PJH Architectural Services is dedicated to helping homeowners across Manchester and the surrounding area to transform their properties according to unique needs and goals. Having first set up in 2011, this month sees the company celebrating its tenth anniversary.
Ten years ago, the Owner and Director of PJH Architectural Services, Peter Hoole, was returning from a holiday in Cuba. Whilst on the plane, he realised that for the first time ever he wasn’t looking forward to going back to work.
Peter says: “I went to Cuba with my girlfriend and came home with my fiancée. The trip had seen me change one part of my life for the better, so I decided it was the perfect opportunity to also change another. Within a week, I’d decided to start my own business.”
To ensure that there was no conflict of interest, Peter remained with his commercial-focused employer on the agreement that he could work on residential projects in his spare time. Having invested 100 hours a month on top of a full-time position, Peter had finally saved enough money to pursue his vision of setting up his own architectural practice.
“By July 2014 I was ready to go it alone. My employer had promoted me to Associate but retaining my position would have meant abandoning my dream. Instead I gave in my notice and left in the September, which was more than three years since the foundations of PJH had been laid.”
This entrepreneurial spirit paid off, as PJH Architectural Services has expanded year on year ever since. With a strong focus on supporting clients with everything from conceptualisation and design to overseeing building regulations and compliance, the business now has a variety of prestigious residential developments to its name.
“We’re over 550 projects in and business is constantly growing,” says Peter. “We average 100 projects a year, with many being a varied mix of renovation, extension and new build projects that include energy-efficient solutions such as solar panels, ground and air source heat pumps and SIP construction (structurally insulated panels), ICF (insulated concrete formwork) build and timber frame construction .”
Primarily based in their main office in Leigh, the team at PJH is committed to providing valuable roles to graduates and plans to further increase its workforce over the next eighteen months. The company wasn’t even slightly affected by the pandemic and in fact continued to grow, which was facilitated by its increasingly popular site supervision service.
“Rather than handing over the designs and being on our merry way, we liaise with the builders on a weekly basis and relay key information back to the client. This adds tremendous value, as clear communication, precision, transparency, cost-effectiveness and the personal touch remain in place throughout the construction phase.”
A current project is the comprehensive extension of a private residence near Knutsford. This multimillion-pound undertaking involves the upgrading of a bungalow in Cheshire’s greenbelt into a modern, elegant and fully sustainable forever home.
Peter adds: “The last ten years have seen a shift in how much people dare to dream. The TV show Grand Designs has certainly contributed to this, as homeowners are willing to experiment with large plots of land and existing properties. The results can be extraordinary.”
