HPA Architects

Creating Lasting Impact

Based in the historic heart of Lancaster, HPA Chartered Architects create remarkable built environments that make a positive, lasting impact across Lancashire, the North West, and beyond.

Aleading regional architectural practice, HPA has over 40 years of experience and knowledge embedded in its specialist team, having mastered an array of services including architecture, design, planning, heritage, project management, and master planning.

Founded in 1979, HPA has in recent years shifted towards a multidisciplinary practice with a contemporary approach. Now 18 employees strong - and bucking the trend in the construction sector, with a 70:30 female to male ratio - the team utilises its diverse skillset to produce innovative, considered, and individual solutions.

HPA’s consistently high quality of work has seen the practice go from strength to strength, receiving nominations and accolades from the RIBA Awards, RICS Awards, Northern Design Awards, and LABC Building Excellence Awards, as well as other regional awards.

HPA’s directors Zoe Hooton and Richard Wooldridge have paved the way for a successful future, developing the practice’s national reputation for creating buildings that have a profound effect on people’s lives.

Zoe, who joined HPA in 2012,

HPA Director and RIBA North West Chair, Richard Wooldridge HPA Director, Zoe Hooton noticed the impact buildings can have from a young age, explaining: “When the Royal Albert Hospital in Lancaster closed its doors as a mental institute and people were moved to more adaptable places, I could see the greater effect it had on a community. The power of design in changing people’s lives can be enormous.”

Remarkable places

HPA was originally founded on leisure work but has gained specialist architectural knowledge in a select number of client industries over the years, including leisure and hotels, heritage and conservation, industrial and commercial, education, and housing.

“The culture at HPA is all about putting the client objective at the

Main: Another Place The-Lake Ullswater swim club pool © Anna-Blackwell

Right: Suite at Another Place, The Lake, on Ullswater in the Lake District

heart of our work, focusing on outcomes, and building strong relationships with clients. A high proportion of our work is repeat business from existing clients and most new business comes from recommendations,” Zoe explained.

Regardless of the sector, size, or type of client, HPA undertakes the same process, utilising the expertise of its specialists to design imaginative, purposeful spaces that are both responsible and sustainable.

HPA led the sensitive restoration, refurbishment, and extension of contemporary Lake District hotel Another Place, The Lake. Making the most of its unique location on the shores of Ullswater, HPA remodelled the area and other parts of the hotel, helping Another Place to achieve a distinct mix of active, social, and relaxed hospitality.

Closer to home, another of HPA’s admired projects involved the preparation of Planning and Building Regulation Approval for the design of four boutique bedrooms inside Quite Simply French. Based on the Quay in Lancaster, the renovations maintain the spirit of the property and create a ‘home from home’ ambience.

HPA worked its magic on the restoration of the historic, grade II listed Forest Side Hotel and Restaurant, which was recently named the UK’s Best Country Hotel of the Year. The building’s original features were preserved during the creation of 20 larger ensuite bedrooms and luxury duplex suites, as well as extending the dining room to open onto a new garden terrace.

Designed to complement the 300-year-old main building, the HPA team have also overseen a number of extensions and refurbishments to historic gem Hipping Hall, with the latest project involving the addition of five new bedrooms in a grade II listed former stables building.

Salt Ayre Leisure Centre Decarbonisation Project

HPA’s passion for remarkable places extends much further than the leisure and hotels sector. The practice’s redevelopment of Charter House, which has become one of Lancaster’s most prestigious office spaces and home to global accommodation agent Silverdoor, is one of its many impressive projects in the commercial sector. In addition to upgrading the reception, entrance areas, and office space, HPA cleverly redesigned the building to become an aparthotel.

With values up to £11million, HPA has also completed significant industrial projects involving blue-chip clients in industries such as food manufacturing, which often involve a strong emphasis on forward-thinking design due to difficulties surrounding new legislation.

HPA director Richard, who is also Chair of RIBA North West, commented: “How people experience and capture

Silverdoor’s Charter House offices in Dalton Square, Lancaster

the uniqueness of a place is very important to our work. Thanks to our experienced, loyal, and committed team, we have formed successful partnerships with clients and authorities in our dynamic, exacting, and challenging industry.”

Excitingly, HPA is involved in the innovative decarbonisation project at Salt Ayre Leisure Centre, which recently won an Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE) Award. After the government allocated Lancaster City Council £6.8million in funding, HPA was initially instructed to assist with the Planning Application drawings before being appointed as Principal Designer. The project will eliminate Salt Ayre’s CO2 emissions on-site, making it one of the first facilities of this kind in the UK to become net carbon zero.

Boutique bedrooms at Quite Simply French on the Quay in Lancaster The HPA team outside their offices on Castle Hill, Lancaster

The Treehouse at Another Place, The Lake, on Ullswater in the Lake District

Photo credit: Jeremy Phillips

A Sustainable Future

Continuing its mission to be a practice that keeps sustainability at the forefront, HPA was one of the first practices in the North West to sign up to the RIBA 2030 Climate Challenge – a series of targets that aim to reduce operational energy, embodied carbon, and portable water.

Richard explained, “Sustainability has impacted our work for a long time. It’s encouraging to hear more clients asking how we can help to make their buildings as low carbon as possible. We do already have considerable experience in this area, but the technology and legislation are constantly developing, so we’re investing in new software and specialist training.”

HPA continually invests in its team and encourages development in areas of expertise such as Design, Building Technology, Sustainability, Conservation, and Planning. Andrew Walters, Associate Director at HPA, recently became a certified Passivhaus Designer, enabling him to implement specialist knowledge relating to low energy design. Using its multidisciplinary approach, HPA aspires to extend its services further across the UK, with a focus on sustainability and energy design. To find out more about HPA, visit: hpa.ltd

Feeling Tired? Your Diet Might be Lacking These Key Nutrients

Barbecue experts FoodFireFriends collaborated with nutritionists Ellie Busby and Dr Sarah Cooke to find out what nutrients are missing the most from the average person’s diet.

1. Zinc Nutritionist Ellie Busby comments: “If your hair is thinning or dry, you might need more zinc. Most people do not get enough zinc, due to our food being over-processed, which strips the goodness out, and zinc suffers the most. Other signs of a zinc deficiency are soft nails, dry skin, and getting ill a lot. Foods that are rich in zinc to integrate in everyday diets are whole wheat bread and pasta, whole grains (quinoa, buckwheat, brown rice) and pumpkin seeds.” 2. Vitamin B6 Skin rashes, sore lips and tongue, mood changes and tiredness can all be signs of Vitamin B6 deficiency. Vitamin B6 is important to protect and strengthen the immune system and maintain an optimal amount of amino acids in the blood. Dr Sarah Cooke explains: “Vitamin B6 is one of the most common micronutrients deficiencies in the average person’s diet. Optimal sources of vitamin B6 include avocado, russet potatoes, garbanzo beans, yellowfin tuna and nuts.” 3. Vitamin D “We cannot get much vitamin D from our diet. In fact, we make most of it from sunlight. The problem? We are not in the sun enough. So, our body turns to our food to get what it needs.” explains Nutritionist Ellie Busby. “The only natural food source of vitamin D is oily fish. You might find special high-vitamin D mushrooms in your local supermarket nowadays too. Another way would be to look for fortified soya milk, which I get my daily vitamin D from.” 4. Omega-3 “Most people do not eat enough nuts and seeds and eat too many processed foods. One is high in omega-3 (anti-inflammatory, good for you), and one is high in omega-6 (pro-inflammatory, bad for you). Our brains are made of fat, and most of it is omega 3. One risk of not getting enough omega 3 is that the brain will age faster, and this will increase risk of dementia, when getting older. What most people do not know is that omega-3 and omega-6 need to be in balance. So, we cannot just eat foods high in omega-3 and hope for the best. We need to reduce your omega-6 intake too. A way to do this would be to reduce the number of processed foods in our diet which and start consuming more nuts and seeds.” Dr Cooke adds: “Omega-3 fatty acids are generally lacking in the diet. Sources of Omega 3 include oily fish such as salmon, walnuts, and flax seed. By adding flax seed to oatmeal or walnuts to salad we help increase our daily Omega 3 intake.”

5. Iron “Iron is found in both animal foods and plant-foods heme iron and non-heme iron respectively). Foods such as red meat, eggs and oysters contain heme iron, which is more easily absorbed than non-heme iron. Plant sources of iron include lentils, spinach, tofu, and cashew nuts. To increase the absorption of non-heme iron from plants, it is good to combine these foods with vitamin, such as lemon juice in a

salad dressing, or the addition of strawberries or oranges to a snack. Another way to facilitate non-heme iron to be absorbed by our bodies, is to and avoid drinking tea with these foods (the tannins found in tea inhibits iron absorption).” adds Dr Cooke. Calcium and magnesium are also commonly missing micro nutrients in the average person’s diet. Busby explains: “Despite people consume large quantities of milk and dairy products, 70% of us are lactose intolerant as an adult, which can lead to gut issues. For those who are lactose-free, it is crucial to eat lots of plant foods with calcium, such as fortified plant milks, dark green leafy vegetables, and seeds (especially poppy, sesame, and chia seeds).” “Magnesium is one of the most recommended supplements from doctors all over the world. Why? Because it is almost impossible to get enough magnesium from our diets - especially if we are stressed. In fact, the body consumes magnesium stores to build stress hormones. Whole grains, nuts, dark chocolate, and dark green leafy vegetable are all optimal sources of magnesium.” A spokesperson for FoodFireFriends commented on the findings: “It is incredible to see how many different nutrients the human body needs to stay healthy. We are human beings in modern society. However, our bodies still need nutriments which come directly from the sun and mother earth. It is important then to get educated around these needs, to tackle and prevent health issues and conditions on time.” The study was conducted by foodfirefriends.com, which is dedicated to helping users grill and BBQ better, by offering practical guides, recipes, and advice on all aspects of outdoor cooking.