Category: News

Austin-Smith:Lord’s Glasgow studio are delighted to announce that they are hosting Studio 2080, an emerging ‘community interest company’ formed by four final year architecture students at University of Strathclyde. The arrangement enables Studio 2080 to develop their social enterprise model investigating architectural solutions to some of the pressing housing issues facing communities in sub-Saharan Africa, notably in Mali.

Glasgow studio principal, Graham Ross, said, ‘I’m delighted that we’ve established this arrangement with Studio 2080. As a practice we’ve always sought to assist students in developing their careers and nurture new talent. This innovative model provides scope for us to support a very worthwhile endeavour whilst assisting four promising young designers to take forward their ambitious idea.’

Colin Reynolds of Studio 2080 commented, “Studio 2080 are excited to be hitting such a milestone in their professional career by setting up shop in the Austin-Smith:Lord Glasgow studio. We feel the working environment is conducive to the set up of the social enterprise and will add to the potential success of our 5th year thesis at Strathclyde University.”

Further information is available at Studio 2080’s website; https://www.studio2080.org/

This new £2.9m health centre in Dalkeith, Mid Lothian, replaces the former Dalkeith Medical Practice which occupied the same town centre site. As well as a base for GPs and nurses, the new centre provides a range of services including podiatry, physiotherapy, midwifery, speech therapists and community psychiatric nurses. Accommodation for visiting specialists and voluntary groups is also available. The building also has an Old Persons Welfare Hall, continuing a well used facility from the previous health centre.

The design required a sensitive response to the adjacent historic town centre and conservation area. The strong entrance gable frontage of the taller three storey wing echoes the prominent gable ends of neighbouring buildings. The curve on the two storey clinical wing maintains a strong street frontage, while creating a set-back for the sheltered main entrance. A simple palette of contrasting renders helps define the massing of 2 and 3 storey buildings. The incorporation of technologies such as a ground source heat pump and photovoltaic panels assists in meeting the building’s energy needs and helped achieve the targetted BREEAM rating.

Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who opened the facility said:  “More sustainable, high quality and continually improving health services as close to home as possible is what the people of Scotland want, and Dalkeith Health Centre is a great example of how we are delivering this.”

Guilford Civic has won the RIBA South East Downland Award.

This replacement for the old Guildford Civic Hall occupies a steeply sloping site and acts as an ‘anchor’ to the upper end of Guildford High Street. A diagonal public route passes the cafe, dips under the theatre auditorium, towards the studio theatre and park, encouraging the varied use of the foyer spaces throughout the day.

Alistair Sunderland was delighted to receive the Refurbishment Award at the Merseyside Civic Society Award Ceremony for base2stay.

The base2stay concept is about combining the best aspects of serviced apartments and boutique hotels in thriving city centre locations, providing only essential hotel services in areas where an abundance of other facilities such as bar, restaurant, spa or gym are accessible locally. The design for the hotel draws on themes common to many of our projects within the Ropewalks Area where we have stitched new contemporary additions into the Georgian and Victorian building fabric.

Austin-Smith:Lord has been successful in having two projects shortlisted in the RICS Awards in Wales.

Following our RIBA award winning School of Management at Cardiff Metropolitan University, completed in 2010, Austin-Smith:Lord has been awarded the second major phase of development at the Llandaff campus.

The practice has been commissioned to design a new school of art and design reflecting the school’s dynamic and fundamentally creative nature.  To be completed and open for September 2014, the total estimated project investment is £14 million.  The new facility will bring together fine art, ceramics, product design, illustration, making, graphic communication, textiles and architectural design and technology.

Tim Young said, “This is a very exciting project and a further opportunity for us to work with a creative and forward thinking client which recognises the importance of high quality design.  By adopting a collaborative approach we have already begun to develop ideas that will lead to a flexible, highly sustainable and inspirational building that will greatly add to the student experience at the Llandaff Campus.”

Image credits to Morley Von Sternberg.

Saxton Parade and Drive, Leeds has received a commendation at the 2012 Civic Trust Awards. This reinvention of two redundant 1950’s social housing blocks on the fringe of Leeds City centre, has transformed these buildings and their surroundings. The design is intelligent, sophisticated and witty. Shared external spaces are well handled and attractive. The original floor plate has been extended to improve the capacity and efficiency of the layout and has allowed for a series of recessed balconies that punctuate the rhythm of the elevations. The improvement to the area since the completion of works is clear to see and has had a positive impact on the local community and surrounding areas. Link to Civic Trust Awards Website: https://www.civictrustawards.org.uk/winners/2012/CTA006730/

The Strategic Coordination Centre at Llangunnor near Carmarthen received two awards at the Local Authority Building Control (LABC) Cymru Awards on 17^th February.  The project won regional awards for the Best Sustainable Building and Best Commercial Building over £5M and will now be entered in the national LABC awards.  The award reflects a successful collaborative relationship between the contractor, client and design team.  The contractor, WRW construction, appointed Austin-Smith:Lord to design Ffwrnes School in Llanelli following the SCC project. Project managers, Mott McDonald and the client, Dyfed Powys Police have also indicated that they are keen to work with Austin-Smith:Lord on future projects.