The new national office for RDA (Riding for the Disabled Association) has now been handed over to the charity at its site Lowlands near Warwick. Earlier phases saw the refurbishment and extension of an indoor menage, however the final phase gives RDA training and office space and creates a contemporary face for the public visiting the site.
Construction work was undertaken by Greswolde Construction, with a consultant team including Starkey Button, Couch Consulting and Greenways.
A significant part of our design for Beaufort Cooperative Academy in Gloucester has now been handed over to the school by contractor, E G Carter. The new entrance building consolidates arrival for visitors and administration functions into a prominent location on the approach to the school support a wider objective to enhance the image of the school.
The new entrance was opened at an event on the 27th March 2018, by Ed Mayo, Secretary General of Cooperatives UK. Further phases of refurbishment and a new build teaching building are due to be delivered during the summer ready for the start of the new academic year.
More detail is available about the scheme within the Projects section of our website.
Above, Principal, David Bishop with Ed Mayo, Secretary General of Cooperatives UK
Planning approval has been granted for the extension and refurbishment of Elmshurst boarding house at Bromsgrove School. The scheme also includes the expansion of the main school car park accessed from the Worcester Road.
In addition to proposals to upgrade and enhance the existing board house’s envelope the interior will be substantially refurbished with the addition of en-suite bathrooms and alterations made to the communal social space.
The alterations to the landscaped car parking adds 64 spaces and extends the strategy of enhancing the schools grounds with hard and soft landscape improvements.
The refurbishment of Elmshurst follows that of the Webber building which is due for completion in May 2018, work being undertaken by Shaylor Group.
Above, images of the Webber building
Robothams Architects have been appointed to develop the detailed design of 227 student bed spaces at a site close to the University of Nottingham in Beeston. Appointed from RIBA stage 4 onwards by Hydrogen (Beeston), the scheme will combine studio flats, townhouses and cluster flats within the site of a former preparatory school.
Split across two sites the heart of the site is a grade 2 listed villa extended and refurbished to create the former school. It is surrounded by a mature landscape with protected trees and lawns. A range of more contemporary school buildings will be demolished to make way for the high quality scheme.
We are working with Aegis, Naismiths, Cundall, Influence, Zoe Vidaly Studio and Freeths to deliver the scheme for occupation in 2019.
Above, photos of the grade 2 listed Dagfa House.
Our first project for the University of Birmingham has completed on site with the opening of Wokfresh, an oriental food offering in the centre of the campus. The restaurant was refurbished from the shell of a former bank to create a visually stimulating new place to eat noodle soup, chow mein, bento boxes, dim sum and sushi.
Image courtesy of contractor Seddon.
Stratford library has re-opened to the public after a 10 month refurbishment which has seen Registration Services relocate into the building from its previous home at Winton House. The refurbishment has involved the creation of new spaces, upgrade to services infrastructure and re-fit of the ground floor library space.
Working within the listed building the scheme has required a high level of engagement with the District Council’s conservation officer and detailing sensitive to the various periods of the original building.
More detail about the scheme can be found in our previous news post.
Construction has commenced on the refurbishment and extension of a 1980’s office building in Leamington’s Tachbrook Business Park. Robothams Architects were appointed in October 2016 to develop the detailed design after planning consent was granted for the scheme originally designed by ESA.
The proposals will see the complete refurbishment of the interior for tenants Kantar Millward Brown, in addition a new atrium and reception will be added which re-orientates the building along with the remodelling of the exterior and roof profile.
The project is being undertaken by MCS Group and is due for completion in 2018 with handover in two phases.
Appointed by E G Carter, a contractor based in Gloucester, the practice are currently working on designs to extend an existing secondary school in the Tuffley area of the city. The creation of a development plan for the school has led to the progression of a first phase to create space for an additional form of entry. It addresses shortfalls in science and general teaching rooms whilst also creating a new entrance to the school and improving circulation within the existing building.
Above, the new entrance joins two existing buildings and identifies a more legible ‘front door’ for visitors.
Above, the new teaching block will be naturally lit with a mixed mode ventilation system aimed at lowering energy use.
The scheme will shortly be submitted for planning consent and if approved will begin on site with a targeted completion of summer 2018.
Work has begun on site to create a dedicated sixth form boarding house at Old Swinford Hospital, a secondary boarding school near Stourbridge.
The project will see an existing boarding house modernised to create single and twin occupancy rooms with en-suite shower rooms for 60 pupils. An internal courtyard is covered with a lightweight glass structure to create a central common room, with routes to link through the building and connections to a new study area, library and kitchen.
Stepnell have been appointed to begin the construction work with completion due in summer 2016 for occupation by pupils at the beginning of the academic year. The design team includes DBK as cost consultant, E3 designing the M&E services and Nolan Associates developing the structural design.
Work has been completed on academic work space for the School of Health & Life Science at Aston University ready for the beginning of the new academic year. Individual offices and open plan areas were designed to cluster around informal break-out spaces designed within the University’s main building. Colourful themes for furniture, walls and floors define space for research teams and lecturers, whilst large glazed screens project light into the interior. Robothams worked with Overbury, Method Consulting, Gleeds and Turner & Townsend to deliver the scheme for the University.
