Loft apartments in Preston come with the New York touch

A new development of loft apartments located in the heart of Preston, named the UK’s most improved city, has been designed by one of the UK’s leading urban architects.

Formerly The Union Carriage Works and dating back 125 years, this landmark building has been lovingly converted into a collection of 18 studio, one, two and three-bedroom apartments by Etc Urban Developments with leading property services firm, Cushman & Wakefield as agent.

These design-led, spacious homes fuse striking architecture, beautiful restoration and contemporary finishes setting a new benchmark for the North West’s fast-rising micro-city.

The Union Lofts has been designed by Philip Thornton, from Chase Architecture, a leading architect for more than 30 years.

Philip has worked around the world on a number of iconic schemes as well spending 16 years at Conran and Partners, Sir Terence Conran’s architecture and design practice.

He said: “This building was so interesting from a design perspective – it’s old and simple with a great structure.

“Its factory origins as a carriage and autocar showroom in the 1890’s meant there was a vast empty central space surrounded by trusses, large windows and other unique features which we could incorporate into the design – it was the perfect foundation for an apartment development.”

Before setting up Chase Architecture, based in Soho, London, Lancashire-born Philip worked on commercial and residential projects for the likes of Peter Eisenman, Marks Barfield and Will Alsop, as well as being one of the leading designers at Conran where he was the project architect on twin residential towers Roppongi Hills in Tokyo and a shopping centre in Athens with a fully retractable roof over a 60m span atrium.

Philip has lived and worked around the world having spent time in both New York and Berlin.

His city living expertise came while working with leading urban developer City Loft Developments, which, along with the Manhattan Loft Company and Urban Splash, was a pioneer of loft-living schemes in the UK.

Homes here take full advantage of the historic structure of the warehouse, exposing old brick and up-cycling floor and roof timbers.

Philip has utilised the height of the roof with full width, clear span, timber queen post trusses to make spacious front to back living.

Wood for the balustrades has been sourced from parts of the building, retaining the materials on-site. Most of the apartments are on two levels with the bespoke staircases pre-manufactured from contemporary laser-cut plywood.

Philip added: “Inspired by my days in New York where loft living began and using the structure of this old warehouse as base, we have created real loft apartments offering height and space, setting a new standard of living for Preston.

“The apartments are chic and feel like you could be in London or New York.

“The industrial look is seen in the lacquered cement floorings, exposed brickwork, timber trusses and beams. We’ve created 4.8m high living spaces with contemporary kitchens and stylish bathrooms.”

Due to complete in March, the striking restoration of the former carriage and autocar factory offers a distinctive selection of apartments, each beautifully restored with retained features, a wealth of character, stylish interiors, space and natural light.

The Union Lofts is ideally located, in the heart of the vibrant city centre and five minutes from the mainline train station, which provides non-stop links to Manchester Piccadilly in just 35 minutes and Manchester International Airport in 50 minutes.

All but one of the homes are duplex apartments with nine lofts offering spacious west-facing terraces accessed through full height glass sliding doors, perfect for outdoor entertaining. Secure basement parking is available for an additional cost.

Neil Thornton, director of Etc Urban, said: “The Union Lofts is unique to Preston, there is nothing else like it on the market at the moment.

“We have created a collection of individually-designed, architecturally attractive loft apartments.

“Retaining as many of the building’s original features as possible combined with contemporary finish, The Union Lofts is an exceptional opportunity for those seeking to live within the heart of this great city.”

Julian Cotton, associate director at Cushman & Wakefield, added: “Preston is quickly becoming one of the most dynamic and sought-after cities within the North West in which to live.

“The regeneration of the city centre, its connectivity with Manchester, Glasgow and London and cheaper property prices, are all keys factors in attracting a wealth of new buyers.”

Prices start from £105,000 for studios, £142,500 for one-bedroom lofts, £205,000 for two-bedroom lofts and £250,000 for a three-bedroom duplex.