Category: News

We are delighted to announce three new Associates within the Practice – Colin Miller and Catherine Cosgrove in Glasgow, and Kal Gill-Faci in Liverpool.

Kal joined us in 2003 and has worked on a range of conservation, cultural, commercial and transport projects including Leeds City Museum, Stockport College, and currently Teesside University Teaching and Conference Centre.  She led the development of the Practice’s Knowledge Base Intranet and has also recently taken on a QA role within the Liverpool studio, ensuring that all procedures are implemented from project inception to delivery.

Catherine joined Austin-Smith:Lord in 2006 and has a specific expertise in Sustainable Design. She is a Certified European Passivhaus designer and EcoHomes Assessor, and is continually developing practical, applicable methods of introducing sustainable best practice into all aspects of Austin-Smith: Lord work. Her current projects include the Low Carbon Teaching Building for South Lanarkshire College, the first BREEAM Outstanding building in the UK under the 2014 New Construction version of BREEAM.

Colin also joined the Practice in 2006 and has since been involved in a variety of projects in various sectors. He was Project Architect of the Girvan Community Hospital project, taking responsibility for client liaison and quality assurance. Colin has continued to work on numerous healthcare projects throughout Scotland, most recently several projects at St. John’s Hospital, Livingston for NHS Lothian. Colin is currently Project Architect on the refurbishment of the Ayr Gaiety Theatre and has been involved in recent town centre regeneration design charrettes in Brechin and Elgin.

We would like to congratulate Kal, Catherine and Colin, and wish them continued success with Austin-Smith:Lord.

You can view their individual profiles at the following links:

https://www.austinsmithlord.com/our-people/kal-gill-faci/

https://www.austinsmithlord.com/our-people/catherine-cosgrove/

https://www.austinsmithlord.com/our-people/colin-miller/

Helensburgh’s principal town square, seaside esplanade and main streets within the town’s famous grid layout have undergone a major public realm and traffic management enhancement.

Helensburgh’s new town centre public realm, designed by Austin-Smith:Lord, was officially opened on Saturday 20^th June in Colquhoun Square. The ambitious £7m public realm project is part of Argyll & Bute Council’s CHORD initiative seeking to deliver wider economic regeneration benefits.

Colquhoun Square, adjacent streets and the esplanade have been sensitively transformed, offering a whole new experience for both residents and visitors. Colquhoun Square has been re-imagined as the  “civic heart” of the town which includes a plaza capable of supporting significant community events.

The Square also incorporates a new ‘Outdoor Museum’ that showcases, with new artwork, aspects of the town’s rich history. The redesigned Square also provides increased amenity space, seating and planting and supports an emerging “café culture” in the town.

The newly widened pavements provide better access to local shops and improved links between the sea-front and the town centre. Local businesses are reporting they are already seeing the benefits of the scheme, with the council receiving positive feedback on the high quality of the finish and the improved, inclusive accessibility.

The work supports the aims and priorities of the Scottish Government for Town Centre Regeneration and sustainable economic regeneration through improvements to the quality of the environment.

From the outset, Austin-Smith:Lord’s team carried out a significant level of engagement with the community and stakeholders. A range of consultation and engagement techniques were employed over a twenty-month period which directly informed the preparation of design proposals.

One outcome from the community consultation was the creation of the ‘Outdoor Museum’. The local community was keen to have a new museum space in Helensburgh Town Centre. Bollards required to control traffic movement have become “museum plinths” to display artifacts and artwork thus delivering the outdoor museum reflecting Helensburgh’s history.

Councillor Gary Mulvaney, chair of the local area committee, welcomed the completion of the work, saying: “I’m delighted with the quality of the work – the town centre looks fantastic….The project has seen a significant investment which will, I am sure, provide real, long lasting and tangible benefits to local people and businesses. We are already seeing significant private sector investment in the town and are hoping to use this project as a springboard to further growth.”

Graham Ross, Project Partner at Austin-Smith:Lord noted: “Helensburgh is one of the finest examples of a planned town in the UK. It was an immense challenge to be asked to redefine the principal public spaces of the historic, seaside town centre. Over the last five years we have sought to address the issues in collaboration with our project team colleagues, the Council and the local community with whom we engaged with to create a streetscape that emulates the ambition of the original town plan.

“It was a rare privilege to be asked to design a new civic square, principal streets and a waterfront esplanade in such a location; one that demanded a sensitive design response to create public realm that encourages street life and a convivial, vibrant town centre. Early feedback is encouraging and the provision of high quality public realm, enriched by place-specific artwork that reveal the town’s story, should help to mark the next chapter in the regeneration of Helensburgh.”

Austin-Smith:Lord led the team which included O’Connor Sutton Cronin (Engineering Consultants), Robinson Low Francis (Cost Consultants), Transport Planning (Traffic Management Consultants), WAVEparticle (Artwork Design) and Maclay Civil Engineering (Main Contractor).

Many congratulations to Cardiff Studio Director, Ashley Davies, who has achieved RIBA Accredited Conservation Architect status.

The accreditation highlights Ashley’s ability to demonstrate depth of understanding of conservation practice, principles and philosophy.

Ashley’s recent conservation projects include the transformation of the grade II* listed Merthyr Tydfil Victorian Old Town Hall into an Arts Centre, the restoration of the grade II* listed part Tudor / part Jacobean Llanyrafon Manor into a visitor centre, the grade II* listed Georgian Gothic Revival Lower Lodge Gateway into a community facility and the restoration and transformation of a grade II listed Edwardian Queen Anne Revival Courthouse in Swansea into student accommodation and offices.

North Ayrshire Council’s largest ever affordable housing development, designed by Austin-Smith:Lord, has been officially opened by the Provost of North Ayrshire Joan Sturgeon.

The housing has been developed in Vineburgh, Irvine, on the site of former John Galt primary school, delivering 80 new homes including general needs, amenity standard, and properties suitable for wheelchair users. The project was commissioned via the OGC Framework and Project Managers Faithful + Gould and was delivered in conjunction with Will Rudd Davidson, NBM, Cruden and Armour Construction Consultants.

The designs include a series of homezones that link into the existing path network within the neighbourhood, maximising site permeability. The designs were developed on the basis of a visual brief that won a Scottish Award for Quality in Planning.

Local residents were invited to participate in a number of public consultations at key stages, with feedback received informing the final design. The enhanced specification supports independent living, reduces energy bills, and has achieved BREEAM’s ‘EcoHomes – Very Good’ accreditation for sustainable buildings.

“This is first time we have worked with Austin-Smith:Lord on a new build project. At John Galt, they have created a site specific design that successfully incorporated all of our aspirations for the development. This is reflected by the positive feedback we have received from the new tenants”. (Trudi Fitzsimmons, Principal Officer, Strategy – North Ayrshire Council)

Image Credit: John Keachie Photography

 

We are delighted to confirm our sponsorship of the ‘Development of the Year’ at the Insider Wales Property Awards to be held in Cardiff next month.

Austin-Smith:Lord and our guests will join co-sponsors Geldards Law Firm, Julian Hodge Bank, Principality and the RICS, at what will no doubt be a sold out event.

Partner and Cardiff Studio Principal Martin Roe commented “The reintroduction of the Property Awards is a welcome reflection of an improving property market, showcasing some of the most exciting and high quality developments in Wales. As former winners of Practice of the Year, we are thrilled to be sponsoring this key event in the property calendar once again.”

Austin-Smith:Lord’s Loudoun Square project picked up a Regeneration Award at the prestigious RICS Wales Awards, held last night at Cardiff City Hall.

The regeneration of Loudoun Square is a collaboration between Cardiff Community Housing Association, Cardiff City Council, Cardiff Local Health Board and Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust. The site, which is located between Cardiff City Centre and Cardiff Bay, was previously occupied by an existing health centre and local shops, together with a vacant area of land.

The area has been regenerated with the creation of new modern facilities to serve the local community, and include a new health centre, shops, affordable homes and community facilities.

The regeneration of Loudoun Square has helped transform one of the most deprived and ethnically diverse communities in Wales.

Cardiff Metropolitan University’s Cardiff School of Art & Design was awarded a prestigious Regional RIBA Award at a reception event hosted by the RSAW in Cardiff last Thursday evening.

Cardiff School of Art & Design follows on from the RIBA Award winning School of Management as the second major phase of work in the realisation of the University’s vision for the transformation of its Llandaff campus. The bold and striking new £10m building provides 8575m2 gross floorspace over four floors, catering for up to 1000 students.

The building accommodates the internationally recognised School, enabling the University to delivery their art and design courses  in a modern facility that brings together all of its interests in fine art, ceramics, product design, illustration, making, graphic communication and textiles.

The winning Welsh schemes will all go on to be considered at the national awards which will be held in June

Austin-Smith:Lord’s Cardiff School of Art & Design at Cardiff Metropolitan University’s Llandaff Campus is one of eight buildings that have been shortlisted for a Welsh Regional RIBA Award. The regional awards recognise an important contribution to architecture.

Austin-Smith:Lord was appointed as Lead Designer for the £10m new build Cardiff School of Art & Design, which is the second major phase of development at the campus, following the RIBA Award winning Cardiff School of Management.

The University’s aspiration was for an inherently simple to use and low energy building, delivering a high quality piece of design befitting of the School of Art & Design and raising the profile of the Llandaff campus.

The winners will be announced on 30th April.

It’s been a bumper week for RICS Award shortlistings for Austin-Smith:Lord, with three projects being shortlisted for the prestigious awards across three different regions.

Bridgegate Public Realm in Irvine has been shortlisted in the RICS Scotland Awards in the Regeneration category. This follows on from its recent BALI Award and various other award shortlistings, nominations and commendations. The project, which has helped stimulate increased footfall in the area and reduce the number of vacant retail units by 50%, is also currently shortlisted in the Scottish Property Awards.

Loudoun Square in Cardiff, a mixed use regeneration project which includes health centre, retail units, affordable housing and community facilities, has been shortlisted for an RICS Wales Regeneration Award. The regeneration of Loudoun Square has helped to transform one of the most deprived and ethnically diverse communities in Wales.

Shrewsbury Museum, the Grade II* Listed former music hall which has been sensitively restored and converted into a museum and art gallery for Shropshire Council, has been shortlisted in the RICS West Midlands Awards in the conservation category. Shrewsbury Museum is also currently shortlisted for a 2015 National Civic Trust Award.

The winners will be announced in separate awards ceremonies during April and May. We have our fingers crossed!