After a successful 2022, we started 2023 on a high, determined to build on last year’s key themes of collaboration, team work and supporting the next generation of designers and architects.
In January, we ran a workshop in a local primary school, where we helped the students think about the design of an outdoor education space. Later in the year, we had a year 10 work experience student join us for the week.
We also celebrated Owen Faunt graduating from his Architectural Assistant Degree Apprenticeship in May, Sarah Makroum completing her RIBA Part 2 qualification, Hazel Momberg becoming a chartered member of CIAT and Matt Taylor completing his RIBA Part 3 to become a fully qualified architect.
This year a key focus for us has been sustainability. We have been invited to lead seminars to help others understand Whole Life Carbon, emerging policy and specifics relating to their own projects. We can now undertake Whole Life Carbon Assessments to help with target setting and reporting – get in touch if you would like to know more!
Several of our construction projects have wrapped up in 2023, including all-but-one phase of Century Park, Lawrence Weston, phase 1 of Oakfield in Swindon, phase 2 of Margaret Bondfield Close in Pilton, the refurbishment of three tower blocks on Silcox Road in Bristol, and the Swimarium in Westbury.
gcp have always had a strong portfolio of housing projects and we have finished this year on another high: achieving planning permission on sites including a rural exception site in the Forest of Dean and conversion of a warehouse to apartments in Bristol.
In June we achieved planning for Walwyn Gardens, a scheme that finally achieved planning after a two-year wait. This 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. Construction work has now begun.
Two years of design and consultation with a team of environmental consultants culminated with unanimous support of the South Gloucestershire Development Committee of our proposals for extensions to the McBraida Aerospace engineering works at Bridgeyate, Bristol. This marks a significant milestone in the McBraida company’s long-term plan to expand and modernize their UK headquarters. We were thrilled to be part of the team helping the expansion plan to succeed.
It had been a while since gcp had entered any big competitions, but we loved the look of Bristol Housing Festival’s Nover’s Hill.
Nover’s Hill is a ecologically constrained site and the brief was for a sustainable development with high biodiversity. Through careful analysis of the levels, the existing trees, the views and the pond we created a high density housing scheme which promoted large amounts of public and private amenity spaces, natural light and ventilation.
Entering more competitions was a 2023 aspiration for our team, so we thought we’d give it a go. We were thrilled to win the competition!
We will be working on developing the scheme in more detail for Goram Homes in 2024.
Back with our team, we continued to focus on mental health and wellbeing, using National Work Life Week and Mental Health Awareness Week as part of our annual diary, not just because they support our company values, but because they allow us to report, refocus, review our polices and remind ourselves regularly to check in with each other.
This year we planted sunflowers, made art together, took some forest walks, went to the café as an office and played board games. These events gave importance to taking a break, having some fun and connecting with our colleagues. We are just finishing up our advent of December games, where we take a few moments each day to be silly and enjoy some friendly competition.
It's been another busy year for gcp. We took some time at the beginning of December to enjoy a Christmas meal together in Keynsham and will hold farewell drinks for Martin Spear on Thursday, when he retires after 35 years of wonderful service. He will be sadly missed, but we wish him well on his next adventure.
It’s exciting to welcome more talent and experience to our growing team. Esther Slade, Jenny Gossage, Tim Oswald, Tina Vasilache and Richard Glass joined us in 2023 and we have one more new starter joining us in the New Year.
We can’t wait to see what is in store for us and for you, in 2024.
Season’s greetings to all and wishing you a very happy New Year.
