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Alex Jackson - Director. Radio interview

Radio interview with Director, Alex Jackson on TJDA's architectural approach and work stages. From project conception, feasibility and concept design, through to final use and feedback from the client.

The process is the same, but each project is unique. TJDA provides as much service as a client needs.


Audio transcript


Chris West: Good morning Alex


Alex Jackson: Good morning Chris, how are you doing?


Chris West: I’m fine thank you, now Alex, who are Turner Jackson Day Associates?


Alex Jackson: Ok so Turner Jackson Day Associates are an Architectural Studio founded by myself, Alex Jackson, and my two business partners Gary Turner and Michael Day. We formed the practice with a mission to provide a client focused, design lead architectural service, the real driving force is to create beautiful architecture that’s affordable, cost effective design.


Chris West: Now you specialize in Residential, Commercial, Healthcare and Education, can you give me an example of some of the amazing buildings that you’ve created?


Alex Jackson: Well, there are a lot of different projects to list, I think in the Residential side we take commissions ranging in size from small extensions up to large housing developments. One of the more fun and involved projects was a development recently completed in Highgate in the conservation area in North London, and that was for three enormous luxury homes. One was a new build ad two were extensions to existing properties but all of them had large two storey basements with entertainment complexes and real high spec fit outs. It was a really exciting project to be involved in and also quite exciting where we’ve recently saw one of them feature on MTV Cribs, pop star Taylor Swift and footballer David Luiz had decided to make their homes, so that was an exiting project to be involved in.


Chris West: Wow, how incredible is that, that’s fantastic. Now if I brought a plot of land and I wanted a house built, was is the process?


Alex Jackson: We follow the Royal Institute of British Architects plan of work, which maps out the process through the design through to construction and that can be downloaded through the RIBA website by anyone. Basically, there are 8 work stages from 0 to 7 starting with project conception and feasibility, concept design, leading all the way through into the final use and feedback from the client. Although every project is unique the process is basically the same where we start at stage 1, flow through the stages with client involvement and we can provide as much service as the client needs and that can be dependent on their requirement in terms of the design or budget or previous building experience. We’ll always put the client at the centre of the design process and will walk you through all of the steps, development of the brief, to understanding the site and its context and then developing a concept design, and then once we’ve agreed the final concept design, we then flesh the scheme up into full planning submission, so planning will typically take around 8 -10 weeks (subject to the local authority and their work loads unfortunately) and then once approvals been gained, we then get on with the technical design process, building regulations drawings, tendering of the project, and then appoint the building contractors, and contract administration and project management on site if that’s what the clients wants us to provide.


Chris West: Right, so will actually provide, basically what the customer wants.


Alex Jackson: Absolutely, in a design lead process, the client really is the heart of that. Our job is to really eek out of them what their requirements are, help them to formulate and develop a brief that’s specific and bespoke to them.


Chris West: Yes, and looking at some of your work, it’s fantastic. The one that stands out for me 9I know the building as well) is the Savoy in Whitstable. Now that’s an architecturally wonderful building.


Alex Jackson: Thanks Chris, that’s very kind of you so say so. We really did enjoy working on the Savoy actually. It was a great opportunity for us to regenerate that part of Whitstable. The building that it replaced was unfortunately not reflective of the general context that surrounds it. It was a challenging site but we’re really happy with the outcome.

We’ve also got some really interesting projects on the go at the moment that we’re working on, a new build place of worship on Peckham road in London, which will also serve as a fantastic community hub. That’s going to be a real landmark building and we’re really excited to see that come forward. And then on the other side of the scale we’ve got a heritage lead scheme conversation, restoration and extension of a complex of Grade II listed buildings on a waterfront site, so that’s going to be a conversion in to residential, so both very different projects, with very different technical requirements, which is really interesting and exciting for us.


Chris West: Yes, and as you were saying, you’ll put an extension on a house if someone wants it.


Alex Jackson: Absolutely, we can work from small extensions, which actually sometimes are the more challenging projects, you know. Really trying to make a difference to how someone lives in their house, focusing on the best overall outcome for spend, or budget, but right up through to the bespoke housing to multi unit development.


Chris West: How do people get hold of Turner Jackson Day Associates?


Alex Jackson: So, the best thing to do is visit our website initially www.turnerjacksonday.co.uk on there you can see a selection of different projects and our portfolio of schemes that we’ve worked on, or our email address is on there as well, or you can call us on 01227 261453.


Chris West: Excellent, well Alex thank you very much for talking to us this morning, and thank you for supporting Academyfm


Alex Jackson: Chris, thanks ever so much for having us on.


Chris West: Lovely, we’ll speak to you soon. Thank you very much, bye.


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