Regeneration
Works have recently completed on the refurbishment of three tower blocks on Silcox Road in Hartcliffe. The project included energy upgrades which will improve thermal comfort for 184 dwellings.
gcp were appointed by SERS/Rateavon to provide design co-ordination support for Bristol City Council Major Projects Team, including elevational designs for the tower blocks appearance, and building regulations co-ordination and guidance.
After a two-year wait, Walwyn Gardens has been awarded full planning permission and due to start construction this year. The retrofit scheme includes demolishing and replacing existing leaking courtyard access walkways with contemporary, thermally improved communal access routes. All windows and doors will be replaced as well as a new colour palette introduced to the reclad corridor elements.
gcp has recently secured planning approval to convert a Victorian warehouse on a landlocked site into 5 new family homes.
In a bid to not only consider the building’s history, but embodied carbon as well, the original red brick building has been retained. The 2 later concrete extensions which were in a state of disrepair will be demolished, with one of them being rebuilt in a similar sized footprint and the other becoming garden space for the houses.
The red brick building boasts tall ceilings, timber sash windows and an open plan design. The scheme will have PV, water butts and air source heat pumps along with planting boxes to help drainage and encourage new ecology on what was previously a concrete wasteland.
The new extension is built with the same red brick as the existing on ground floor to tie the buildings together but has a striking black metal cladding on first floor to pay tribute to the industrial nature of the original site and much of its surrounding areas. To ensure the scheme does not impact surrounding homes, first floor rooms are in the roof, but with high eaves to ensure high quality and useability of the space is achieved.
We worked closely with the Bristol Planning Department to ensure a positive outcome was achieved – a design sensitive to its surrounding neighbours and energy-conscious in both embodied and fuel, providing high quality living for future home owners, and maintaining its history from Olliff’s Antiques Warehouse. Upon redevelopment, Olliff’s Architectural Antiques will relocate to an alternative location elsewhere in the city.
This scheme follows on from the highly successful Brooks Dye Works project we delivered for Acorn.
2022 has seen the “new normal” become the normal-normal, with hybrid working and remote meetings just a part of everyday life now. With bubble-working and office closures a thing of the past, the word of the year at gcp has been collaboration. We have really enjoyed being back in the office together, sharing stories and cakes at our Monday huddles and using our new whiteboard space for design workshops.
We started the year by offsetting carbon emissions: a frosty January day was spent planting trees with Avon Needs Trees. gcp are committed to tackling climate change both through our designs and our actions. We hope to build off this initial planting session by further developing our carbon tracking, reduction, reporting, and offsetting strategies to better understand how we can make a difference.
In February we celebrated national apprenticeship week, with architectural apprentice Owen Faunt. We are pleased to be supporting Owen through his Architectural Apprenticeship at South Bank University, London. We love discussing his projects and seeing his finished work and are incredibly proud of how far he’s come since his change of careers 3 years ago.
Part of his experience this year was the chance to work on The Ranch, Southmead, with DIY SOS. gcp helped with the overarching vision and Owen got the chance to put his amazing sketching skills to work.
Team challenges form the cornerstone of office morale here at gcp, and in March we split into team-bikes and team-books to see who could go the furthest – readers or cyclists. Team reading easily beat the cyclists, though with their many pub lunch cycles clocked up, who was the real winning team?!
In July, some of the staff, their partners and families took a relaxing weekend trip to Devon and in September we celebrated the company’s 30th birthday with our favorite memories and a huge cake.
2022 has seen a boom in recent sports project experience. gcp were proud to help bring a top class sporting facility to West London, with the completion of a fantastic cricket centre developed in conjunction with the Wilf Slack Trust, Middlesex Cricket and Willam Perkins School. We have some more exciting sports projects on the program for 2023!
Our long-running relationship with Curo continued this year, with Century Park a 128 unit scheme progressing well on site. This scheme has received great press and is a finalist in Bristol Property Awards, for Residential Development.
Alongside marking a continued relationship with Curo, we were pleased to be working with EG Carters, a partnership which has been ongoing for over 18 years. We have worked closely with the EG Carter team over the years to find practical development solutions for often tricky sites across the South West.
Our first project together (back in 2004!) was a small infill housing project in a dense urban neighbourhood in Bristol. Current projects include Rural Exception sites in Somerset and Wiltshire where we have worked closely with the E G Carter team, jointly negotiating our way through complex planning, land and environmental issues, to deliver needed affordable homes that are welcomed by the local community.
We celebrated with Acorn Property Group and Halsall the completion of Brooks Dye Works, a 113-home regeneration project in St Werburghs, Bristol.
Our initial contact with Acorn began when we supported Halsall Construction on the Otters Holt development in Ottery St Mary, a complex brownfield development in a conservation area. Acorn subsequently approached us to resolve planning conditions and provide technical design for their major project at the old Brooks Laundry in Bristol. Alongside architectural design we also provided energy assessments to meet Acorn's performance targets through our in-house energy consultancy.
Alongside our continued housing experience and exciting sports projects, we have been working on Retrofit in the Forest of Dean. At the CIH conference in September, Tom Mellor presented alongside Curtins, Two Rivers and Rider Levett Bucknall as part of the “Bristol Retrofit Collective” speaking to Demystify PAS2035. We will be running some further seminars on this subject in the New Year, so please get in touch if you’d like to get added to the list.
All in all, it’s been a busy year for gcp and we rounded it off with a lovely Christmas meal in Bristol last week. After a busy few months, it was lovely to gather around the table, enjoy good food and even better company and raise a glass to the success of our small team over the year.
We can’t wait to see what is in store for us and for you, in 2023.
Season’s greetings to all and wishing you a very happy New Year.
Social Housing Retrofit in the Forest of Dean
Read Moregcp are continuing their works for SERS/Rateavon Ltd to upgrade Bristol City Council’s existing tower block housing stock. The latest blocks to be regenerated are Hayleigh House, Millmead House and Middleford House in Hartcliffe which have recently received planning approval to upgrade the windows/doors, improve the external wall insulation and update the external appearance following design consultations with the residents and Bristol City Council Major Projects team.
Works are currently underway with completion scheduled for July 2022
Following the successful delivery of Foundation Park Pavilion, we are excited to be supporting Swindon Town Football Club Community Foundation again.
“We are very excited to announce that we have now formally submitted a planning application to build a covered sports facility on the disused bowls club at Foundation Park.
This covered facility would be another fantastic addition to the sporting hub at Foundation Park, offering more opportunities to the people of Swindon.
”
The site, occupied by Swindon Borough Council, is located on the north side of the newly built Foundation Park Pavilion. The site is 0.31hectares and had been used by County Ground Bowls Club, which was founded in 1925 until 2017. For the last three years the site has been disused and left abandoned.
The choice of site is driven by its adjacency to Swindon Town F.C Community Foundation’s new ‘state of the art’ pavilion building. The new site will offer immediate adjacency to allow for the further expansion of the foundation.
The proposals are for an engineered covered structure and specialist all-weather multi-sports facility. There will be three small-sized sports pitches, two running east to west with a full-size 5-a-side football pitch running north to south. The proposals include a glulam structure with a tensile covering which will be translucent to allow natural light into the facility, with the materials used on the bowls club refurbishment will match the cladding used on the adjacent pavilion building.
New covered pitch proposals with existing pavilion in foreground.
The development’s primary objective is to serve the needs of the local people in Swindon. The Community Foundation provides fantastic support to the people of Swindon to improve their physical and mental well-being. This facility will provide a platform for people to thrive.
In summer 2018 gcp were appointed by Rateavon Ltd to assist in the refurbishment of Spencer & Norton Houses in Redcliffe. This was the latest in a series of projects for Bristol City Council’s Major Projects team (BCCMP) which looked to regenerate their housing stock. Historically these works consisted of giving the buildings a face lift and improving thermal performance by insulating external walls and roofs, and replacing doors and windows. The brief for Spencer & Norton Houses was no different, but the path to delivery changed with the amendment to Building Regulation Approved Document B in November 2018.
This amendment was the first major change to regulation following publication of the Hackitt Report in May 2018. The amendment stated that:
“New regulation 7(2) of the Building Regulations 2010 applies to any building with a storey at least 18m above ground level… Regulation 7(2) requires that all materials which become part of an external wall or specified attachment achieve European Class A2-s1, d0 or Class A1 except for components exempted in Regulation 7(3).”
For those unfamiliar with the Euroclass system the first category A1/A2/B/…/F relates to combustibility, with classes ranging from F (untested) to A1 (non-combustible). Materials which achieve a combustibility rating between D and A2 can then be sub-divided by two other criteria, ‘s’ for smoke propagation and ‘d’ for flaming droplets. In each case the lower the number the better the material has performed. Just to add to the confusion ‘s’ rankings range from 1-3, whilst ‘d’ rankings range from 0-2. For a product to be suitable for installation on an external wall it needs to be non-combustible, produce little or no smoke and produce no flaming droplets, A2-s1, d0 or A1.
This requirement was long overdue and highlighted a section of the ‘golden thread’ which had previously been missing. The design team now had to identify all elements which formed part of the external wall and contact suppliers/manufacturers to confirm that these products are either exempt under Regulation 7(3) or have a fire test certificate proving the performance against fire.
The project at Spencer & Norton Houses was one of the first high rise residential developments to incur these new regulations. Initially it was clear that this was a shock to the industry and many manufacturers either did not have fire test certificates or these certificates were out of date. In one instance the design team chose to organize its own fire test to be completely sure that the new balcony panels would be suitable.
Being at the front of the curve in tackling these changes was certainly challenging but through close collaboration with the design team and Bristol City Council Building Control we identified a solution and implemented this strategy to satisfy the Building Regulations. Now we have a method in place the process will only get easier as we continue to work on BCCMP’s remaining housing stock.
Whilst these standards are currently only enforceable for buildings over 18m, it is likely that further amendments will see these requirements spread to a wider group of buildings. We are already seeing early adoption across housing association projects where clients will not permit external wall materials which do not achieve European Class A2-s1, d0 or Class A1.
Recommendations from the Hackitt Report will likely drive change throughout the construction industry in coming years. This change is vital in ensuring our existing and proposed housing stock is safe and suitable for all. Information management will form a key part of this process, but this is nothing new to the construction industry. We already have the tools to make the necessary improvements. We just need an industry wide change of mindset to prioritise building safety during procurement, design and construction.
“Known to generations of Bristolians as simply ‘The Water Tower’ this iconic landmark is located at the highest point in Bristol on Durdham Downs. gcp has been delighted to continue it’s long standing association with Bristol Water as assist in restoring this massive concrete structure to its former glory and taking in some breath-taking views in the process.”
We asked everyone in the office to name their favourite project of 2020. Jeremy has chosen the refurbishment of the 1950s water tower for Bristol Water.
gcp has secured planning consent to refurbish and extend Walwyn Gardens retirement housing in Hartcliffe, Bristol. Bristol City Council who own and manage the site appointed gcp to provide designs for this comprehensive refurbishment and upgrade of the 1960’s apartment blocks.
The building has suffered historic issues with damp and structural issues and requires substantial internal and external maintenance and repair works. Following a consultation event with the residents, proposals were finalized that will rejuvenate the site improving the quality and appearance of the site brining a new lease of life to these old buildings.
The following works are included in the proposals:
· Replacement of existing common room & ancillary facilities building including the addition of two new flats over and new lift in lieu of a ramp on ground floor
· Replace uPVC curtain walling enclosing the access walkways with new walls.
· Construct two new fire escape stairs on east wings of the building
· Improve energy performance and appearance of the building by over cladding the existing walls.
· Internal alterations to improve the accessibility of the building
· Landscaping of the gardens
The scheme is already out to tender, it is hoped work will commence on site in the new year.
gcp are thrilled to be part of the team delivering Nationwide’s major new housing scheme in Swindon. The not for profit development will deliver 239 quality sustainable homes. The development has been designed as an intergenerational community with a mix of houses and flats, a community room, shared gardens, green spaces and links to the existing neighbourhood. 30% of the properties will be affordable. gcp are working for contractor Mi-Space, who started on site in April 2020. The first homes will be available to view in autumn 2021.
CGIs credit to PicturePlane, Metropolitan Workshop and PRP
Please take a look at the development website www.oakfieldswindon.co.uk for more information.
December has brought completion of a couple of our larger commercial projects of 2019. Elizabeth House was the strip-out, extension and refurbishment of a seven floor office building next to Lincoln’s Inn Fields, City of London. The project was supervised by Tom Mellor under a traditional contract for long-standing client Courtenay Investments Ltd. Foundation Park is a new sports pavilion for Swindon Town Football Club Foundation Trust on the County Ground site. The building was rationalised within the parameters of an existing planning consent and the final design features a standing-seam single plane inclined roof giving the building its unique appearance. The construction phase was managed by James Pilling and Martin Spear.
Back in Warmley, the office is now seventeen strong with the arrival of tired ‘new dad’ Tom Hubbard as a senior technician and irrepressible ‘old dad’ Owen Faunt joining recently as our first ever architectural apprentice. Owen disappears once a week to allegedly attend college at London South Bank University. He was an insurance underwriter until recently and tells me he is working hard and very much enjoying his change of career. Thanks for your secret santa present Owen! Martha Eustace joined us on placement for six months over the summer doing a brilliant job of trying to make head or tail of our new marketing strategy and has now returned to her third year studies at the University of Bath for a well-earned rest. James Pilling is close to completing his Architecture Part 1 distance learning course and Sarah Makroum has successfully completed her first year architecture Diploma, both at Oxford Brookes University. Esther Brown is due to qualify as an architect early next year.
Housing projects continue to flourish with large schemes for Acorn at the former Brooks Dyeworks site in Ashley Down with the team very ably led by Siobhan Tarr; for Curo at Henacre Road in Lawrence Weston with Sarah Makroum; for Stonewater at Northwick Farm near Worcester with Olia Kyritsi; and for Mi-Space working for Nationwide in Swindon at Oakfield, a construction phase scheme with Jon Briscoe. Ranelagh Road in Malvern for Broadway Estates and c-t-s Construction run by Esther Brown and Martin Spear is due to complete in the spring.
We have also been busy with a couple of individual PassivHaus projects too, achieving completion of Homelands in Dundry, a private house with fantastic views north over Bristol and to the Suspension Bridge and Severn Bridges beyond, and the start on site at Clover Place in Eynsham, Oxfordshire. All in all, we reckon that we have 1,216 individual housing units either on the ‘drawing board’ or under construction, boosted by our continuing programme of refurbishment of mid and high-rise council flats in Bristol co-ordinated in necessary painstaking detail by Michael Hanson.
Work with the England and Wales Cricket Board continues apace with successful completion of phase 1 at Leyton, East London, the conversion of an existing facility to create an indoor cricket centre opened by local legend, Graham Gooch. Phase 2 in Leyton, run by Matt Bonney and further inner city projects in Bradford and Birmingham are due to come on stream in 2020.
We have also made fantastic progress with our instagram presence, masterminded by Esther Brown, and our blog by Natalie Lock, our long-suffering practice manager. Maria Steward, our office manager, has worked tirelessly to keep us all under some sort of control, usually remembers to pay us on time, and has checked the car park out on a regular basis throughout the year come rain or shine. In Autumn it was announced that we had won the small employer category of the Travelwest Business Travel Awards 2019. Well done everyone who braved the cycle path or waited for a bus over the summer. The winnings were donated to Mind UK our chosen charity for the year.
On the social side we have tried to organise an event most months during the year with the highlights being a tough ten peaks hike in typically horrendous August weather in the Brecon Beacons; a mid-summer weekend (not) camping, eating, walking, swimming and drinking at Star Cottage on the Devon coast, courtesy of the Mellor family; and a couple of trips to Bath Races to blow the company profits. The programme for 2020 is already in the planning with talk of axe throwing ( not in the office ) soon after Christmas, a casino night at the wonderful Kings Weston House in the spring, a vineyard visit ( unfortunately only to Somerset ) in the summer and a revival of our successful charity quiz night in the Autumn – bring your torches.
Siobhan Tarr continues to lead on our impressive variety of in house and RIBA organised CPD sessions. We held a fascinating half day training session recently run by Mind UK, which really brought home our vulnerability to mental ill health at work.
2019 has been very busy, challenging and rewarding in equal measure and with much more staff involvement in managing and marketing the business. With our plans to convert to full employee ownership well under way, we have much to look forward to in 2020. My thanks, as always, go to my fellow directors, Colin Powell and Jon Platt, and to a dedicated hard-working team of very talented individuals.
To our existing clients we hope you will give us the opportunity to work with you again next year and if you have not worked with us before please give us a call and we will do our very best to do a great job for you.
Happy Christmas and New Year to you all.
Jeremy Pilling
Managing Director
Images by Olia: The relaxing effect of the Aegean blue, Arabic architecture and the microclimate of open spaces, Getting lost in the colourful souks of Marrakesh
Architect Olia Kyritsi joined gcp last year at the start of a very busy summer period. Olia has 6 years working experience on residential, retirement living and commercial schemes, workspaces and leisure centres.
She holds a MArch from the National Technical University of Athens and an MSC on Environmental Design of Buildings from the Welsh School of Architecture.
Olia is celebrating her first-year anniversary this week so we took a little bit of time to find out more about her.
---
Hey Olia. Let’s jump right in with what inspired you to pursue architecture.
The idea that I will be an artist and an engineer at the same time…
So, if you weren’t an architect, what do you think you would you be?
Possibly a mathematician who writes cooking books in her spare time.
And an answer like that is exactly what makes you such a fun and interesting member of the team! How about your best moment at gcp in the last year?
Accepting the job offer and joining the gcp family.
I forgot to add delightful to the list above! You’ve brought a cheerful and calming influence to our side of the office for sure.
Tell us, what do you like to do in your spare time? Travelling in order to explore new cultures or cooking for friends.
And what’s your proudest personal achievement?
Surviving through my 7 year-long architectural studies.
We are pleased you did and even more so that you accepted the offer of joining our gang! Thanks for your time today Olia, just to finish could you tell us something we might not know about you?
My wardrobe is colour coordinated…
---
Olia has been working closely with Jeremy Pilling this year on Bristol Down’s iconic Water Tower. She has been involved in our ongoing work at Trinity Community Arts Centre and working with Fare Share on their office redevelopment. Outside of her architectural work in the office, Olia attends many local CPD’s, industry talks and networking, connect on linked in if you’d like to catch up with her at an event.
Olia is a keen photographer and is often seen taking pictures at our gcp enrichment, industry and social events.
Keep an eye on our blog for more staff interviews over the coming weeks, the summer is a popular time to join our team!
Architect Matt Bonney is celebrating his first-year anniversary with gcp. He joined us last year from 360 Architecture in Glasgow. Matt graduated Strathclyde University in 2016, where his studies focused on developing sustainable buildings with inter-seasonal energy storage.
We wanted to get to know Matt a little better, so asked him a few questions!
---
So Matt, what inspired you to pursue architecture?
Meccano, K-nex and Lego along with a desire to create and an infinite imagination.
and if you weren’t an architect, what would you be?
Set designer or carpenter.
Can you tell us what’s your best moment at gcp in the last year?
The build up to Christmas!
Matt joins a long list of gcp employees who have a competitive streak - in the run up to Christmas last year we ran several games and challenges amongst the team to win chocolate, wine and - more importantly - glory!
What do you like to do in your spare time?
Cycling or anything sporty really (not sure if appropriate but I also create beer pong tables as a side project).
Certainly interesting though! So, what’s your proudest personal achievement?
A-level art – creating a full-sized grand piano out of match sticks and coloured PVA (photos available)
And attached to this blog! Thanks for your time Matt, just to wrap up could you tell us your favourite project that you’ve worked on to date.
Leyton Urban Cricket Hub.
---
Matt has worked on some interesting projects since starting with gcp, including Bristol County Ground, Bristol Tower blocks and the Urban Cricket Hub in Leyton. Outside of his architectural work in the office, he is on both our media and events groups; personally, he has just returned from a cycling expedition through the Alps.
Keep an eye on our blog for more staff interviews over the coming weeks.
Henacre Road, Bristol
During 2018, gcp has been continuing to work with Courtenay Investments on the strip back to shell refurbishment and extension of their 1950’s office block in Holborn, Central London. Enabling works are now complete and construction work proper will commence in Q1 2019.
Elizabeth House, Holborn
Four schemes have been progressing in Lawrence Weston in North West Bristol with ongoing design work for Ambition Lawrence Weston, Pioneer Medical Group and Bristol City Council to try and bring the vision of a community hub building to fruition. We are also working with social landlord Curo at Henacre Road and Corbett Close. The 128 home scheme at Henacre Road will be on site by Easter next year following a painstaking search for any unexploded ordnance scheduled for the New Year. The fourth scheme is for Bristol City Council to the rear of the Ridingleaze shops where we will have designed nine houses for social rent.
Henacre Road, Bristol
We have also been working on an inner-city housing scheme for Acorn Property Group at Brooks Dye Works in St. Werburghs, Bristol (106 units) and large rural schemes for Lindon Homes near Long Ashton (103 units for phase 1) and Stonewater at Northwick Farm near Worcester (62 units).
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has been working with us on the development of their Urban Cricket Centre Concept, designed to bring playing opportunities to some of the most deprived post codes across East London, Birmingham and Bradford. The opening of the first site in East London is scheduled to coincide with the Cricket World Cup 2019.
ECB Urban Cricket Centre Concept
Halsall Construction continue to be a great supporter with design for projects completed at Silver Street in Willand and Station Road in Castle Carey. In Swindon we have been working with the football club’s community trust to bring about the construction of a new pavilion building to support their new artificial turf pitch at the County Ground site. In Malvern we have just secured planning consent for fourteen homes for c-t-s Construction and Broadway Heritage Ltd on the edge of a local conservation area in the grounds of a former convent.
Swindon Town Football in the Community Trust, Community Club Hub
It only remains for me on behalf of the Directors to express our warmest thanks to the staff, clients and fellow consultants who have made 2018 the most successful in our now 31 year history!
Happy Christmas and a peaceful New Year to you all.
Jeremy Pilling
Managing Director
gcp chartered Architects
