JC Consulting

I've always enjoyed side projects but this one was a biggy... A few years ago Rosie and I decided to make the move back to Cumbria. We started looking at house prices vs the kind of spaces we'd need to live and work - it didn’t feel like we were going to get much for our money. Then came the blissfully ignorant, couch-confidence acquired after several seasons of #GrandDesigns - maybe we should just build what we need, and we'll probably get a better product for the same money right? After some chats with friends Jack Hudspith and Step the first thing was to start identifying potential sites. Saturday mornings were mostly about trawling #GoogleMaps satellite imagery field by field, for miles around looking for any kind of structure, with decent road access, nearby services, at a scale that could be adapted for a family sized home, ideally with room for an outbuilding for me to work from. Hours went by, many teas drunks, map pins doubled and tripled. Life was that mundane… Next came the inescapably uncomfortable reality check of knocking on strangers doors to see if they'd be up for selling us a patch of land. Many kind ‘no thank you’s’ followed but eventually one couple - after saying no initially - gave us a call back to say they'd changed their mind. Two children later (!) and after several years of deep collaboration with our lead architects Will Mawson, Nita Kidd, Peter, Yoana Todorova from MawsonKerr and legend of a builder Ian Saint and his band of merry contractors we developed a scheme that passed through planning first time and resulted in an remarkably high performing conversion with remote studio / workshop. It wasn't plain sailing by any means, it's a risky business after all but we learned a thing or two. Mostly that meaningful design is about how gracefully one embraces constraints and navigates tradeoffs. You can solve anything if you throw enough money at it but there is beauty in a constrained budget and site challenges, a forcing function for creativity, and eventually I learned to find a respect and appreciation for doing this well. Last week we found out that our home has been shortlisted for the RIBA awards. I’m proud of what the team have achieved and I hope they get the recognition they deserve. Thank you to everyone who has supported us big and small, to help make this happen. Judges visit in 1 weeks time, …no presh 😬 #architecture #sustainability #climatetech #design #cumbria #ribaawards #selfbuild

Esh Construction is on site carefully restoring Abbeydale Dam – part of Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet, an 18th Century Scheduled Monument – in Sheffield. A temporary causeway has been installed within the drained dam basin, overcoming challenging weather, deep silt and limited access while protecting the site’s heritage and ecology. Heritage‑trained masons have carefully dismantled the original stone wall – a strip foundation is now complete and reconstruction is under way using locally sourced stone, traditional lime/sand mortar and historic bond patterns blending the original and new stone. Investigative works continue within the Hamlet’s Grinding Hull and the original stone culvert, where complex access arrangements are required to assess the full extent of heritage repairs. Sheffield City Council | Sheffield Museums

The next chapter of Kynren is here as we open Kynren– The Storied Lands in 2026! Construction is now underway on the Lost Feather Arena — an extraordinary 3,600-seat structure shaped like a giant eagle’s nest, soon to host the most spectacular free-flight bird show. When it opens in summer 2026, over 300 birds — including eagles, vultures, African Crowned Cranes, pelicans, parrots and more — will soar across the arena in a breathtaking showcase of skill, beauty and connection. The Lost Feather explores the powerful relationship between people and the natural world, with conservation at its heart. Launching as part of Phase One of Kynren – The Storied Lands, this landmark production joins new live action shows such as Land of the Vikings, Legend of the Wear, and A Victorian Adventure — where stories of history, myth and legend come thrillingly to life. To find out more, head to our blog: https://lnkd.in/ev3kD87a