SW Foulkes Architects is a Manchester based practice that is building and maintains a reputation for quality design and providing a professional service.
Best value for our clients is achieved by the practice’s entrepreneurial approach to achieving imaginative yet practical solutions to project issues. This approach contributes to SW Foulkes Architects developing strong working relationships. Consequently, the practice continues to enhance its position within the market place.
Our diverse portfolio extends from bespoke houses to large scale master-planning. Our flexibility enables us to undertake projects of varying size, both nationally and internationally.
We are driven by a common desire to achieve something worthwhile. We pursue excellence in everything we do both in and out of the office.
It is our belief that architecture is more than a job. We advocate a friendly, informal environment. Our people work hard and are involved in every aspect of the design and construction process. Creativity is rewarded and training and continuing development is fully supported.
SW Foulkes Architects place a great deal of importance on team building
and keeping our staff happy. Happy people are creative people.
Read on to see what makes us tick.
| 2008 | Lemans - France |
| 2007/8 | Tblisi - Georgia |
| 2008 | Pisa / Florence - Italy |
| 2007 | Krakow - Poland |
| 2006 | Riga - Latvia |
| 2006 | Lemans - France |
| 2006 | Chamonix - France |
| 2005 | Livigno - Italy |
| 2005 | Venice - Italy |
Click here for our environmental policy.
Click here for our Equal Opportunities policy.
SW Foulkes Architects chose Manchester based Web designer Tom Harrop to create our new website. We have updated our selected projects and news features.
Revisit swfoulkesarchitects.com to stay up to date with all things SWFA.
SW Foulkes Architects have achieved planning permission for the first tall building in Stockport in over 2 decades. The development aims to trigger the revitalisation of the town centre. Above a commercial plinth level a 20 storey tower will deliver spectacular views towards the pennines and over the Cheshire plane. The development will offer 155 luxury apartments with two prestigious penthouse apartments. The penthouses are expected to set record sales values in the town centre. SW Foulkes Architects were interviewed by skyscrapernews.com, the foremost source of information on tall buildings in the UK and Internationally
SW Foulkes Architects have won a long fought struggle to gain planning consent for a hotel scheme on Great Ancoats and Laystall St in Manchester City Centre.
The development will provide 145 bedrooms with restaurant and bar on the podium level. Externally a full height, etched glass water wall will animate the façade and provide a landmark building on this gateway site.
SW Foulkes Architects are working with Bowden Homes, an exciting new bespoke house builder. The New Year promises to reveal some of the most prestigious houses in Cheshire’s most coveted locations.
Work has begun on site in Halifax where SW Foulkes Architects are building 26 new build homes on the site of the former Siddal Primary school. Ground work began in early 2009 with the erection of the timber frame due to begin imminently. The development at Siddal is expected to achieve a BREEAM rating of “very good” upon completion.
SW Foulkes Architects are invited to tender for a selected international competition. The former Soviet post office and telecom building in Tbilisi city centre requires extensive remodeling and a significant extension to the rear to provide first class office accommodation and conference facilities along with five star hotel accommodation and a roof top terrace providing breathtaking views across the historic city and out across the cross roads of Europe and Central Asia.
SWFA Racing takes 3rd place at the Betts Associates annual Karting Grand Prix. After practice and 5 heats Craig Jones and James Hindley qualified for the semi finals which saw Craig Jones go on to take 3rd place, with James finishing 7th after being slammed into the tyre wall. Geoff Pickering limped home in 24th place suffering technical difficulties.
To celebrate another successful year, the entire team flew to Italy for Christmas lunch. After landing in Pisa the following day we boarded the train for a short cross country trip to Florence where we spent the day site seeing. The team sampled the local specialties at various cafés, bars and eateries. We took the opportunity to roam around one of the most beautiful cities in the world. In 1982 the historical centre of Florence was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO.
SketchUp was first released in August 2000 as a general purpose 3D content creation tool. Google acquired @last software in 2006 attracted by its Google Earth plug-in which allows 3d models to be placed within it’s virtual globe application.
Today Google have given its users the ability to create vast 3d worlds in varying levels of detail and view the results as still images, animations or as part of the Google Earth environment. SketchUp has a large community of users who submit models to the Google 3D warehouse which forms a vast online resource of models and assets free to download and use.
SW Foulkes adopted SketchUp in early 2001 after a brief testing period it was rolled out to the whole team. Today SketchUp is used at an early stage in the design and development process to enable interrogation and review of design and spatial concepts.
SW Foulkes’ James Hindley has been invited contribute to 3D world magazine as the “SketchUp Guru” and will answer a series of Questions posted by SketchUp users worldwide.
3D World magazine aims at an audience from first time users to senior staff at Electronic Arts, Pixar and Dreamworks SKG. It is published monthly with a global audience. Its contributors have won six Oscars, two BAFTA awards, and many more international awards. SW Foulkes are proud to join this team. www.3dworldmag.com
3D WORLD & SW Foulkes Architects 
New SW Foulkes website
Stockport's tallest building
Wonderwall on Ancoats 
Powering through 
Home Schooled 
Socio-Rehab 
Pole position 
Pisa Cake 
Back