protections.
Concept Design: We’ll develop and present our preliminary design ideas.
Design Development: Your design, materials, and systems will be refined.
Planning and Building Regulations: We’ll prepare and submit the planning and Building Regulations applications for your development.
Construction Drawings: You’ll be provided with detailed construction drawings prepared by our team.
Construction Administration: Our team can oversee the construction of your project, helping to make sure your design is carried through as intended.
See our How We Work page for more.
If we haven’t answered your question, get in touch here.
What Should I Bring To My First Meeting With A Mixed-Use Architect?
When heading to your initial consultation meeting, we recommend that you bring the following:
- A general idea of your project goals and vision.
- A budget range.
- Any site information you have access to.
- Any branding or design preferences.
Do You Work With Developers Or Property Owners?
At Andrew Wallace, our mixed-use architects collaborate with both developers and property owners. This allows us to tailor our approach to suit the specific needs of each client and project.
Can you tell me how many homes a site could take?
We can look at the site, its constraints and the local planning policies, and set out options for the number and mix of homes or the amount of floor space, along with the main planning risks.
Can you review a scheme that already has planning permission?
Yes. We can look for ways to improve the approved scheme, such as more efficient layouts, a better mix of homes or a design that is simpler to build, and advise on how any changes could be approved.
Can you help convert a building into flats?
Yes. We design conversions of houses, offices and other commercial buildings into flats and advise on whether full planning permission is likely to be needed.
Do you work on design and build contracts?
Yes. We can be appointed directly by you or novated to your contractor, and we produce coordinated drawings for the contractor’s team.
Can we use you for just one stage?
Yes. You can appoint us for a site appraisal, a planning application or the technical drawings, or for the whole project.
