Due to its success and strong reputation, the Management School at the University of Liverpool is attracting increasing numbers of students and has increased its capacity to allow additional students to attend.

Austin-Smith:Lord developed a design to achieve this through reorganising and extending the existing facilities.

The new design aims to embrace modern methods of teaching in a state of the art facility that encourages collaborative and social learning. The accommodation also includes a case pit for debate and discussion and a trading floor.

Lead architect, Adam Sunderland of Austin-Smith:Lord commented: The University of Liverpool has a distinguished architectural history. The best buildings on the campus are confident expressions of their age. The pieces form a coherent whole by respecting the context. The vision for the new extension as the third component in the evolution of the Management School is to modernise, raise the profile and rebrand to meet market expectations.”

The new extension, which is a highly sustainable, BREEAM Very Good building, is set back from the street, behind a formal landscaped zone, consistent with the character of the campus. A green wall has been incorporated into the south west corner of the building at ground floor level to create a south facing courtyard.

The pavilion extension is linked by a double height glass box to the existing building. The scale and proportions of the cladding module pick up on the grain and verticality of the existing building. The cladding is subdivided vertically into floor zones and accommodation zones. Joints are staggered between the zones and windows are placed as required in the accommodation zone.

Larger volumes such as the atrium are expressed by spanning windows across two accommodation zones and the floor zone, which in these areas, is set back from the glazing.

This structured and flexible approach enables the fenestration pattern to be determined by the needs of the spaces animating the simple pavilion form.

In the 2017 Women in Architecture Survey, 60% of women said they did not believe the building industry has fully accepted their authority as architects and the same percentage said that having children had a detrimental effect on their career trajectory. If we turn our focus to young women, a recent study commissioned by Redrow revealed that just 16% of young women questioned said a career in construction was a possibility for them.

These are alarming statistics and as a practice we are committed to raising awareness of the wide ranging opportunities within the industry and to ensuring absolute equality of progression and reward. Women at Austin-Smith:Lord make up 37% of the workforce which is higher than the industry average reported in RIBA’s 2016 Benchmarking report and we are pleased to see this ratio increasing year on year.

Indeed, within the practice we are experiencing something of a natural equalisation in gender ratio through recruitment and progression based very simply upon talent and merit which, in isolation, is very encouraging. Only last night we attended an international awards evening for the construction industry but, whilst the achievements of the schemes on show were admirable, the under-representation of women was equally shocking and a stark reminder of how much is still to be done.

Today we celebrate diversity at our practice and are pleased to be contributing to Bouygues’s International Women’s Day Careers Fair for Girls in Pembrokeshire alongside Morganstone, Gleeds, WRW, Pembrokeshire County Council and Pembroke College.

The event, set up by Bouygues and in partnership with BITC Cymru, is being held throughout the day (8th March) at the Bridge innovation Centre in Pembrokeshire and is providing female students aged 14-19 with the opportunity to learn more about the different career options available to them in construction as well as to hear from different key note speakers across a programme of seminars throughout the day covering topics including gender equality and the pay gap.

Members of the Austin-Smith:Lord Cardiff team, Emily Harper Part II Architectural Assistant and Efa Lois Thomas Part I Architectural Assistant, are attending the day with an information stall to share knowledge with the students about the routes into architecture as a career.

Having reflected on how she might support young women to consider a career in architecture Efa Lois shares the story of how she found her way into architecture.

“I’m really excited to be attending Bouygues career fair as I am hopeful I can spread the word to young women about the fantastic benefits and rewards they can expect from working in the industry. When I was very young, I used to make my parents print off sheets upon sheets of fashion design templates, and I filled folders with my designs. I think the idea of applying design and aesthetics to clothing and accessories really appealed to me, even at an early age, but I was also fascinated by physics and the science of what surrounded me. When I discovered Architecture, I found that it included elements of all my interests, and more!”

Not long ago, Efa won the National Eisteddfod Architecture Scholarship 2016, the University of Liverpool John Ranking Sketch Scheme prize, presented a slot in the Royal Society of Architects in Wales’ Annual Conference 2016, and has recently submitted an article for Touchstone Architecture Magazine.

Emily shares how more about how she discovered her passion for Architecture. “I didn’t know what I wanted to do when I was at school, I just chose subjects I enjoyed which included Art, Maths and Psychology. It wasn’t until I had to make a decision about university courses that I realised I had inadvertently set myself up for Architecture. It was the only thing that made sense; it satiated both my creative and my practical side all at once. Nothing else would do and I enjoyed my degree exceptionally.

“Throughout my degree I grew more confident in my ideas, took more risks in my projects, read more, drew more, learnt new skills, found work experience, took interest in things I never thought were relevant and realised that Architecture covers everything, I could direct it anyway I wanted. It is an all-encompassing subject and design isn’t even half of it.”

To find out more about today’s career fair we spoke to Danielle Aberg, Community Engagement Officer from Bouygues; “We set up this event to expose, inspire and engage young women in the vast opportunities available to them in the STEM and construction sector. Currently women make up just 13% of the STEM industry and 0.2% of the trade industry which we’re working to support increases in.

Danielle continued; “We want to not only educate the students visiting today about their career options but also help them understand gender equality and the pay gap, engaging them in the politics and debate surrounding International Women’s Day. We’ve had fantastic feedback from teachers today already telling us that the students weren’t sure what to expect and whether it would be right for them but after just a few hours are now seeing how there are so many options within the sector that are exciting them for the future!”

We also caught up with Antonia John from Morganstone; “A recent CITB study reported that the Welsh construction sector is set to grow up to a third faster than the rest of the UK over the period between now and 2021 and there are targets in place to have women represented in the industry with a 1 in 4 ratio by that time. These are big goals and we are here to help young women see the opportunities available to them and inspire them to take action toward a rewarding career in construction in an environment where equal opportunities are prevalent. I think it’s been a fantastic day so far and we’re very pleased to be involved.”

Claire Grace from Gleeds told us; “We’re here to share the different routes available towards a career in construction as well as help the students understand more about the different stages of construction. So many young people typically perceive construction as design and trade only so it’s good to be here to expose other areas like pre-construction, on-site work and the endless jobs available in the sector.”

Claire continued; “Gender equality is important to us at Gleeds and we’re proud that Nicola Jones, one of our Project Managers, is Chair of the Women In Property South Wales branch helping to enhance the profile of women in construction and property in Wales.”

Lastly, Louise Button from Chwarae Teg said; “As an organisation we support women right across Wales to progress into leadership and management roles. Construction is still a heavily male dominated industry so we’re here today to not only support young women in learning more about the sector but also to encourage businesses to attract, retain and progress female talent in their businesses. We’ve had an excellent day with the girls sharing the women that inspire them the most, it’s been great to see so many of them mention their mum while others answered with celebrities and symbols of political movement like Emma Watson, Adele, Malalala, J.K Rowling and Rosa Parks.”

We’d love to hear what your business has been doing to support International Women’s Day. Please tweet us @AustinSmithLord including the hashtag #InternationalWomensDay to share your stories.

Planning permission has been granted for a landmark new Business School and Growth Hub building at the University of Gloucestershire’s Oxstalls campus.  Designed by Austin-Smith:Lord,  the building reflects the success of the existing Business School and the projected expansion of students enrolling in forthcoming years.

In addition to being the new home for the University’s Business School, which is currently located in Cheltenham, the flagship building will provide expanded space and facilities for the Growth Hub which is already based at Oxstalls.

Growth Hub is a partnership between the University of Gloucestershire and GFirst LEP to provide start-up businesses support and expertise to help businesses to grow. Since its opening in October 2014, the Growth Hub has welcomed 7,000 visitors, and is working with over 500 high growth/high value businesses.

The new 5500m2 building will incorporate a trading room (to simulate a trading floor); moot court; innovative collaborative lecture theatre and a social learning space.

Neil Farquhar of architects, Austin-Smith:Lord said: “As a flagship building for the University, the design of the exterior seeks to be bold and dynamic in appearance, with sharp, clean lines to give prominence and presence in a location that is relatively discreet.

“The internal design has been developed to maximise visual and spatial interconnectivity between spaces and from inside to outside, to align with the objectives of the University pedagogy.”

Externally, the building will feature metal cladding; insulated render; aluminium framed curtain walling and European oak timber cladding.

The key focal point of the scheme is a triple height atrium space, with generous rooflights and clerestorey lighting; distinctive curved balcony fronts; extensive glazed screens providing a high degree of transparency and interconnectivity and a feature stair wrapping between levels.

The design has been developed to achieve a BREEAM excellent rating.

Duncan White, Executive Director of Estates Strategy at the University of Gloucestershire commented: “Austin-Smith:Lord have worked well alongside a challenging client to deliver an outstanding design that we are all looking forward to acting as a new home for the Business School and Growth Hub and a catalyst for future planned investment at our Gloucester campus.”

The goal of the new building is to bring business education, applied research, economic development, and business support services all together under one roof, with benefits for students, businesses and the wider community in Gloucestershire and beyond.

The planning permission includes additional car parking, landscaping and a redesign of the Cheltenham Road/Oxstalls Lane junction.

The Business School and Growth Hub will be one of a series of developments taking place at the Oxstalls Campus, which include new student residences and a sports complex, all planned for completion during 2018.

A two year project to bring the handsome Grade II listed Lower Lodge Gatehouse, which was originally the main entrance to Bristol’s Ashton Court Estate, back to its former glory has completed.

The restoration of the Gothic revival Lower Lodge, which was formerly on Historic England’s ‘Heritage at Risk’ register, was led by Austin-Smith:Lord on behalf of client Bristol City Council.

Situated within the Bower Ashton Conservation Area and on one of Bristol’s busiest gateways, the A370, Lower Lodge has also been given a new lease of life as a community hub and heritage learning centre. The new centre will be managed by Ashton Park School.

Lower Lodge is the last of the five estate lodges to be restored by Bristol City Council through grants from the Heritage Lottery Fund and funds raised by Bristol Buildings Preservation Trust.

The gatehouse was conceived in 1805 by Sir John Hugh Smyth, one of Bristol’s largest and wealthiest landowners, as part of his ambitious plans to update Ashton Court Mansion as a Gothic showpiece.

Built by Henry Wood, the fanciful Gothic Lower Lodge, which originally opened onto a sweeping drive leading up to the Mansion, has a castellated bathstone exterior and heraldic entrance.

Original features include the wrought-iron gates and bell pull, which together evoke the period of carriages and servants at the time of construction.

Other original features retained and restored include the stone flagged floors and stairs, plastered vaulted ceiling and Gothic doors.

Martin Roe, Partner, Austin-Smith:Lord says:“As the main town gatehouse to the Ashton Court Mansion and Estate in the early nineteenth century, Lower Lodge has a fascinating story to tell. We are very proud to have been able to play a role in retaining the important historic character of Lower Lodge and ensuring that visitors can discover and immerse themselves in this story for many, many years to come.”

Stephen Ashman, Building Practice Team Manager and Project Executive, Bristol City Council, adds:

“Austin-Smith:Lord has done an amazing job, transforming a derelict building into a stunning, usable space that will give much delight to both the school and the community and secure its future for many years to come.”

Ashton Court Estate was home to the Smyth family for 500 years up until 1959, when it was purchased by Bristol City Council.

Two Austin-Smith:Lord projects have been shortlisted in the international BREEAM Awards which celebrate ground-breaking sustainable building design – South Lanarkshire College’s Low Carbon Teaching Building and Ysgol Ffwrnes Primary School.

Both projects have been short-listed in the Education & Health category of the BREEAM Awards which recognise the achievement of those involved in the specification, design, construction and management of the ‘best of the best’ BREEAM certified buildings.

The projects achieved two of the highest scores internationally in 2017.

Ysgol Ffwrnes Primary School in Llanelli, which was designed and built for Carmarthenshire County Council, was the first primary school in Wales to achieve a BREEAM Outstanding rating, at design stage.

Judges short-listed the project, which achieved a BREEAM score of 85.9%, for pushing beyond the BREEAM rating of Excellent required by the Welsh Government to become an exemplar for future school buildings.

South Lanarkshire College’s Low Carbon Teaching Building was the first project in the UK to achieve a BREEAM Outstanding rating for the design stage under the 2014 standards. The building achieved a score of 90.4% at both design and post-construction.

In addition to Solar PVs, an energy-efficient external envelope, and a ground source heat pump, innovative features include solar chimneys; recycled paper insulation; re-used cycle racks from the Commonwealth Games and an integrated bicycle repair station.

Austin-Smith:Lord Partner, Iain Wylie commented “We’re delighted to be short-listed for these two trailblazing projects. Both exemplify our passion for sustainability and expertise in applying exciting new technologies to relevant projects across the varied sectors we work within.”

The 2017 BREEAM Awards will be announced on 7^th March.

We are delighted to be working with Bell Building Projects Ltd on a new contract award for Glasgow Clyde College at their Langside Campus. 

The project involves the construction of a 585 sq.m Horticulture Teaching Block with associated offices, external works and existing car park reconfiguration. 

We look forward to working closely with project partners Bell Building Projects and Will Rudd Davidson Engineers. Glasgow Clyde College is represented by Mott MacDonald (PM) and Currie & Brown (QS).

It is with great sadness that we have learned of the passing of Inette Austin-Smith, whom along with her husband Mike, was one of the founding Partners of Austin-Smith:Lord.  Until recent health prevented it, Inette kept in close contact with the Practice, as she has across many generations of the Partnership, and retained a keen interest in our work and in architecture generally. 

Inette truly was a remarkable lady and so very highly thought of not only over the many generations of the Partnership but within the wider architectural community. 

The current Partners and all at Austin-Smith:Lord would like to pass on our sincere condolences to Inette’s family and friends. 

A new low carbon teaching building designed by Austin-Smith:Lord, which was the first in the UK to achieve an ‘Outstanding’ rating under the BREEAM (2014) design and construction assessment process, has been awarded a prestigious Green Gown Award. These awards recognise the exceptional sustainability initiatives that are being undertaken by universities, colleges and the learning and skills sectors across the UK and Ireland.

The South Lanarkshire College Low Carbon Teaching Building was successful in the Built Environment category with Judges commenting: “It has inspired students and other users to adopt more sustainable behaviours and approaches, reflecting the College’s philosophy to “mainstream sustainability”.

In addition to Solar PVs, an energy-efficient external envelope, and a ground source heat pump, innovative features include solar chimneys; recycled paper insulation; re-used cycle racks from the Commonwealth Games and an integrated bicycle repair station.

This is a step change in design to produce a low-energy, low-carbon, low-resource building, informed by helpful lessons learned from the College’s own award-winning, low-energy, low-carbon house initiative.”

Meanwhile, pupils have started to occupy a new £30 million secondary school in Carmarthenshire designed by the firm which has been rated BREEAM excellent at design stage.

The Bro Dinefwr school at Ffairfach near Llandeilo will cater for 1,200 pupils in the area, including a 200-pupil sixth form and a 30-place specialist provision for children with additional learning needs. It was delivered in partnership with the Welsh Government through its 21st Century Schools programme.

Austin-Smith:Lord Partner, Iain Wylie commented: “These education projects reflect the integrated approach to sustainability that we apply to all our work across different sectors of the built environment. With each new project, we develop our knowledge and expertise in passive sustainable design, embracing and incorporating the latest technologies, where appropriate.”

Austin-Smith:Lord, in collaboration with Dutch architecture and planning practice MVRDV, has organised a lecture by MVRDV’s Winy Maas in Glasgow on Tuesday 7th February 2016 from 6pm-8.30pm.

MVRDV is the Dutch architecture and planning practice involved in the transformation of Glasgow city centre. But who are these Dutch architects and what is their philosophy?

MVRDV’s founding partner Winy Maas will explain the working methods and scope of the practice driven by the faith in technologic innovation and the warnings of the Club of Rome regarding the end of resources. How to create an intimate city, how to build a boutique made of glass bricks, how to stack Dutch landscapes and how to advance research in a nano-tech that might one day replace concrete as a construction material. In-between, parallels are drawn with Glasgow and its current development.

This lecture will take place in one of the most architecturally significant buildings in the city: The Glasgow City Free Church on St. Vincent Street. The church is an Alexander ‘Greek’ Thomson masterpiece. Built in 1859 it is widely regarded as one of the finest neo-Classical churches in the world. Austin-Smith:Lord’s Glasgow studio is located on St Vincent Street, directly opposite the church.

On the night we would invite attendees to make a donation to the Glasgow City Free Church, to cover their costs for hosting the event and for the upkeep of the famous church.

Prof. Winy Maas’s lecture will commence at 18.30.

REGISTER HERE

MVRDV and Austin-Smith:Lord, supported by a multidisciplinary team, have recently been commissioned by Glasgow City Council to develop with stakeholders and local communities, Regeneration Frameworks for four districts within the City Centre. Entitled (Y)our City Centre this project is progressing throughout 2017. This exciting opportunity will focus on districts of Broomielaw, Blythswood, St Enoch and Central as detailed in the Glasgow City Centre Strategy and Action Plan 2014-2019. Further information is available at www.yourcitycentre.com