Our practice began with a motivation and desire to be authentic. We constantly celebrate our femininity and northernness. Our collective seeks to challenge the conventional idea of what an architect is, or should be, and rethink how a practice can operate in our increasingly complex society.
about
We want to work with clients who want to work with us and give them something they could not have envisaged for themselves.
Jill Cowgill
RIBA CA AABC
Leaving school at 16, in the mid eighties, jobs were scarce and permanent jobs in Blackpool almost non existent. This meant Jill’s first experience of working life was on a Youth Training Scheme, a now defunct, much derided programme. Her placement was within a small architectural design company and along with the following few years of day release studying Construction, on a very male orientated course, it ultimately led Jill to study and achieve a first class honours degree in Architecture at Manchester’s prestigious School of Architecture.
Jill’s post graduate qualifications made it so she could join the RIBA and she began working in Preston at Francis Roberts Architects. She has been Lead Architect on many projects with a number of North West studios including Ivan Wilson Architects in Clitheroe. Her portfolio ranges from very small extensions to new housing for the Duchy of Lancaster, renowned Pugin churches, the facade and interior of Blackpool Tower, to Georgian house restoration in Cumbria, and everything in between.
Jill decided to go it alone in 2019 and established NWDC, a studio which seeks to continue the use of redundant and historic buildings, exploring the interface of new design with old craft techniques. The ethos at NWDC is one of inclusion; one that seeks to make good design affordable and accessible to all. This philosophy somewhat reflects Jill’s own humble beginnings and her ambition to make design important and achievable for everyone.
She became an Architect Accredited in Building Conservation in 2014 and an RIBA Conservation Architect in 2018. She is on the approved list of accredited inspecting architects for Blackburn and Carlisle Diocese and works with the Anglican Church, Catholic Church and The Quakers.
Sally Lofthouse
RIBA
Recently qualified, Sally studied for an undergraduate Engineering Masters at the University of Nottingham, before returning to study at the Manchester School of Architecture for her Architecture Masters. Here she was exposed to a feminist architectural pedagogy which altered her outlook on inclusive technologies, narrative and equity within the built environment. Coupled with her passion for sustainable regeneration and re-use, she brings a human-centric approach and methodology to architecture and design. She completed her Part III with at RIBA NW, becoming qualified in 2023.
Sally helps lead SHOP Preston and is passionate about curating a programme of inspiring events and workshops for the community. Sally has been a guest tutor at the Grenfell-Baines Institute of Architecture at UCLan since 2022 and continues to be inspired being back in an academic setting.
On a personal level, she is currently renovating an Edwardian house, reviving the historic features whilst upgrading it to be a comfortable home.
history
Not only do we advocate for sustainable reuse, we practice what we preach!
This is evident when you visit our colourful little studio in the heart of Preston. No. 3 Syke Street is located in the Winckley Square Conservation Area and above the old River Syke, which used to supply drinking water to the people of Preston. In 2021 we took over the building with fellow Architect Lee Ivett of Baxendale. Together we transformed it into our architectural studio as well as creating an accessible community space in the city – SHOP.
Charity Shop Rwanda…
No. 3 Syke Street…
The building opposite the multi-storey…
Or near the burnt out Odeon…
However you refer to our little building, it is a familiar place to the community and people of Preston!
We have amassed a collection of prints, paintings and photographs documenting the building over the past 20+ years. Like the much loved former charity shop, we aim to continue this legacy of a space central to the Preston community, one where you walk past and never quite know what you will find, who you might meet or what exciting new thing is happening.
No. 3 Syke Street
The building is located on the corner of one of the oldest ‘streets’ in Preston, Main Sprit Weind, and the site has quite a history! We sit almost right above the river Syke which we believe to have been culverted. Both this source of water and the name ‘Main Sprit Weind’ are evidence of a historic spring or fountain that used to provide the inhabitants of Preston with their drinking water.
We are collecting evidence and images to chronicle its history and will keep updating this page. We join in with the national Heritage Open Days event to celebrate and showcase our building’s heritage and history.
We believe our little building was once the offices for the John Whitehead & Co. Foundry which was located on the car park and former nightclub next door. We discovered a trap door when renovating the space which unearthed the business archive from Whitehead & Co. from the late 1800s up to their eventual administration in the early 1960s. This snap shot of an important Preston business and capsule of social history is still intact in our office until we can get funding and interest to get it safe in the archives where it should belong. If you are interested in learning more, be sure to contact us or visit on our Heritage Open Day event in September this year.
You can find out more about the work we do as SHOP Preston on the dedicated webpage or visit our instagram account @shop_preston.
To keep up to date on everything NWDC is up to, including site visits, planning approvals and more, be sure to follow our Facebook and Instagram pages.