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rixonarchitects

Multi Award winning Cirencester based Architects

For last year's Open Day we went digging - sourcin For last year's Open Day we went digging - sourcing drawings, sketches and photos from the station's history, and even managed to track down original Brunel pencil sketches!

All of this will be on display again this year - alongside wonderful artefacts, kindly passed on to us by generous local donators.

It's a proper treasure trove - parcel tickets, drawings, ledgers, old ticket stubs, and even milk orders, - each piece with its own little bit of the building's story. We love having the excuse to lay it all out again.

Come and have a look on Friday 11th September, 1-4pm.
@cirencestercivicsociety
We're really pleased to be part of Heritage Open W We're really pleased to be part of Heritage Open Weekend, Friday 11th – Sunday 13th September!

The festival, hosted by @cirencestercivicsociety , gives people the chance to explore buildings not normally open to the public - and we're delighted to be opening our doors again.

We'll have the Old Station Works open on Friday 11th September, 1-4pm - no booking required, just turn up.

After last year's brilliant collaboration with the @cirenhistoryfest , we can't wait to welcome people back in. On display you’ll find many of the fascinating artefacts shown last year and more - although sadly not the Railbus w79978!
The last month we have been working on many projec The last month we have been working on many projects at many stages - we’ve received a few great Planning Consents, meaning the projects can move towards construction. 

We also have a few projects just starting on site - collaborating with excellent local Contractors. Here are some recent shots...

One of the Project Managers remarked it’s the most collaborative way he has ever worked. This is was both puzzling and surprising - the project has a great team with everyone pulling together towards a common goal - we like every project to work like this!! The only people who don’t seem to have got the memo are certain members of local Planning Authorities..
We have an opportunity coming up - with more great We have an opportunity coming up - with more great projects coming through our doors at the Old Station, we are looking for an extra member of our team.

We are looking for a talented and highly motivated Architect to join our successful team in Cirencester. We are an established, design-focused, friendly practice that specialises in high quality residential projects. We work on mostly one off homes in the Cotswolds - low carbon new build, heritage restoration, and remodelling. A portion of our work is also carrying out interesting projects in the Caribbean. We are particularly looking for someone who is confident in managing projects and client relationships, with the ability to take ownership of projects and work independently, whilst being part of a collaborative and supportive team.

Applicants will need to demonstrate the following:
* ARB registration
* Minimum of 2 years post qualification experience, working for a UK practice
* Excellent verbal and written communication skills
* Excellent CAD skills – AutoCAD+Vectorworks preferred
* The ability to integrate into our relaxed but dedicated team environment
* Eligibility to work in the UK
* Experience of Listed buildings and new build homes

We offer RIBA benchmarked salary, benefits and working environment. We don’t work overtime - just contracted hours. We are looking for 4 or 5 days per week, from our studio (with parking) in central Cirencester

For further information about us please visit our website www.rixonarchitects.co.uk.

If you think this is you (or someone you know) and like the idea of working on great projects in a beautiful part of the country, then please apply with your CV, covering letter and examples of your work to hello@rixonarchitects.com�

Direct Applications only - No agencies.
RA monthly Normally we enjoy a bit of downtime du RA monthly 
Normally we enjoy a bit of downtime during the summer - many of our clients go on holidays, and consultant teams have the chance to catch up.

Due to Trump’s shenanigans workload has shifted a few months further into the year, meaning we are currently super busy, and our catch up plan hasn’t worked!! A lovely problem to have, we realise.

We’ve recently been instructed on some super interesting creative heritage projects. This is our sweet spot, the projects we enjoy the most - where we work with awesome old buildings, adapting them in interesting and innovative ways.
This house is super insulated, and super air tight This house is super insulated, and super air tight. So much so, the radiators on first floor are very rarely need. The Air Source Heat pump is therefore super efficient. The mechanically vented heat recovery system pumps ducts temperature controlled air through the house, maintaining a steady internal temperature and humidity. The roof mounted solar panels are on the rear of the house, so out of view of the Conservation Area, and are plentiful to provide much of the energy demand on the house.

The stone walls and roof you can see on the outside are covering the SIPPs timber panel frame, blending the house into its heritage landscape. The day its finished is just the start - Over time, the stone walls will patinate, further blending the building into its landscape. 

A carefully planned and sensitive garden design has nestled the house gently into its landscape, which again will only improve over time..
This house, while looking super traditional, is de This house, while looking super traditional, is design from the ground up to be twenty first century. For those that don't know SIPPs panels are large, highly insulated wall and roof panels, built in a factory, delivered to site on a lorry and craned into place. They are the structural frame of the building, and replace the internal masonry. As a result, they speed up the overall construction time - they can be delivered to site as soon was the foundations have been completed. They improve airtighness as they are sealed together. Once installed,  the internal fitout can continue prior to the external being complete - dramatically reducing construction times.
This week we thought we'd revisit this new build h This week we thought we'd revisit this new build house we completed a few years ago. We are often asked about SIPP panels, and there's a myth that using modern methods of construction means the building has to look modern. This house is in a Conservation Area, our brief was to design a low carbon home which sits neatly into its heritage surroundings.
Why do people work with us? We’re fair. We’re no Why do people work with us? 

We’re fair. We’re not commercially led, we don’t rip people off. We also don’t make a load of money, and that’s fine too. But we also look after ourselves too - we all have lives outside the 9-5. We’re a close knit team - we share our project problems so we can all help with, and learn from the solutions.

We’ve walked the walk - restoring our own Grade 2 Listed Railway Station as our studios.

We only work with people who share our values - most often local small businesses, whose reputations matter. From consultants to contractors, to specialist makers. 

We hope this all comes across, and hope it sheds a little light on why we’re here.

BTW This is not us asking for new projects, we just thought you might like to know 👍

📸 by the fab @oliviadalestudio
Why do people work with us? We care. We get emot Why do people work with us? 

We care. We get emotional when a project hits a barrier. We care about the buildings, take time to read and understand them, and find an appropriate response for the building or land.

We feel our way through, using knowledge and experience with all the variables. Not just follow the same process, but think sideways, feel our way through the problems. 

We get really cross when Conservation Officers arbitrarily decide they don’t like our approach to a project - and smash it into the net. (Yes this happens - and far too often, they hold too much power and often little open mindedness). We fight our clients corners, as if the project is our own.
Why do people work with us? We get excited about Why do people work with us? 

We get excited about our projects. We put ourselves under pressure to produce innovative and interesting solutions. 

We try really hard to make sure the clients brief is as honest as possible, try just as hard to exceed it, and just as hard again to creatively solve it within budget. We hope this comes across in our projects - each one looks different, responding to the building and the brief. 

We only take on projects which interest us, and which don’t have obvious solutions. Which is why we stay small enough to care, but with enough skills for an array of projects.
We really like covered veranda spaces - they merge We really like covered veranda spaces - they merge the home and the garden, genuine space to enjoy whether it’s sunny or rainy. Verandas protect the building from the harsh daytime summer heat, while allowing in the heat from the lower winter sun. They’re also useable year round whether you have kids, dogs, or like us you just enjoy sitting outside with your morning coffee.

Third and Finally - outside of buildings, we can cool down our home and garden with planting. We believe the garden space is as important as the house - picking the right hedges or trees for the right scenario can help keep the garden cool both with shade and keeping the ground cool. But pick carefully, that tree will grow how it intends - so no oak trees right outside your shiny new bi-folds - especially in Conservation Areas where they become instantly protected once the trunk hits 75mm diameter!!
Designing for a hotter climate Secondly - stop th Designing for a hotter climate

Secondly - stop the suns heat penetrating the house when it’s hotter. We can get into all sorts of technical jargon, but that’s essentially it. A simple retrofit - Awnings might be out of fashion, but they are ideal for keeping the heat off doors, windows and walls. These don’t need to be expensive or sophisticated - get creative with what’s available locally. New ones are great, but there are plenty of pre-existing ones.

If you’re planning a building project - please consider overheating. We’ve seen a Consent recently go through on a South facing fully glass extension, not designed by us. That space simply won’t cool down in the summer months without mechanical cooling like A/C (or ideally air-to-air source heat pumps). Strictly that’s still permissible under Building Regulations, but we don’t think that’s good design. We design beyond the requirements of Building Regulations - and this is great example. Legally we can design for rooms which will obviously overheat - but that doesn’t seem like a good idea to us.
Designing for a hotter climate It’s undeniable no Designing for a hotter climate

It’s undeniable now that we are in a changing climate. Anyone remember those Eurocamp trips to the Loire Valley in the 1980s? Well now statistically our Cotswold summer is more like that. Homes in France are designed to cope with this heat - our British homes aren’t. So, we thought we’d give a couple of suggestions at various budgets to better handle the heat.

In short, two simple strategies to keep the home cool: 

Firstly, and most simply, allow the homes to through ventilate when it’s cooler. Open up the windows and doors late evenings and early mornings - then close them all up again when it starts to heat up. This is unless you’re lucky enough to have Mechanically Ventilated Heat Recovery in your home!! 

We will often design in an opening roof light at the top of the stairwell, to provide stack ventilation to flush out hot air. We also design in through ventilation - double aspect rooms. Most homes can do this with us realising.
RA monthly update - 3 of 3 Finally, we’re working RA monthly update - 3 of 3
Finally, we’re working on a project in central Cirencester at the moment, so spent a minute walking around the town looking up. We all know that’s something we don’t do enough, particularly in a town where almost all buildings are low-rise compared with cities. We’re trying to understand better the roofs of buildings in the town centre - both beautiful intentional examples, and rooflines which have evolved more haphazardly!
RA monthly update - 2 of 3 We’re also moving anoth RA monthly update - 2 of 3
We’re also moving another large home project from a really positive pre-app response to the various planning applications and further pre-apps. Sometimes projects justify being split into different parts - different land uses, different application types, different consultant reports required. It’s also helpful sometimes to split a project into different applications for phasing, or so that one element of the project isn’t held up by another. Having separate applications mean the elements can progress at their own pace - freeing up phasing options. 

We’re also enjoying playing with our laser cutter. It’s meant to be for architectural models, but curiosity gets the better of us sometimes and we get making other things! Can’t wait for passers by to see what we have in mind - watch this space.
RA monthly update - 1 of 3 We’re grateful that the RA monthly update - 1 of 3
We’re grateful that the last month continues the trend of being super busy in the practice. New project enquiries from properties changing hands are also filtering through the system from the spring market now, always exciting to see new excited owners, and new opportunities.

Lots of work at planning stages, and a large project starting on site. We’re really looking forward to seeing this one take shape, it’s been a technical challenge with so many different specialist consultants and suppliers work to coordinate and make sure everything looks designed and deliberate. As they say, it’s all in the details. 

Also shout out to our Director Jonathan - he completed his first triathlon since his back surgery two years ago. Really well organised by LPS events, in the Cotswold Water Park. Here are some embarrassing photos of him!!
This year’s placement student from Cirencester Col This year’s placement student from Cirencester College is Isla - and we’ve set her a few fun design challenges. Yes we use AI - don’t we all. But as always, the output is entirely dependant on the quality of the input… in this case, we set Isla a challenge of re-presenting the RA team based on her fascinating entomology hobby!
After a few months off to preserve our sanity, we After a few months off to preserve our sanity, we have had the builders back at the Station! They’ve been concentrating on the rather industrial finish stairwell - still a long way to go, but mostly just cosmetic work to do now..
Part time IG help required! We’re looking for som Part time IG help required!

We’re looking for someone to join our team part time to help us with our online channels - mostly Instagram and LinkedIn, possibly some digital marketing too. It’s likely to average about half a day per week. 

You’d have an innate interest in design and architecture, and able to create interesting content for IG - no need for professional IG experience. You’d be working with our Director Jonathan, either at our studios in Cirencester, or at home with monthly in person catch ups. 

There’s potential for the role to grow to be more involved with the practice and our live projects. If you’re interested please do contact the practice, it would be great to chat..

If there’s anyone here who knows someone who might be interested in helping, please do send this on! 

(as usual, direct applications only - No agencies please)
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RIBA Chartered Practice
Old Station Works, Cirencester GL7 1RQ
hello@rixonarchitects.com (+44) 01285 323 454
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