Manchester’s Overlooked Soul
History becoming timelessness In amongst the Manchester Art Gallery collection hangs a painting by Alphonse Valette, created in 1912. The painting is entitled India House- a hauntingly beautiful and atmospheric image of the River Medlock embraced on either side by a stunning composition of architectural splendour that was then relatively new, but is now considered […]
Diversity of a Different Kind
This year we’ve been collaborating on several large projects with other architects firms. Here’s why… Many of you will be familiar with Port Sunlight in Merseyside, created by the Lever Brothers, purveyors of the famous Sunlight soap after which the village is named. Port Sunlight was built around the turn of the 20th century as […]
The greenest building is the one that’s already there
Tempest voted one of the best 90 buildings of the last century Some of us were in London yesterday so we dropped in at the Building Centre. We were deeply honoured to see Tempest, one of our schemes for Capital&Centric had been nominated as one of the most significant buildings of the last 90 years! The blurb […]
Our Future Housing Seminar
How can we unlock sites for new homes? We recently held a Brunch Seminar to discuss the current delivery challenges that are impacting the unlocking of brownfield sites, especially for affordable housing, as well as how we ensure design quality and environmental sustainability is truly embed into new homes and neighbourhoods. Attendees: Donna Bowler […]
Back to the Future
Why retrofit is good for business Anything written about retrofit invariably gives priority to the benefits in terms of sustainability. It’s undeniably an important factor, but it’s by no means the whole story. The human need for connection to the past can be a compelling driver in making a building highly desirable in terms of […]
5 minutes with… Nick Moss
Published in Building Magazine 1st July 2022 The practice founder may work in Manchester but he is a Leeds United fan. He has worked on a string of notable projects in the North-west including Stubbs Mill, Foundry and the Toastrack Nick worked for Manchester-based practices Stephenson and Bell and later Hodder + Partners before setting […]
RIBA Fiddles While the Industry Burns
The elephant in the room shows no sign of leaving A high-end chain of sandwich shops wants to create a new flagship sandwich. The owners hire a chef to create a recipe for the sandwich. The chef creates the recipe, which is approved by the owners. The owners then put the production of the sandwich out to tender, […]
Fostering Relationships
As President of Manchester Society of Architects, Practice Owner Nick Moss was tasked with presenting the MSA Lifetime Achievement Award to Lord Norman Foster. I imagine meeting a legend and personal hero such as Lord Foster is a daunting prospect for anyone. Such people often become giant, mythical entities in our minds. Therefore, come 8.15 […]
The Art of VE
No design survives unchanged. How do we ensure the outcome is the best it can be? No architect is unfamiliar with procurement practices that involve value engineering. Indeed, the concept of value engineering in itself is no bad thing and has become an integral part of the construction process. But effective value engineering is concerned […]
To Boldly Go
Risk – a word that can excite or terrify. Or both. Whatever reaction it invokes, risk is an unavoidable part of the human condition and it’s worth saying that if no-one ever took a risk, nothing would ever change. Whilst certainty induces feelings of order, risk can involve feelings of chaos, something most people wish to avoid. But the […]
The Architecture of Belonging
The majority of human beings want to belong to a social and cultural community. They long for a feeling of attachment, of being rooted. To achieve that feeling, the psyche connects to certain places, increasing a sense of self-esteem, happiness and belonging. Place at its best addresses basic human needs by creating inclusion, identification and the […]
Sixtwo Architects changes name to Nick Moss Architects
Taking the next step Sixtwo architects has changed its name to Nick Moss Architects to reflect the sole ownership of the practice. Nick Moss Architects builds on the ethos created at Sixtwo Architects, taking the next step to address the individual challenges of modern clients. We are incredibly proud of the great projects Sixtwo Architects […]
Gordian Knot
How Architects need to change how we work In 333 B.C. Alexander marched his army into the Phrygian of Gordium in modern day Turkey. In the city, he found an ancient wagon, its yoke tied in several knots all so tightly entangled that it was impossible to see how they were fastened. An oracle had […]
