Category: News

Bridgegate Public Realm in Irvine is a finalist in the Scottish Property Awards 2015, in the ‘Town Centre Regeneration Project of the Year’ category.

This follows on from its recent BALI Award and numerous other award nominations and shortlistings.

Our clients for this project, Irvine Bay Regeneration Company, have also been selected as finalists in two other categories.

We look forward to hearing the results at the awards ceremony in March 2015.

You can read more about the project here:

https://www.austinsmithlord.com/projects/bridgegate-public-realm/

Liverpool Central Library was named “Winner of the Regeneration Category, Civic Building of the Year Award” at the 2014 SCALA awards ceremony, which celebrates local authority construction and architectural excellence.

This year’s awards ceremony was held on 14^th November at the Leeds Marriott Hotel in the form of a President’s Dinner.

Around 100 projects entered the Competition and 12 were shortlisted.

This is the ninth award that the Library has won over the past year.

Austin-Smith:Lord assisted the Di Maggio restaurant owners in securing listed building consent for the work to transform this ground floor former office space unit into an exclusive restaurant offer.

The Category A listed building was designed by James Miller and constructed in 1905-07 as bespoke offices for the Glasgow-based Anchor Line shipping business in St Vincent Place.

David Millar, Director and Head of Conservation, has stated that he is “absolutely delighted to see the former Anchor Line building brought back to its former glory as a new restaurant and bar facility for the DiMaggio restaurant chain owners in Glasgow”.

David was originally involved in 2006, preparing a conservation statement to secure a change of use consent for the building.  He then directly assisted in securing the planning and listed building consents for the restoration of the building and interior fit-out of the restaurant.

The main bar area is located in the first class booking office of the Anchor Line, one of Glasgow’s leading international shipping companies that commissioned the office building in 1905 with opulent interiors, decorative plasterwork and carved wood with nautical motifs such as shells and sailing ships repeated in the ornate plaster and carving.  The façade is of white Carrara ware faience by Doulton.

Over the course of summer 2014 the conservation team at Austin-Smith:Lord has been supervising the careful repairs to kirkyard monuments and boundary walls at seven historic kirkyards at the Hillfoots near Stirling. The work is being undertaken for the Ochils Landscape Partnership and Clackmannanshire Council and has funding support from various agencies including the Heritage Lottery Fund.

One important structure that has been exposed for urgent and necessary repairs to a section of collapsed brick vaulting is the Alva Ice House dating from the 1820s. This impressive brick egg-shaped chamber is surrounded by a passageway network with marble lined shelves for the storage of food.

David Millar, Head of Conservation at Austin-Smith:Lord said “This is a unique opportunity to explore and understand the brick type and masonry construction of a structure that is often partially out of the ground. This structure is completely buried and very well constructed”.

The Ice House is one of several projects that the Ochils Landscape Partnership has been delivering in terms of natural and cultural heritage. The projects aim to improve access to, and restore, built heritage and provide on-site and online interpretation about the area’s cultural, social and industrial past.

You can learn more about the Alva Ice House in the following short movie:
https://ochils.org.uk/alva-house-and-icehouse

Bridgegate Public Realm has been awarded a BALI (British Association of Landscape Industries) National Landscape Award. Contractor Land Engineering picked up the award in the ‘Hard Landscaping Construction’ category.

Graham Ross (Partner at Austin-Smith:Lord and Project Director for Bridgegate Public Realm) said “Winning a BALI Award is a terrific achievement. It is recognition of Land Engineering’s accomplished execution of the works, and by association, acknowledgement of the quality of the design by Austin-Smith:Lord and our design team colleagues.

“We’ve been delighted to receive positive feedback since the streetscape and public artworks were unveiled in late 2013. The public realm works, in combination with the refurbishment of Bridgegate House and conservation works to the listed Trinity Church, have transformed a key location in Irvine. The Bridgegate project is one of Irvine Bay Regeneration Company and North Ayrshire Council’s flagship projects in redefining and enhancing Irvine Town Centre and we’re delighted to have been involved in such a successful project.”

The Scottish Government have published a research paper into ‘Value of Design in the Built Environment’. The research was conducted by a team led by Doug Wheeler (Douglas Wheeler Associates) supported by Graham Ross (Austin-Smith:Lord) and Dr Mark Robertson (Ryden).

Commissioned by the Scottish Government Building Standards Division on behalf of the Planning and Architecture Division, the aim of the paper is to provide an analysis of how design ‘value’ is handled in the development process in Scotland. The publication of this research paper follows on from the Scottish Government’s Creating Places policy statement on architecture and placemaking.

You can view the research paper here: Value of Design in the Built Environment

This publication follows on from previous research Douglas Wheeler Associates and Austin-Smith:Lord have conducted for the Scottish Government, including Barriers to Delivering Mixed Use Development.

Hot on the heels of the Practice’s recent theatre feasibility study appointment in Bolton, the Cardiff Studio has been selected, through competitive tender, to undertake a feasibility study at Theatr Hafren in Newtown, Mid Wales.

Appointed by Neath Port Talbot College Group and Theatr Hafren, we will be undertaking a detailed feasibility study which will look at introducing a new suite of arts facilities including a high quality studio, a second dance studio and music recording and rehearsal suite. We have also been tasked with rationalising some of the other internal spaces, including the front of house, and improving building accessibility and identity.

Our team, led by Rob Firman, will be working collaboratively with Stephen Bashford from Hosta Ltd., who has been commissioned to undertake a demand appraisal and outline business case. We have worked with Stephen on a number of projects including Aberystwyth University Old College, Lower Lodge Gatehouse and Blackpool Visitor Heritage attraction. The client felt that our existing collaborative relationship and relaxed yet confident approach is a great strength in our team, and will bring definite advantages to the project.

The official opening and consecration of the Chapel at Maryton Grange Carmelite Monastery, took place on Sunday 13^th July in Allerton, Liverpool.

Philip Morton from Austin-Smith:Lord had the honour of presenting the key to Archbishop Malcolm McMahon – who opened the chapel doors to let in the congregation.

The ceremony was attended by many religious dignitaries and the families & friends of the community of Carmelite Sisters. During the ceremony the Archbishop blessed the congregation and anointed the Chapel walls, altar and ambo. Religious relics were also placed in a chamber at the base of the altar.  After the ceremony the sisters opened the doors to the remainder of the monastery and let members of the public have a rare glimpse of the communal spaces and extensive gardens, as traditionally, these areas are kept private.

Following completion to time and budget in December 2013, the new Cardiff School of Art and Design has so far been partially occupied whilst students completed their academic year.

Dean of the School, Gaynor Kavanagh, addressed an invited audience of stakeholders, students and guests in a celebration of this important new phase in its 149 year history.  The celebration coincided with the Summer Show, with the new building hosting Textiles, Architectural Technology and Graphic Design exhibitions of final year work.

Whilst not yet in full use, the building has already met with critical acclaim and has made a tangible impact on prospective new student visitors at a series of open days held over the past few months.

The University has confirmed a staggering 33% rise in applications which is ahead of any expectation and UK average, and is an immediate reward for the investment undertaken.

The Dean commented that the building, which she described as being warm, full of light and welcoming, had undoubtedly played a key role in this achievement.  She also commented that the building was proof of the positive impact that good design has on occupants and that you could actually sense people walking taller and being physically lifted.  Crucially she felt that the new building shifted the perception of the student from being in a School to a University and that this would also drive creativity, quality and achievement.

We are delighted to announce that our development at Burns Wynd, Maybole, has been presented with the 2014 Scottish Design Award for Affordable Housing ahead of stiff competition.

Details of the development can be found here: https://www.austinsmithlord.com/projects/burns-wynd-maybole/

Our recently completed Bridgegate Public Realm was also shortlisted for an award: https://www.austinsmithlord.com/projects/bridgegate-public-realm/

Jim Whiston, Ayrshire Housing’s Director said “We and our tenants are delighted with this award! Burns Wynd is the latest in a series of excellent projects designed for us by Austin-Smith:Lord over the last 12 years.”

Burns Wynd has also been shortlisted for a Saltire Housing Design Award and a Scottish Home Award.