After a 60 year wait and decades of campaigning the new hospital will open its doors on the 30^th March ready to serve the South Bristol population. It is the first hospital in Bristol to be built south of the River Avon and is anticipated to deal with 145,000 patients a year.

South Bristol Community Hospital will deliver primary healthcare to over 60,000 people currently dependant on health centres or city-centre facilities. It will provide an Outpatients’ department, Urgent Care centre, Diagnostic imaging, a large dental Clinic, Day Surgery and 60 beds for inpatients with an emphasis on rehabilitation and recuperation closer to home.

The design team worked closely alongside the client, contractor and end users to develop a concept design capable of accommodating a rapidly evolving brief. The finished design provides a flexible layout, easily adaptable to respond to ongoing developments in how healthcare is delivered and is geared to meet the needs of our community for generations to come.

The building adopts a range of environmental design features and will consume 30% less energy than the NHS best practice benchmark (only 27.6 GJ/100m3/annum). Photovoltaic cells supply energy and the mini CHP plant minimises energy wastage.

Through these and other initiatives the hospital is able to save £86,000pa of heating costs alone.

         That’s the equivalent to paying for 4 extra Emergency Room nurses full time for a year.

Ben Bennett, NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire programme director says, “I think it absolutely is a community hospital in every sense, because local people have campaigned for it over decades and, in particular, the last ten years I have been involved. In consultation meetings it was clear this actually meant something.”

South Bristol Community Hospital forms a key part of a wider regeneration programme that has provided state of the art facilities for the local community, helping to re-integrate this sometimes neglected area back into this fantastic city. The finished building is a testament to what can be achieved through a genuine spirit of mutual collaboration and partnership.

It’s been 3 and a half years since fire devastated the old library in Plympton, Devon.

And tomorrow like a phoenix from the ashes the doors open to a new chapter in the town’s history.

The new building is 50% larger than the old one and makes the most of clean lines and open aesthetics to create a large airy space designed to welcome visitors into the building.

The brief was to fill “the void in the community” and its opening to coincide with National Libraries Day secures its place at the heart of the community for young and not so young alike.

Ian Sanders from architects AWW said, “It was essential to us to design a building that the people of Plympton could take pride in. The solar panels and the energy efficiency mean that this building will be able to support the needs of the Plympton community for generations to come.”

27,000 books were destroyed in the 2004 fire, along with some “irreplaceable” historic pamphlets and photos.

Councillor Glenn Jordan, Cabinet Member for Community Services (Safer and Stronger Communities and Leisure, Culture and Sport), said: “We are really excited to be finally opening Plympton’s new library and welcoming our first customers through the door. The local community were devastated to lose their old library and we know how much they have been looking forward to this day. We’d like to thank everyone for being so patient while we’ve worked to provide this fantastic new facility.”

The single storey building provides ease of access for the general public, and utilises large expanses of glazing provide an active façade through which the public are offered glimpses and views of the bright, voluminous open plan space within, which ascends upward into the tall roof peak. All of which aim to encourage and invite any user or visitor toward and into the building.

To create a light and open aesthetic the roof structure was designed to conceal the structure behind the internal linings creating a sharp and clean surface, but creating intrigue and features through the exposure of simple stainless steel tie rods.

The library has been nominated for an LABC award.

We hope you like it.

The new building links to the existing Key Stage 1 Building with an outdoor swimming pool accessible from both buildings.  Key Stage Building 1 has been updated to house a new school kitchen, improved IT provision and further SENS rooms.

Anne Bull, Headmistress of the school said of the new facilities “The most recent Ofsted inspection report in 2010 referred to Weston All Saints Church of England Primary School as ‘outstanding’, now thanks to AWW Architects and Midas Construction we have outstanding facilities to match!  The collaborative approach of the design team ensured the delivery of the beautiful new facilities on a strict budget.  AWW has translated our initial design into a fully formed building providing us with solutions that are beautiful as well as flexible and functional”.

The new facilities were opened to students on 31st October 2011.

Charles Jordan, Project Architect said “AWW Architects is proud to have delivered the new facilities for this outstanding school which provides an important contribution to expressive art and special needs in primary school care.  We hope the new facilities we have provided will enhance the already wide and varied curriculum at Weston All Saints Church of England Primary School”

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

A PLYMOUTH firm of architects is working on a £7million plan to turn derelict land at Laira Bridge into a retail park with a hotel.

Details of the proposed scheme are being kept largely under wraps at present, but are being worked on for an un-named developer by Plymouth’s award-winning AWW.

The former Western National site has been vacant since 1999, with other schemes proposed but never getting off the ground.

Ian Sanders, director at AWW’s Plymouth office, said: “We won a competition to design a retail-based mixed-use scheme with a hotel on site.

“We are at the pre-planning stage at the moment. We have a lot of ambition for that.”

He described the design the firm is working on as “very exciting” which would have a “sweep and curved canopy”.

The project one of several in Plymouth the firm is involved with.

It has three designs ready for the 1,000sqm site, next to the Drake Circus mall, which is currently a small park.

This land was earmarked to be the home of a 25-storey skyscraper, but the scheme “stalled” when the recession hit in 2008, with The Herald reporting that no offers were on the table.

The patch of land was this year sold as part of a £240million deal that saw Kandahar Real Estate sell the mall to British Land.

However, Mr Sanders described it as “a live scheme” and said the commissioned work, which would suit a hotel, could still be used if another developer emerged.

He said: “We are trying to see if there is any interest in a hotel in Plymouth or not.

“This is work that has already been done. At the moment we have three viable schemes for that site. We tried to pitch it with a high-end concept scheme, a more practical scheme and a low value scheme, to give a range.”

AWW also designed the new Plympton library, replacing the building that burned down in 2008.

“We are on site now,” said Mr Sanders, adding that the firm was involved in re-planning the scheme when a proposed health centre was ditched.

And AWW has also designed the proposed King Point Marina at Millbay.

Details of the plan were revealed in The Herald recently and AWW has designed a two-storey building, surrounded by timber decked terraces with access to marina pontoons.

The first floor could accommodate a restaurant or marine related businesses, with terraces commanding views over Millbay and Plymouth Sound.

AWW started as a purely Bristol-based firm, but opened a London office in 2001 and followed with one in Plymouth – which this week celebrates its fifth birthday.

Mr Sanders, a Plymothian, was keen the firm should have a presence in his home city.

“It’s got anything anyone could need,” he said. “It’s the best of all worlds.”

The Plymouth base has four architects working from it and has been responsible for handling £35million of work.

And it has maintained the work levels despite the economic downturn, so when jobs declined in Plymouth others were picked up elsewhere in the South West.

Seven of AWW’s nine directors have responsibilities for sectors such as healthcare, education or leisure, and can be drawn on for support.

But Mr Sanders explained that having a Plymouth office is crucial to picking up work in the South West.

“There’s a perception that if you are coming from outside the region you will not be able to deliver,” he said. “We were not getting our share of the work.

“But we now have a place here to seek out new work. We pride ourselves on knowing what our clients want. We are building relationships all the time.”

Kathryn Chiswell Jones, AWW’s business development manager, said the firm was keen to contribute to the “development of the city”.

She said: “It’s a stunning city with lots of scope for regeneration. Ian and his team are starting to be a part of that.”

Mr Sanders said that means working to encourage investors to develop in Plymouth.

“We are seeking to get investor clients to develop in Plymouth – there are lots of opportunities here.

“I see our role as a facilitator. We are looking at how we can help developers by seeing what they want and putting opportunities their way.”

Mr Sanders said Plymouth will take longer to recover from the economic slump because it lacks “critical mass”.

But he insists “the best years are ahead” for the firm and Plymouth.

“We are at an interesting stage in this office’s life and how we develop is particularly crucial.”

The firm, which also designed Plymouth International Business Park, works on a wide scale, from master- planning to interior design, which means working on designs from a city level, to individual buildings, down to choosing the door handles.

It uses building information modelling (BIM) a three-dimensional, real-time, modelling software to increase productivity in building design and construction.

This year the firm won the AJ100 South West Practice of the Year Award, presented by the Architect’s Journal after an employee satisfaction survey.

AWW scored the highest among all practices shortlisted for regional awards.

Two of its projects were honoured at the RICS South West 2011 Awards.

AWW won the regeneration award for the restoration and redevelopment of Regency Manor Estate into The Cornwall, a 65-bed, four-star boutique hotel.

It also won the Best Overall and Best Commercial Pool at the national swimming pool industry’s SPATA Awards.

A development in Croydon was also shortlisted by the RICS Awards London in the Regeneration and Community Benefit categories.

AWW also designed the recently opened Amy Williams Sports Centre at Hayesfield Girls’ School in Bath, and the South Bristol Community Hospital, scheduled to open next year. Recent project wins include the Stratford Island University Centre, in London, the University of Bristol’s new build student residential accommodation, and a new hangar project at RAF Brize Norton.

Architects are building a name to be proud of.

One Bristol architecture practice has left its mark on the city. Business editor Michael Ribbeck reports on AWW.

THERE are not many firms involved in the building and construction sector who can claim that they are actually increasing their business. But for the second year running architecture practice AWW is looking at growth of more than 10 per cent and this year the firm is taking on two extra staff.

The company was set up in the early 1970s by Alan Atkins and has since grown into one of the biggest and most respected practices in Bristol.

The firm’s stamp can be found across the city in the shape of major landmark buildings such as the shiny new offices of solicitors firm Burges Salmon which greets people as they arrive in Bristol by train.

But one of the firm’s proudest achievements was to turn what could only be described as Bristol’s biggest eyesore into a modern statement right in the heart of the city.

The concrete monstrosity which was the Bristol and West building glowered over the City Centre, casting its imposing shadow over the whole area. AWW was given the task of changing the way the building looked and the resulting gleaming Radisson Blu hotel has been seen as a huge success.

It is not a bad calling card for the firm who was behind the design and look of the buildings and the surrounding area.

Director Philip Bevan said: “It is one of those buildings that you can see from pretty much any part of Bristol and we were well aware of that. “We had to start from the premise that demolishing the building was not an option. A lot of people have described the old Bristol and West as looking like a cigar box.

“We wanted to change the shape of the building and we did that by taking the top couple of floors off on one side and then splitting it down the middle. The glass on the exterior is also designed to change colour the higher it goes. “I think it is safe to say that the building has been a success. The brief was to regenerate the whole area and change the aspect, something that we have achieved.”

In the increasingly competitive world of construction and architecture reputation is everything and AWW has built up quite a name for itself over the last three decades.

The firm is one of the biggest in Bristol it has a turnover of around Pounds 4 million and a staff of 52 – most of them trained architects and designers.

There are nine directors and each has an equal say in the way the firm is run and the direction it takes, both in terms of business and work.

One of those directors, Richard Francis, said: “We have a rolling programme which means that we can ease directors in. We are unlike most other firms in that all the directors have a share in the firm.

“We ease people into the firm. The aim is to keep the continuity of the practice and to ensure that we keep hold of the talented individuals.”

Although the practice has been involved in some high profile works such as the new Imperial Tobacco headquarters in Southville and South Bristol’s community hospital, AWW insist they do not come into any single process with an agenda or design trademark.

Richard Francis said: “We do not have a style at AWW, the aim is always to give the clients what they want.

“We have to be rigorous and we have regular meetings where we get together as directors and assess projects and question what is being done. “But architecture should be about speaking to the client and then giving the client what they want not just in terms of design but also in terms of the building functions.”

The firm must be doing something right as it is a regular winner of industry prizes both within architecture and in related disciplines. As well as working on the Finzels Reach Development – the regeneration of the former Courage Brewery site – the company has recently won a series of big contracts.

There are also plans to branch out into London, although the market is dominated by some of the biggest firms in the world.

Richard said: “There is no doubt that the last three years have been incredibly tough. In 2008 all the work suddenly came to a halt and we stopped getting commissions overnight. It was a frightening time but we made some tough decisions and we had to lose some people.”

Philip added: “One of the strengths of AWW is that we have diversified into a number of areas including public sector, health and education.

“Rather than concentrate in just one area we have been strong across a number of disciplines.”

Richard added: “The recession has certainly changed things. The competition is that much harder on every job and the fees have fallen.

“Contractors have cut back their prices because they are desperate to get the work and that has a knock-on effect on the sort of fees we are able to charge. We charge a percentage and if the costs of a project are lower then we get paid less.”

But everything is not doom and gloom and it seems that there is light at the end of a very dark tunnel.

Philip said: “We are looking at continued growth, we will probably be back to where we were in about five years time. We have learnt some tough lessons and we took a close look at the way the business is run to rein in our costs.

“But having said that we grew the business more than 10 per cent last year and we are looking at the same this year.”

He added: “The market is London is busy at the moment and there is plenty going on. What happens in London tends to ripple out to regions and the signs are that things are finally starting to improve.”

Lee Peart, Reporter Sunday, October 2, 2011

6.30 AM

A new designer has been brought in to take forward plans for a £33 million university building in Stratford.

AWW was nominated to take over the project from MAKE architects by contractor VolkerFitzpatrick after it won the bid for the joint University of East London and Birkbeck scheme in University Square on Stratford Island.

Work is expected to begin on the project in the autumn and be completed by spring 2013.

The centre, which is possibly the first time two higher education institutions have worked together to create a shared

building, will provide full- and part-time education facilities for 3,400 students.

It will house a number of specialist departments from each university, including a school of law and cutting edge

performing arts facilities, along with a range of general teaching and learning accommodation.

The scheme, which has received financial backing from the London Thames Gateway Development Corporation

(LTGDC), was launched by London Mayor Boris Johnson and Newham Mayor Sir Robin Wales in March this year.

The centre will house a number of specialist departments from each university including a School of Law and state of the art Performing Arts facilities, along with a wide range of general teaching and learning accommodation.

Work is anticipated to start on site in the autumn and complete in Spring 2013.

In May 2011, Highbury College topped the league tables for Further Education Colleges in England. Boasting a ‘success rate’ of 92.2 per cent – calculated from a combination of exam pass rates and drop-out numbers – it has beaten 233 FE colleges to claim first place.

When Highbury College Principal & Chief Executive, Stella Mbubaegbu took up the position in 2001, the college was operating from obsolete buildings and suffering from poor inspection reports. The brand new Campus represents the culmination of a development programme which has been years in the making. The facilities incorporate the latest sustainable technology and improved accessibility, underpinning Highbury’s vision to be a world-class College for the 21st century.

When AWW architects were first appointed by Highbury College in 2005, the estate was in poor condition, carried a significant ongoing maintenance liability and did not provide an environment to support the delivery of top class education. Space was plentiful, but of very poor quality, with many buildings having reached the end of their useful life.

The landmark City of Portsmouth Centre opened in 2007, enabling the College to improve links with the City’s commercial sector and the adjacent University. Facilities include eight full scale commercial teaching kitchens and an 80 seat public restaurant.

When it opened Ms Mbubaegbu said: “In this building we have not just got bricks and mortar, we have got the feel of Highbury. We wanted a look and a feel about it that promoted the College’s values that stated this is student-led, staff-enabled and that demonstrates our links with Portsmouth. I have such a clear vision that Highbury is here to enable all students to succeed and it is their success that makes it so worthwhile.”

The £25M new Campus Headquarters opened in 2009, providing a wide range of teaching and learning facilities and ‘real life’ work place environments enabling the College to deliver top class education.

Working with the College and the wider Project Team to design and deliver a series of high quality educational environments, AWW are proud to have contributed to Highbury College’s table topping success.

Richard Francis, Practice Director said “Thanks need to go to all our staff and collaborators for the collective efforts that secured AWW this prestigious award. We all feel proud that our hard work and creative enterprise is recognised by the expert judges from the AJ against stiff competition from the many excellent practices in the South West. It follows very close on the heels of the two RICS regeneration awards we have received for The Cornwall Hotel and Broad Quay, Bristol, and it’s great to have positive feedback that we are doing a great deal right”.

AWW is a professional consultancy providing Architecture, Masterplanning, Interior Design and Space Planning across the UK. With offices in Bristol, London and Plymouth, AWW has contributed significantly to the regeneration of the South West in both Public and Private Sector Projects. The Amy Williams Sports Centre at Hayesfield Girl’s School, designed by AWW Bristol, opened to much fanfare in Bath in May, and AWW is currently working hard on South Bristol Community Hospital. Scheduled to open in 2012, it will use 30% less energy than the NHS best practice benchmark and represents a genuinely sustainable development for the community of South Bristol. These projects follow recent environmental and community awards for colleges at Ystrad Mynach Wales, Highbury College Portsmouth, Gloucester Colleges in Cheltenham and Gloucester and Western Institute of Sporting Excellence at Filton.

In the private sector, AWW has recently been appointed by Imperial Tobacco Group to design a new state-of-the-art global head office on Winterstoke Road, Bristol. The proposed four storey 100,000 sq ft building will be one of the most energy efficient and environmentally friendly in the South West and comes on top of important headquarters projects for Computershare in South Bristol and New Look in Weymouth. And at Finzel’s Reach, site works are well advanced on a mixed use development of apartments, offices, shops, restaurants and cafes designed by AWW and located on the historic Courage Brewery site fronting the Floating Harbour, a new landmark centre for residents and visitors alike when it opens in 2012.

AWW’s Plymouth office has been responsible for the design of high-profile residential developments in Newquay, buildings for the MoD and a new mixed-use development on the site of former Plympton Library, which was destroyed after a devastating fire. The new building will provide a replacement library, a General Practitioner’s Surgery, an NHS Clinic/Health centre and pharmacy.

AWW seamlessly blended sensitive restoration with contemporary design ensuring The Cornwall retains its unique character. Conservation was a key element of the brief with the estate’s historic setting and natural beauty a great asset. It was the inspiration for AWW to integrate elements of nature and the external parkland surroundings in both the architectural and interior design. The development respects and sensitively complements the outstanding flora, fauna and setting of the estate and the integrity of its buildings.

AWW also received a Highly Commended award for the regeneration of Broad Quay in Bristol. The former Bristol and West Tower is now the Radisson Blu Hotel. The development also comprises residential apartments and retail and restaurant units. The Bristol & West 18-storey office tower opened in the Centre to much acclaim in July 1968 and was one of the city’s first office block skyscrapers. When it was constructed, the design was considered so avant-garde that architecture students were bussed in from across the UK to see ‘the future of Bristol’. However before being regenerated, this landmark site was considered one of Bristol’s ugliest buildings. AWW kept the iconic tower, transforming it from a concrete eyesore, using different shades of blue glass getting lighter in colour and more reflective as the tower rises to create an effect of the building merging with the sky.

Known as the region’s property ‘Oscars’, the RICS awards celebrate the region’s most inspirational initiatives in the property sector.

May 6th heralded the opening of the much anticipated new sports, creative and performing arts facility at Hayesfield Girls’ School in Bath. AWW architects won an architectural competition to design the new school facilities in June 2008. A number of challenges existed before the facility could be made a reality including the steeply sloping site of the existing 1930’s school, the need for the school to remain open during construction as well as many complex planning issues.

AWW’s design has cleverly taken advantage of the existing topography by partially burying the larger elements in the side of the hill. Hayesfield Girls’ School rests on a high profile site visible from The Royal Crescent, part of the planning concern was that it was not visible from the crescent so getting the design right was of prime importance. AWW architects sensitive but contemporary design sits excellently with the Classical Architecture that has given Bath its reputation as one of the most beautiful cities in Europe.

Charles Jordan, Project Architect at AWW said “Our project team worked closely with the senior management of the school and the contractor ISG Pearce to analyse the school’s requirements, not only for the extension as originally envisaged but also for the future development of the school in the context of an overall masterplan. The cooperative approach of both the school management and the contractor ensured the project ran smoothly. We are delighted with the end result”.

ISG Pearce Senior Project Manager, Tony Milkins, commented “ISG Pearce Ltd have been proud to construct this landmark scheme in Bath and would like to thank our client, Hayesfield Girls’ School, for having the confidence to award us the contract and also to congratulate AWW Architects on their design vision which has culminated in a stunning looking facility that I am sure will be of great benefit to both the school and local community for many years to come”.

The new facilities include a large Sports Hall, classrooms, dining facilities, and Performance Hall. The Performing Arts department comprises 4 individual Practice Suites, dedicated ensemble Practice Rooms and Media Technology and a Recording Classroom. The 350 seat auditorium is specifically focused around musical performance with a dedicated Sound and Light Control Room. The new facility has been named the Amy Williams Sports Centre after former student and Olympic gold medalist Amy Williams.

The SPATA Awards are the only awards that take place for the national swimming Pool industry and receiving this award is a high honour. The Cornwall Hotel was also entered into ‘Overall Pool of The Year’ and won the Gold award, thus picking up the highest accolade of the evening.

The pool is situated in The Clearing Spa, located in the old stable yard which dates from the 1870s, comprising a walled yard, carriage house and stables which form the arrival area to the Spa facilities. Existing openings in the Victorian walled garden were replicated, creating disabled pedestrian access into the swimming building. On fine days, the stunning infinity-edge swimming pool is opened up onto the walled garden, with landscape design focused on scented planting.

Richard Francis, Director at AWW responsible for the overall design of the pool commented: “AWW is delighted to hear that the pool we designed for The Cornwall has received The SPATA Award. Our aim was to regenerate a beautiful old building and add sympathetic aspects to create a delightful spa and pool. The SPATA Award celebrates this achievement.”

The centre provides four new ‘home-from-home’ birthing rooms equipped to support natural labour, equipped with birthing pools, slings and specialist couches with individual midwifery care and an aromatherapy and massage service on hand. The midwifery led unit has been designed with a separate identity from the maternity ward but is in close proximity to the specialist and emergency delivery facilities consultant-led obstetric unit if a woman needs medical care or pain relief. The Unit also has a family room with kitchen and dining room facilities, a quiet room and a post-natal recovery area.

“…AWW has always demonstrated an excellent understanding of the Trust’s requirements and successfully translated those into workable solutions. All proposals & documentation has been prepared & issued in a professional & timely manner. The contract administration has run smoothly. AWW has consistently met and often exceeded our expectations…”

Rupert Turk, Estates Project Manager - Great Western Hospitals NHS FT

The proposed four storey 100,000 sq ft building will be one of the most energy efficient and environmentally friendly in the South West.

We have been advising on all aspects from environmental design to interior fit-out and work space standards.

Both Eagle Land and Burston Cook have been advising Imperial Tobacco on the development proposals.

The Building for Life standard is awarded to housebuilders and housing associations who demonstrate a commitment to high design standards, good place making and sustainable development.

The Skills Academy is an important part of the Hengrove Park regeneration project, where AWW are also on site working on the South Bristol Community Hospital.

The BREEAM awards, which were presented by Jane Davidson A.M. at the Greener Homes and Buildings Show on the 4th June 2010, recognise and reward those involved in the design and construction of the highest scoring buildings certified under BREEAM over the previous year.

A BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating is a pre-qualification, so the winning buildings truly represent the leading examples of sustainable design.

June 2010

June 2010

June 2010

May 2010

May 2010

May 2010

May 2010

May 2010

May 2010

This follows on from the successful integration of approximately 300 staff from EDS operations (in Bristol) into their flagship building in Filton, which was designed by AWW 15 years ago.

April 2010

April 2010

AWW was appointed on the £225m development which is the largest scheme of this type in the South West. It will provide space for 3, 000 office workers and homes for 1,000 people. The scheme has started on site with completion due in 2012.

March 2010

The luxurious 65 bed boutique hotel with 60 woodland lodges plus spa and health club is the conversion and extension of a listed Regency Manor Estate.

Bar, restaurant, swimming pool, spa and sports facilities are provided within a converted stable block and new buildings in the large Victorian walled kitchen garden.

The scheduled woodland has clusters of lodges arranged in clearings, which capitalise on the central hotel facilities and benefit from the mature Victorian specimen tree planting.

In addition to providing Masterplanning and Architectural Design, AWW’s Interior Design team co-ordinated the interiors for the hotel, giving each of the 65 bedrooms a supremely comfortable epitome of modern luxury living: 56 of the rooms enjoy their own private balcony.

The development respects and sensitively complements the outstanding flora, fauna and setting of the estate and the integrity of its buildings. Conservation was a high priority in the designs with the estate’s historic setting and natural beauty a great asset. It was the inspiration for the architecture and interiors – “bringing the outside in”.

“It is, without doubt, the most impressive new hotel I have had the privilege to be involved in. The design, both of architecture and interior, I feel, is outstanding and is a huge compliment to the applications and detail that has been applied by all concerned. AWW have designed, both externally and internally, an outstanding hotel driven by the professional and consistent direction from CMR Leisure.”

Haydn Fentum, CEO Bespoke

March 2010

February 2010

No one employee has their own desk, and workstations are set up to cater for specific activities; for example the Al Fresco room allows large informal meetings to take place whilst the library creates a more intimate and quiet space for private working. Wireless networking throughout allows employees and Clients to sit anywhere they feel comfortable and work.

January 2010

December 2009

December 2009

November 2009

November 2009

October 2009

David Perkin, Director of AWW, said “The new campus represents the culmination of 5 years of working hard with the Highbury College team to deliver FE facilities of the highest quality for the City of Portsmouth. Together, we have transformed the College Estate to provide a contemporary and truly inspirational learning environment”

The college has made excellent use of sustainable technology with the installation of one of Europe’s largest deep bore, closed loop ground source heat pumps providing both heating and cooling to the new building. Other features, such as the prominently displayed photovoltaic array, testify to the Project Team’s commitment to deliver a sustainable design solution on a very challenging site.

October 2009

Natural stone wall and slate frontages and zinc cladding will reflect the type of architecture in the surrounding buildings.

August 2009

James Wainwright of AWW showed the judging panel around the 54 unit affordable housing scheme last month and received encouraging comments on the quality of the restoration. The judges were particularly impressed with the transformation of the derelict 19th century grade 2 listed facades and in particular how the blank bricked up elevations have been refurbished to reveal the existing large 2 storey arched openings.

The winner will be announced at the ceremony held at Future Inns, Cabot Circus on September 30th.

August 2009

The newly completed buildings are the final and largest phase of the estates rationalisation process and comprise over 12,000sqm of new build, and the renovation of the existing 10 storey tower block. The new facilities will accommodate state of the art teaching and learning space for a wide verity of curriculum areas including Motor Vehicle Maintenance, Hair and Beauty, Technology, Floristry, Science, Art and Design, Animal Care and Sports. The building also house a specialist designed Studio Theatre and TV and music recording Facilities.

The heart of the new building centres on the large atrium and double height glazed street along the south elevation providing shop front views to many of the curriculum areas and an inviting multipurpose interaction space.

The college buildings benefits from one of the largest deep bore/closed loop ground source heating and cooling system constructed in Europe as well as a prominent Photo Voltaic array, all of which make this one of the most sustainable FE college completed by the AWW.

August 2009

The big challenge is to deliver back a refurbished school that is as if it were new now with all the latest education facilities for current and future requirements. We will be resolving some big accommodation shortfalls and environmental issues whilst at the same retaining all the good features that the school has come to love and is proud of.

The Head Teacher Linda Austin and her team are actively involved in the briefing process and are making themselves availabler though the summer holidays for key meetings. Because of this AWW are able to develop an ‘In Principle Scheme’ for sign off in mid August.

Nick Mulholland’s team in our London office is being supported by Stewart McDowall with his substantial education experience.

July 2009

July 2009

July 2009

July 2009

June 2009

June 2009

This exciting project will provide new Physiotherapy facilities and also house the Trust’s management suite, in a very low-energy building designed with future flexibility in mind.

Design work began at Christmas 2008, and the building will open in October 2010.

May 2009

March 2009

AWW – design and build effective learning environments

Come and visit us and take the opportunity to talk to us about our recent education projects. We have recently completed several Further Education Colleges and Secondary Schools and have a number of other schemes on site or in design so we can tell you all about our expertise in delivering an effective learning environment through design. Also we can reveal the lessons we learnt along the way. So, please drop in at Stand 500 for a friendly informal conversation.

Dec 2008

Dec 2008

AWW saw off Stride Treglown for the title of Architects Practice of the Year.

15th Oct 2008

Sept 2008

With 3 campuses up for grabs AWW have secured the largest development for the college. The site is situated on the former Bowyers pork pie factory, an important gateway site adjacent to the train station. The scheme is central to both the college and the Trowbridge masterplan and presents a startling opportunity to show off the practice’s skills in all three of our core business areas.

July 2008

Nick also has a great skill and enthusiasm for interior design and detailing which will help the practice grow its interiors work load in the London region.

June 2008

If you want to experience the building come along to the BCO technical tour on June 12th at 5pm. See the BCO website http://www.bco.org.uk/events/ to book your tour.

April 2008

April 2008

20th Feb 2008

15th Feb 2008

28th January 2008

Occupation of the HCoPC will enable the demolition of one of the existing buildings at the main site in Cosham, clearing the site for the New Campus development.  The building will accommodate the catering courses as well as general teaching, learning and recreation facilities. The Campus project includes a theatre for performing arts, motor vehicle workshops, science labs, media suite and a stand alone sports hall. The building will be occupied in September 2009.

The form of the building wraps around the approach to the main entrance, embracing the user and providing an opportunity to clearly ‘signpost’ the location of the main entrance by modelling the height of the building and through considered landscape design. The high point of the new building is adjacent to the main entrance, set within the site away from the plot boundaries and adjoining owners. The central wing steps up from west to east to reinforce this hierarchy and, although close to the northern boundary, is effectively screened from view from the north by the existing line of mature evergreen trees. The west wing steps up in scale to provide a ‘stop end’ to the building while the east wing steps down from the north in response to the proposed four storey residential block in the south west corner. The lecture theatre has been expressed as a sculptural element to terminate this wing and provide an identity and point of interest adjacent to the new public highway.

4th Oct 2007

23rd Aug 2007

15th July 2007

12th June 2007