BBLB News Issue 8

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myplace Walsall back on track

Eldon Respite Centre

‘Ecofurbishment’

Reforms under Localism agenda

new sixth form BuiLDing for etone CoLLege

The Old Library, Hagley RoadStourbridge, West Midlands, DY8 1QHTelephone: +44 (0)1384 880 550

[email protected]

Welcome to the Summer Issue of BBLB News, we hope that you will enjoy reading this issue. In addition to pieces about BBLB and our projects we have also included articles about topical subjects which we hope will be of interest to you. If anyone else in your organisation would like to receive a copy please let us know.

If there is anything you would like more details on, or you are interested to find out more about how BBLB could assist you with current or upcoming projects, please call Debbie Ward on telephone: 01384 880550.

BBLBnews

Decentralisation and the Localism BillAccording to Government’s “A plain English

guide to the Localism Bill”, the main measures of the Localism Bill sit under four headings:

New freedoms and flexibilities for local �governmentNew rights and powers for communities �and individualsReform to make the planning system more �democratic and more effectiveReform to ensure that decisions about �housing are taken locally

With the Localism Bill designed to devolve powers to Councils and Neighbourhoods, one of it’s key aims is to give local communities more control over housing and planning decisions.

Two aspects of the Localism Bill which are core messages and will be vital to its success are Effective Public Engagement and the Delivery of Sustainable Developments.

The Bill, which abolishes Regional Spatial Strategies, aims to establish Neighbourhood Plans and Development Orders by which it is intended that communities will be able to influence council policies and development in their neighbourhoods.

For this process to be successful Neighbourhood Forums will need to work

altruistically for the good of the community and this will be a big challenge. The threshold required for the formation of the Neighbourhood Forum is under review as the bill progresses through Parliament with issues of democratic accountability needing to be resolved. It will be interesting to monitor progress in this area as we move towards the Bill becoming an Act at the end of the year.

The Government intends to introduce a presumption in favour of Sustainable Development and for it to be covered in the National Planning Policy Framework.

Important areas which will need to be addressed include fairness in influencing neighbourhood development, monitoring the cumulative impacts of locally determined planning decisions and the application of sustainability and climate change to neighbourhood planning.

With the presumption in favour of sustainable development the Localism Bill must provide a statutory duty to apply the principles of sustainability in the planning system with a commitment to define ‘sustainable development’ in the Planning Context. How it will be framed is key. The five shared principles for sustainable development are:

LiVing within enVironmentaL LimitsRespecting the limits of the planet’s environment, resources and biodiversity – to improve our environment and ensure that the natural resources needed for life are unimpaired and remain so for future generations.

ensuring a strong, heaLthy anD Just soCietyMeeting the diverse needs of all people in existing and future communities, promoting personal wellbeing, social cohesion and inclusion, and creating equal opportunity for all.

aChieVing a sustainaBLe eConomyBuilding a strong, stable and sustainable economy which provides prosperity and opportunities for all, and in which environmental and social costs fall on those who impose them (polluter pays), and efficient resource use is incentivised.

using sounD sCienCe responsiBLyEnsuring policy is developed and implemented on the basis of strong scientific evidence, whilst taking into account scientific uncertainty (through the precautionary principle) as well as public attitudes and values.

promoting gooD goVernanCeActively promoting effective, participative systems of governance in all levels of society – engaging people’s creativity, energy and diversity.

The Localism Bill will be judged in the future by its effectiveness in assisting with the delivery of these shared principles.

worcester, Bosch new receptionThe key objective of the main entry and

reception area redevelopment was to create a clearer, more welcoming and impressive entrance that would be better suited to the Company profile than the previous arrangements.

Due to the central location within the building and the variety of different visitors, the area accommodates many different uses

such as showcasing the history of Worcester, Bosch and the provision of a Customer Focus Room displaying working products, as well as general and discrete waiting areas and the reception & welcome desk. The recent re-design now enables Worcester, Bosch to organise and define a variety of uses more efficiently and effectively in a contemporary and flexible space.

COMMERCIAL & INDuSTRIAL

2 BBLB news

THE GOvERNMENT INTENDS TO INTRODuCE A PRESuMPTION IN FAvOuR OF SuSTAINABLE DEvELOPMENT AND FOR IT TO BE COvERED IN THE NATIONAL PLANNING POLICY FRAMEWORk.

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TWO ASPECTS OF THE LOCALISM BILL WHICH ARE CORE MESSAGES AND WILL BE vITAL TO ITS SuCCESS ARE EFFECTIvE PuBLIC ENGAGEMENT AND THE DELIvERY OF SuSTAINABLE DEvELOPMENTS.

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A new Post 16 Centre at Etone College has recently been completed in Nuneaton, Warwickshire ready to accept students from September 2011.

The £6.1m three storey development has been designed to high sustainable environmental standards to achieve BREEAM very Good and has the capacity to accommodate 250 students with the possibility of future expansion.

The school’s brief included wanting “a brand new, state of the art facility, which will respond to the educational, social and economic challenges of the 21st Century”. The centre embraces new technology, is flexible in its capacity and has been built to reflect the strong family and community ethos of the college.

Colin Turner, Headteacher at Etone College comments “the external design is stunning with crisp lines and the contrasts in colour and range of materials all create a dramatic impact on the eye. This is matched by the interior design that cleverly utilises the spaces to give a

light and airy feel. The learning spaces around the building vary enormously from the smallest technology room to the largest Art room and all manage to use the light and space to the maximum to generate a feeling of openness and freshness.”

The exemplar facilities include Technology studios, Performance Arts suite, cutting edge Business Training facilities and ICT suites with Media Production capabilities.

The scheme has been built on the college grounds where the topography provided the basis of the ‘L’ shape footprint design which is built into the slope to provide a semi basement Lower Ground Floor with direct access to the main school. This level contains Technology and Science Classrooms.

The upper Ground Floor contains the main entrance located at the road junction providing a central focal point for the building with the eye being led along the length of the building by the grey ‘spine wall’ which runs parallel to Trent Road splitting the blocks in two. Inside the entrance a double height social and study area with feature glazing and balcony creates a vibrant space linking the two study wings and providing the ‘beating heart’ of the building. An external terrace at upper Ground Floor level overlooks the all weather pitch and provides an additional break out and activity space. This level contains several General Seminar Rooms, Music and Recording facilities, Drama Studio and kitchenette facilities together with a flexible assembly space used as the Sixth Form Social area.

The First Floor contains the Quiet Study area in the central core, the Business Studies suite with sliding partition to offer greater flexibility, the IT Suite, and Art and Technology.

The building was constructed by Thomas vale Construction with BBLB appointed as Project Architect.

etone College, Nuneaton

EDuCATION

BBLB news 3

THE ETONE COLLEGE SIxTH FORM BuILDING IS AN ARCHITECTuRAL TRIuMPH. THE DREAM OF HAvING A SIxTH FORM HAS BEEN SuRPASSED BY THE STATEMENT THE NEW BuILDING MAkES. IT IS AN INSPIRING vENuE FOR LEARNING AND TEACHING, STANDING IN STARk CONTRAST TO IT’S SuRROuNDINGS. MY THANkS TO RICHARD BAILEY AND HIS TEAM FOR DOING SuCH A GREAT jOB FOR THE STAFF AND STuDENTS OF ETONE COLLEGE; IT WILL BE A BEACON OF EDuCATIONAL QuALITY FOR YEARS TO COME.

CoLin turnerheaDteaCher, etone CoLLege

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ecofurbishmentThe next few years will see continued reduction in Government funding that will mean delays and cancellations to planned new build schemes within the education sector. with pressures on funding increasing, alternative methods of creating new, useable spaces must be found, most notably by the refurbishment and extension of existing buildings.

SuSTAINABILITY

Refurbishment of existing space and disused space has a number of significant economic and sustainability benefits that will result in Ecofurbishment becoming a preferred choice for project managers in the near future, according to john Caine, Director of Curtins London. “Now is the time for us to look at old buildings with a new perspective, enhance their space and realise their full potential,” he said.

It is often said that it is more economical to demolish rather than re-use and remodel an existing building. This viewpoint stems from existing or perceived structural problems within a building, including low floor to ceiling heights, the wrong structural grid or poor energy performance. Although many see these points as viable reasons to write a building off, many of these problems can be overcome with the right design approach and flexible client briefs for refurbishment.

Following client demand, Curtins has developed the Ecofurbishment concept as a result of 50 years’ remodelling experience. “From the iconic Grade I listed Albert Dock in Liverpool to numerous remodelling projects at Imperial College, London, our experience of large and small, straightforward and

complex projects has enabled us to develop our Ecofurbishment approach to give the best value to the client,” said Caine.

He added: “We define ecofurbishment as being ‘the economical remodelling of existing buildings, using intelligent structural engineering techniques’. We work with property owners, architects and developers to adapt buildings for a different purpose or enhance space for continued use.”

The Ecofurbishment concept can also help to extend and expand both vertically and horizontally, adding new capacity and new facilities to existing buildings at a fraction of the cost of new build projects. Ecofurbishment can also extend the life of tired structures and in a busy occupied building use structural solutions that minimize disruption such as noise, dust and vibration and also develop solutions that are simple and safe to construct.

“To achieve successful refurbishment projects construction needs to be viewed in a different way, with innovative solutions,” said Caine. “With any refurbishment project it is critical to gain a clear understanding and knowledge of the existing structure and, most importantly, to have experience of the key construction methods to allow the building frame to be used and possibly modified to suit the new scheme. The structural analysis involves understanding the existing structure and gaining confidence that it is robust to meet further usage requirements; and adapting the existing structure to meet the proposal scheme/architectural requirements.”

As part of the design team, Curtins is able to find answers, from adapting existing facades to create a fresh look and increased energy efficiency, to radical remodelling such as taking out floors, filling in light wells and removing columns and walls to maximise and improve the available space creating, flexible and intelligent spaces that combine expertise and imagination.

An example of this is the remodelling of The Sherfield Building (a 1960s building that forms part of Imperial College, London). Curtins used the Ecofurbishment concept to infill two large light wells to provide an additional 1600m2 of flexible teaching space to house various different departments. By using kevlar fabric to strengthen columns on the floor, Curtins was able to provide the university with a radically cheaper solution than a new build structure.

The article above has been kindly provided by Curtins. For more information visit www.curtins.com or call 0151 726 2000.

Sherfield Building

On Friday 20 May, more than 30 residents and guests joined together to celebrate the completion of The Orchard in Erdington - a multi-million pound redevelopment for vulnerable young people.

The Orchard was developed as a partnership between Mercian Housing Association, Birmingham City Council, Birmingham YMCA and the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), and designed by BBLB architects.

The ceremony was officially opened by local MP and Shadow Communities & Local Government Minister, jack Dromey. Following his speech Mr Dromey planted an apple and plum tree (as pictured) together with Laurice Ponting, managing director for Mercian

Housing Association, and Alan Fraser, YMCA chief executive. During the event guests were invited to have a look around The Orchard’s communal areas and to hear from residents about the difference the scheme has made to their lives.

jack Dromey MP said: “The Orchard is a remarkable initiative, the best in Britain, that will offer hope to the young and homeless of Birmingham. Mercian and the YMCA are to be congratulated for their vision and determination to rebuild the sometimes shattered lives of those without a home.”

Building will continue for at least another 18 months on Phase 2 comprising training facilities, nursery, youth & community, sports hall and community café.

RESIDENTIAL Birmingham ymCa, Erdington

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“REFuRBISHMENT OF ExISTING SPACE AND DISuSED SPACE HAS A NuMBER OF SIGNIFICANT ECONOMIC AND SuSTAINABILITY BENEFITS...”“

eldon respite Centre, WalsallThe proposed facility is to provide a new

home designed to welcome young children with learning and/or physical disabilities between 5 and 18 years old.

The project is part of Walsall plans for meeting the needs of disabled children, young people and their families. This new provision is part of Walsall ‘vision for inclusion’ strategy, giving priority to identifying and removing the barriers for particular groups of children and young people so they can be included, valued, self-confident and achieving learners within and beyond their local community.

Our client, Walsall Council, key aspirations for the provision of a new facility for short breaks and support for disabled children include:

Improving the quality and range of �residential Short Term Breaks locally through the development of a new build programme, replacing the existing residential unit to respond better to the diverse range of individual and group needs of children.Exploring how partnership and service �links with leisure and education can be integrated into new service design to the

benefit of children and their families.Responding to the changing needs of �Walsall’s Disabled children and the respite requirements of their families by working closely with partner agencies.Delivering the requirements of Aiming �High for Disabled Children to improve Walsall’s capacity and quality to deliver responsive services in a timely way

HEALTHCARE

With the media seeming always to be full of doom and gloom it is refreshing to hear that one of the residential projects BBLB designed and delivered is bucking the trend and selling successfully with with only four plots left to sell and construction commencing on the remainder of the scheme.

Regal Gardens, Worcester Road is a knarsboro Homes development of twenty three 3 and 4 bedroom homes located close to Bromsgrove town centre. The development offers a diverse range of house-types including 3 bedroom detached and 3 and 4 bedroom townhouses with associated garaging.

The site has proved extremely popular to a full spectrum of buyers - young couples, professionals and young families, with the 3 storey Spadesbourne (see image) design being particularily popular due to the large amount of internal accommodation. The scheme was designed to maximize the opportunities afforded by the site, which was quite a challenge being a former garage and car sales site with ground remediation issues to overcome.

The material palette for the homes include brick facades with stone work detailing and banding. This scheme was one of the last to receive planning permission before the residential new build moratorium came into place.

regal gardens, Bromsgrove

RESIDENTIAL

BBLB news 5

myplace, Walsall

Professionals from the built environment welcomed Wolverhampton City Council’s plans to engage with the private sector and had the opportunity to discuss how regeneration projects in the city were being taken forward, at a recent breakfast meeting.

Charles Green, the interim strategic director of Education & Enterprise at Wolverhampton City Council was lead speaker at the Black Country and Telford branch of the Forum for the Built Environment (fbe) networking breakfast.

The meeting followed the theme of other fbe events focusing on regeneration projects and opportunities across the Black Country.

The meeting provided a great opportunity for delegates to hear first hand how the council is proposing to engage with the private sector and progress regeneration schemes following the demise of the ‘Summer Row’ development. Significant projects underway, include the £45 million redevelopment of the Molineux.

Mr Green outlined the council’s strategy to encourage enterprise and business, empower people and communities and re-invigorate the city, including a commitment from the council to move forward the more challenging schemes.

He said “We want to encourage dialogue with the private sector and identify what is achievable.” Schools and housing were also highlighted by Mr Green as sectors that were benefiting from investment.

“We have more than 1,000 homes in the pipeline with five projects already on site. The council has taken a flexible attitude to the agreement of Section 106 agreements, which removes what can be a barrier to getting residential schemes started, enabling more schemes to move forward.

Colin Orr, a senior lecturer in architecture at the university’s School of Technology within the Architectural and Design department and President elect of the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists (CIAT) also spoke about the importance of education engaging with the private sector.

(Debbie Ward and john Bradshaw of BBLB both sit on the Black Country & Telford fbe committee.)

fbe welcomes public sector engagement at wolverhampton

Community

Martin Huggins, Wolverhampton university; jonathan Astley, fbe; Charles Green, Wolverhampton university and Phil Beale, fbe.

The £1.3m myplace youth facility in Walsall has been given the go-ahead after initial plans for a centre in the area were scrapped following a review of projects by the Department for Education. However the council managed to overturn the decision after appealing directly to children’s minister Tim Loughton.

Council leader Mike Bird said: “I am absolutely thrilled that we have succeeded in bringing about this change of heart so we can deliver this much-needed centre of excellence for young people in Walsall.”

The facility will be based at joseph Leckie Community Technology College and will provide a range of activities for young people as well as access to support services.

The new building, designed by BBLB architects for our Client, Walsall Council, is a two-storey stand alone building located immediately adjacent to the joseph Leckie

College. It will provide flexible spaces for training and a variety of activities as well as a health clinic.

Local young people were consulted on the scheme, indeed many of the facilities have been proposed by them.

The creative and flexible design aims to inspire young people to get involved with the centre, and be an integral part of the activities and create its own unique community identity.

The new scheme will deliver an attractive and safe place for young people to go in their leisure time where they can get involved in a wide range of exciting activities and enable more young people, particularly those from the most disadvantaged backgrounds, to participate in positive activities that support their personal and social development.

The centre will eventually become the flagship of the borough’s new Integrated Young People’s Support Services.

hub launches proposed allowable solutions framework

The Zero Carbon Hub has launched proposals for a delivery framework for Allowable Solutions, the third stage of the road to zero carbon which delivers the carbon savings not expected to be achieved on site. The Hub has previously produced reports on the first two methods of reaching the zero carbon standard set for 2016 - fabric efficiency (the structure of the house) and carbon compliance (the use of photovoltaics, renewables etc).

At present the Government has yet to define what will constitute an Allowable Solution, however on-site, near-site and off-site carbon-saving projects are expected to be available, with developers able to make a payment to an Allowable Solutions provider who will then deliver carbon saving projects to meet the required carbon emission reduction.

The framework sets out the mechanism by which affordable, verifiable carbon savings

projects might be funded and how they might be delivered in a way that encourages additional investment, limits the impact on those who are making Allowable Solutions payments, encourages innovation and fair competition, and gives the option for local choice in the projects that are funded.

This new proposed framework has been developed with stakeholders representing housebuilding, planning, financial and government interests, and is designed to be flexible, simple and transparent and help “facilitate not frustrate” housing supply.

The report has been published following a call by housing minister Grant Shapps for the industry to find a workable approach to Allowable Solutions. Comments are invited on the report which is available at

http://bit.ly/ijZ9Uf

RESIDENTIAL

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BBLB INHOuSE

Comic relief red nose Day 2011

staff Profiles

favourite piece of architectureThe Liver Building, which is an iconic piece of architecture dominating the waterfront at Liverpool. The building is of special interest as it is one of the first buildings in the world to be constructed using reinforced concrete and is now a Grade I listed building. Legend has it that if the two liver birds fly away the city would cease to exist.

why i joined the industryMy initial interest was in Art and as I came from a family with a technical background it seemed logical to go into Construction which combined both areas. However having obtained RIBA Part 1 it became apparent that my interests lay more in the technical side of architecture than the aesthetic.

favourite piece of architectureHard to say really, there are so many buildings that I like, hard to pick a favourite. I really like the sculptural properties and structural expression of Santiago Calatrava. The La Rioja vineyard building is a great example, a building with a unique identity and sense of presence which at the same time sits perfectly in the rugged landscape of it’s surroundings. The Milwaukee Art Museum is also worth a look. Alternatively any building with a bar/restaurant is also worth a look!

why i joined the industry A lot of my family were involved the construction industry, generally from an on site perspective. I was always interested in buildings and what went into their design and making them ‘stand up’ so architecture was a natural choice. The idea of being part of the design and construction of something ‘permanent’ that will be around for years to come (hopefully) really appealed.

steVe DaVies ASSOCIATE

miCk ChiCk DIRECTOR

We all got into the spirit of Red Nose Day with the majority of the team wearing something red or something funny, and those that didn’t were happy to contribute a little extra in forfeit. We started our fundraising efforts with the ‘Pick a Pose’ sweepstake kicking off earlier in the week.

On the day several people brought in cakes and janette did a mountain of her renowned marmalade sausages – sampling either of these required a donation being dropped into the Red Nose Day Box.

Throughout the day a few staff did their own mini fundraiser by sponsoring Lucy to do a ‘musical silence’ as she is known for humming and singing along to the radio. She only slipped up when a catchy Elton john song got

the better of her which meant she had to add in a bit more to the Fundraising Box.

At lunchtime we persuaded a few other local property & construction companies to join us in a Lunchtime Quiz. Teams from Mansell, Bennett Williams and Walton & Hipkiss battled it out during five rounds of questions. Not that it really mattered who won but rather embarrassingly our ‘home team’ won the quiz which meant the token prize was shared out between all the teams!

We were extremely pleased with the total raised - just over £350 with contributions from BBLB, Walton & Hipkiss, Mansell and Bennett Williams both as individuals and businesses.

A big THANk YOu to everyone for their generosity, fun spirit and time!

BBLB wholeheartedly believes that sustainability is not a design ‘bolt-on’ or an afterthought, but is inherent in our design approach, working with our clients from inception through to completion of a project. This enables us to unlock potential, giving added value through passive sustainable design, which we believe is integral to a scheme and often provides the greatest benefits and the lowest costs.

Getting key issues right such as building orientation, good daylight and natural ventilation, high insulation values and controlled air permeability also avoid having to employ additional, expensive technologies at a later date to overcome often avoidable problems, such as excessive solar gain or lack of natural light or ventilation.

With this in mind BBLB and colleagues from Cyril Orchard Group and Code Green hosted the second of our two Sustainability sessions for a local council on the 7th April. The format comprised one hour of case studies discussing passive design and also the most currently used technologies such as Air and Ground Source Heat Pumps, Photovoltaics, Solar Thermal Panels and Green Roofs.

The second hour debated whether being sustainable was more costly and what steps could be taken to reduce what are sometimes perceived as prohibitive costs. A particularly interesting discussion was whether there was still a place for BREEAM and Code for Sustainable Homes as they are today, and that there is perhaps now a requirement for a more flexible tool for measurement.

sustainability Seminar

BBLB news 7

In 2009, Heathcote School’s academic achievements were recognised and the LSC (now the YPLA) awarded them capital build money for a dedicated post-16 centre for up to 250 students. BBLB has worked closely with Heathcote and the YPLA (Young People’s Learning Agency), the Local Authority and other partners to design a new, contemporary facility.

Willmott Dixon began construction in late Summer of 2010 and the building will be completed in Autumn 2011. The centre, which

is situated in a corner of the existing secondary school grounds, will create a vibrant addition to the school and community. It will provide a modern and inspirational base for the delivery of a Post 16 curriculum for learners in the Chingford and surrounding area.

The development has the potential for future expansion into the school grounds. As well as general classroom provision the building will also provide, amongst others, Music Teaching and Recording facilities, dedicated

Science Room and a Hair and Beauty Suite. It is intended that the Post 16 Centre will offer both academic and vocational courses and will be accessible for the local community.

The client required a brand new state of the art facility which would respond to the educational, social and economic challenges of the future. The centre will incorporate new technology to provide flexibility within and be a landmark building of sustainable construction.

www.bblb-architects.co.uk BBLB architects llp

This first class modern facility for Walsall Council, currently under development, will be used primarily for 14-19 education but will also serve the needs of other learners including the primary sector, learners with disabilities and adult learners. It will also be resource for public, private and voluntary sector organisations for corporate use.

The flexible learning space can be used to create real life health and social care situations that cannot otherwise be simulated, with specially constructed sets designed to replicate everyday experiences.

Facilities will include general teaching spaces, science laboratory (including forensics), mock ‘accident and emergency’

area, an ambulance, sensory room, fitness laboratory, mock pharmacy, domiciliary care environment, learning centre for independent living and Healthy Eating kitchen.

The building has been designed to be BREEAM Excellent and targets a 40% carbon reduction and 20% renewable energy on site. The design proposes a natural vented solution using the thermal mass of the structure and is heated by Air Source Heat Pumps.

The scheme is due for occupation in Autumn 2011 ready for the new academic year and is being built by Willmott Dixon.

Learning 4 Life Centre, Walsall

heathcote school & science College, Chingford

EDuCATION

EDuCATION

rushey meaD, LeiCester BsfFirst phase which includes the sports block and Hub building started on site in mid April.

waitrose, priDe hiLLLittle Waitrose is now trading in Shrewsbury following refurbishment of the old Post Office building on Pride Hill. This is a new concept for the store which is expanding throughout the uk and is located in the ground and basement floor with a sales area of 4000 sq ft. Fitout of the offices on the upper floors is due to commence shortly.

Cemetery DeVeLopment, BurntwooDPlanning Consent granted by Lichfield DC for the new Cemetery development at Paviors Road.

maLinsLee surgery, teLforDDue to go in for planning before end july.

phase 2, Community faCiLities, Birmingham ymCaGoing out to tender mid july.

wimLanD farmA new private low energy dwelling located in West Sussex, constructed using SIP technology and will be the subject of a future case study for the manufacturers of the cladding system. The owners have now moved in and more details will follow in the next newsletter.

project updates

8 BBLB news