P+HS Architects

Saturday treated us to a beautiful, sunny day, perfect for our team to roll up their sleeves and get stuck into tree planting for South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust🌳. Around 2,000 trees were planted throughout the morning, with a few little helpers joining in along the way (though it looks like we might need to sort out some PPE for our younger volunteers, we can’t have them swapping sides this early - Robertson Group!) It was a fantastic opportunity to give back to a Trust we have worked closely with for many years, enhancing their estate through the planting of a native species rich hedgerow at South Tyneside District Hospital. The trees were generously donated by NHS Forest, a program run by the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare. Since its launch in 2009, the initiative has helped plant over 100,000 trees on or near NHS sites, creating greener, more sustainable healthcare spaces across the country. Katie Shepherd | Derek Shepherd | Alice Crawford | Natural England | Ryder Architecture | CAD 21 Ltd | Turner & Townsend | Jasper Kerr Consulting | Southern Green Ltd | Wyn Construction Limited

We're thrilled to join Tees Valley Business Club, an exciting opportunity to strengthen our ties with the local business community and further our commitment to supporting the development of the Tees Valley. With over 40 years of design excellence, we have always valued our roots in the region, from our beginnings in Stokesley to becoming an internationally recognised firm. We look forward to building on these relationships, sharing our expertise, and embracing the growing opportunities across the Tees Valley as we continue our journey of delivering inspiring, community-driven projects.

On Saturday, around 60 amazing volunteers braved the cold to help plant a variety of trees at South Tyneside District Hospital! 🌱🌍 This incredible initiative was made possible thanks to a generous donation of trees from NHS Forest, which is run by the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare (CSH). Several types of trees were planted, including Dogwood, Field Maple, Hawthorn, Crab Apple, Bird Cherry, Rowan and Hazel. The project was carried out in collaboration with Choice, STSFT’s subsidiary company. Robertson Group donated boots for volunteers as well as welfare facilities on the day. Wyn Construction excavated and prepared the ground and MES Construction who dug the holes for each tree. Southern Green, who helped with the landscape strategy and planting proposals. Special thanks to the incredible volunteers from STSFT staff and their families and STSFT volunteers, Natural England, Ryder Architecture, P+HS Architects, Cad 21, Turner & Townsend, Jasper Kerr Consulting, Southern Green Ltd and Robertsons. The tree planting supports South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust’s sustainability commitment. As well as its aim to reduce its impact on the environment.

Planning Approval Secured for Affordable Homes in Seaham!🏡 P+HS have been working with T. Manners & Sons Ltd and the wider design team since spring last year, when T Manners & Sons were appointed as development partners to Durham County Council’s housing delivery programme team. The programme aims to deliver up to 500 new council homes across the county over the coming years, and this scheme at Malvern Crescent in Seaham is the first to receive planning approval. The development will provide 33 affordable homes, including 6 bungalows, as well as 2 and 3-bedroom houses. All homes are designed to meet the requirements of Approved Document M(4) category 2 and will be EPC A rated, ensuring the delivery of affordable, energy efficient homes where they are most needed. ELG Planning | Billinghurst George & Partners

We joined Henry Brothers Construction and University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust to celebrate the topping out ceremony at the new Endoscopy Unit being built at Leicester General Hospital. This event marked the completion of a key stage in the construction of the specialist facility, which is strategically located adjacent to the East Midlands Planned Care Centre. As part of the site's landscaping process, a tree was planted to commemorate the occasion, symbolising growth and the long-term benefits this new facility will bring to the community. Simon Barton, Deputy Chief Executive of UHL, expressed enthusiasm for the project’s progress: “We are thrilled to celebrate this important milestone, as this new endoscopy unit represents our ongoing commitment to providing high-quality healthcare. Endoscopy plays a critical role in both diagnostics and treatment, and the new unit will ensure we continue to offer top-tier services to our patients in Leicester, Leicestershire, and Rutland.” With completion scheduled for late summer 2025, the new endoscopy unit is projected to serve approximately 17,500 patients annually once operational, further strengthening UHL’s ability to provide advanced diagnostic and treatment services. Selcon LTD | Rider Levett Bucknall RLB | Stephen George + Partners LLP | Curtins | CPW

After speaking at Housing LIN's Festival of Ideas, Residential Lead Mark Heron shared some valuable insights from his talk. “With the UK’s aging population growing rapidly, it’s more important than ever to stay at the forefront of designing high-quality housing solutions that promote independence and inclusivity. During my recent visit to The Sycamores Extra Care scheme, one year on from completion, it became clear how essential it is to provide environments that genuinely support residents’ independence. Hearing first-hand from residents and staff about their experiences highlighted the importance of creating spaces where people can continue to live fulfilling, independent lives as they age. My presentation explored how the building has been performing over the past year, successfully embracing intergenerational living and dementia-friendly design to create a thriving, inclusive community. It demonstrated how thoughtful design can enhance residents’ well-being and reinforced the recommendations from the Older People’s Housing Taskforce report to deliver more high-quality, purpose-built accommodation across the UK. And, as demand for suitable housing continues to grow, we must keep pushing for progress and innovation in older-age housing.” Read more about The Sycamores: https://lnkd.in/gTYDgH9C

We’d like to say a big thank you to Sam William Lambert MCIAT, of P+HS Architects, for delivering a workshop to our Construction Design, Surveying and Planning T Level students. Sam, who is also Chair of the Yorkshire Region of the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists (CIAT), spoke about his role as an Architectural Technologist and his career pathway, as well as sharing advice about the industry and the academic routes required for anybody interested in the profession. The visit helped build on our strong partnership with CIAT Aspiration, who are one of our Construction & Skills Centre Brick Wall sponsors.

Following our time at Futurebuild last week, Sustainability Lead, Laura Bell shares powerful insights on the future of sustainable design. "Our key takeaway this year is one of collaboration and how it is important that we as an industry keep knowledge sharing and working together towards a common goal. The phrases ‘sharing in our successes’ and ‘Inspiring action’ came up in various discussions and talks throughout the event which we believe is essential. There were many thought provoking ideas and proposals for improving the circular economy and pushing innovation for the coming years to achieve net zero, reducing waste and improved practices across the entire industry. Looking back on the first year of Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) was insightful as often an overlooked principal, discussions were had on how it is been handled, reviewing the successes and how improvements can be made. The loss of nature within the UK has been significant over the years and it is increasingly important that this is a key consideration across all projects and developments. Pushing the innovation of processes, products and ideas is also an important aspect that the industry must push forward on which is something that we at P+HS strive to continue upholding. The thought process behind zero bills is an attractive concept to push forward on. Improving communities and wellbeing are ideologies which we have woven into our Practice ethos." Read more here: https://lnkd.in/exKzXDue

Celebrating the women at P+HS goes beyond words, so we’ve created a video to showcase the inspirational figures they are this International Women’s Day. Architecture has long been a male dominated field, and while we are proud to be part of the progress, challenges still remain. Today is about more than just acknowledging these barriers, it’s about creating space to voice them and taking action to drive real change. Women’s spaces need women’s input, and to create truly inclusive environments, women must be at the forefront of designing them. Hear from the incredible women at P+HS as they share their experiences.

Our very own Mark Heron is speaking at #HLINconf25 discussing The Sycamores Extra Care scheme focussing on community living, social impact and combating loneliness P+HS Architects