Inspired

Representing the latest in a long line of Innovation-focused projects which the practice have designed, our expertise in this area is something which we are incredibly proud of.  Since the early 2000s, Bond Bryan have been at the architectural forefront of the Advanced Manufacturing sector – having acted as Architects, Landscape Masterplanners and Technical Advisors involving multiple world-class research campuses across the UK and overseas.  With a client-base – spanning organisations from aerospace giants like Rolls-Royce and Boeing, to supporting the research of some of the UK’s world-leading academic institutions – our team understands what it means to design and deliver a truly exemplary Advanced Manufacturing facility.

Jon Rigby is an Associate Director within Bond Bryan’s Sheffield Studio and is our national sector-lead for Advanced Manufacturing, Innovation, Research and Industrial projects within the practice.

As designer and project lead for the GTIMC project – and having led or been directly involved with over fifteen of Bond Bryan’s award-winning projects across Sheffield’s world-renowned Advanced Manufacturing Research Campus – we wanted to get Jon’s view on what the key factors, of designing and delivering a cutting-edge Advanced Manufacturing environment, really are:

A: I’ve always wanted to be an Architect for as long as I can remember, and I always used to love designing my own spaces as a kid – from treehouse hideaways to den fortresses – and that passion for creating places has never really faded.

For my 9^th birthday, I asked for an A3 Portable Rotring Drawing Board and I would spend hours designing my own “dream home”; it was all always very obsessive and symmetrical – tendencies I’ve not managed to shake yet nearly three decades later and ones which are distinctly evident within most of the Advanced Manufacturing projects that I’ve worked on!

As I progressed through my education, I discovered that my academic strengths and interests favoured Art, Graphic Design, Maths and Science. I think that’s why I value working with our Advanced Manufacturing clients so highly: there’s a real beauty in that disciplined pursuit of absolute engineering perfection within high-end industrial architecture – qualities which we always seek to try and emulate in our designs within the sector.

A: I love knowing that what we do has the potential to enhance the lives and experiences of others.  I love knowing that the facilities which we design are helping to contribute towards the technology of the future.  UK investment into the innovation and industry sector is unparalleled at the moment and I find it so rewarding to know that, with this investment – and the opportunities which our projects unlock – comes the potential to transform local communities and inspire the next generation of engineers and designers.

I also just love working with people – and being an Architect allows me to do that every single day, in so many different ways.  Whether that be creatively solving design problems with colleagues, collaborating on projects with consultant partners, or sharing that first experience of a brand-new building with our clients. At the end of the day, being able to produce a piece of functionally beautiful architecture is great, but what is infinitely more rewarding is the relationships that are built along the way.

A: Definitely getting the brief right. With Advanced Manufacturing projects, it can be incredibly challenging to distil such an intricate, complex technical brief into a functional and ‘future-proof’ solution. This last part can be especially tricky because, in the Advanced Manufacturing sector, ultimate future-proofing just isn’t realistic – the technology and research within this sector moves so rapidly that, within a couple years, the sector’s needs have changed completely.

The key to the successful and sustainable design of Advanced Manufacturing environments isn’t therefore about understanding how the sector is going to change and in what direction, but moreover, just accepting that it will change – and it will change rapidly. Ultimately, our buildings should recognise, accommodate and facilitate this change with creative solutions that allow our clients’ organisations to adapt and grow – to suit and remain viable and relevant for decades to come.

Bond Bryan are nationally recognised as experts in strategic planning and, for over 25 years, have been working with further education colleges to respond to the ever-changing needs of this sector.

In partnership with Willmott Dixon, Director Matthew Hutton and Associate Director, Roger Newman were invited to speak at their “Unlocking FE Capital Projects“ event, discussing best practice and design, developing the right brief and how we can help to bridge that gap in priorities when developing an education-led estate strategy.

We have a dedicated team that, through years of experience, are adept at all of the analysis, option and appraisal skills which are nowadays required to explore the estate needs of the future.
If you would like to get in touch, please contact Matt, Roger or the team at info@bondbryan.co.uk.

Here with our second Bond Bryan Coffee Cast – Delivering Build To rent – what makes us different?

Coffee Cast is an informal platform, exploring the topical issues of our time around real estate – both development and housing – with a special focus on the Build to Rent sector.

As ever…. please let us know what you think.

A planning application has been submitted for the development of a 23 storey build-to-rent (BtR) Development in the city centre of Sheffield.

Located on the corner of Farm Road and Queens Road, the site is a five-minute walk from Sheffield’s main train station and forms a significant gateway plot as part of the emerging Sheffield Midland Station and Sheaf Valley Development framework masterplan; this is an ambitious city centre regeneration programme, linked to the HS2 and Northern Powerhouse rail initiatives, and is set to enhance Sheffield’s importance as a regional and national development hub.

Working with our client, Godwin Developments, the proposals look to create 336 homes of predominantly one, two and three-bedroom attractive, modern, open-plan apartments, arranged across three principal, stepped and interlocking built forms of 23, 17 and 10 floors respectively.

Large expanses of glazing provide extensive levels of natural daylight into each apartment, and are more aligned with modern office standards.  Beyond the units, ancillary facilities – including a gym, a communal landscaped roof terrace, co-working areas and a shared lounge – help to cultivate a sense of ‘togetherness’ and social cohesion amongst the residents’ community.  Central management functions will be located at ground floor in a light-filled amenity space,which is connected – via a vibrant open frontage – to a new, high-quality landscaped external plaza and from which direct access is also provided to the residents’ secure, private parking area.

Bond Bryan Associate, Tomasz Romaniewicz, said:  “We are delighted to be supporting our client in preparing the design for the Meridian in what will be a contemporary and robust BtR product for the Sheffield market – and one which supports and promotes a new lifestyle choice. The resilience of BtR has been highlighted during the pandemic; with the UK investment hitting a new record high in 2020, Farm Road will undoubtedly form an essential component within the next chapter of the Sheffield City Centre.”

Managing Partner at RLB Yorkshire & Humber, Matt Summerhill added: “The Meridian is a fantastic example of Sheffield’s ongoing city centre regeneration, we are really pleased to be part of the team supporting Godwin Developments with this innovative residential scheme and the submission of the planning application marks a great milestone for this forward-looking project.”

Bond Bryan have provided both Architecture, Landscape Design and Principal Designer services, supported by fellow S-PA members Urbana Town Planning and RLB.  We are looking forward to guiding this exciting scheme through the planning process with Sheffield City Council, our Client and collaborators and will be sure to share any further news with you as soon as we are able.

Thank you to the whole team involved – from Godwin Developments, Fairbank Investments, Urbana Town Planning, Rider Levett Bucknall, HSP Consulting, RWDI, Hoare Lea, Weddle and Couch Perry Wilkes.

Coffee Cast is an informal platform to explore the topical issues of our time around Real Estate – development and housing – with a special focus on the Build to Rent sector.

Our host, Tomasz Romaniewicz, leads and supports a national focus on bridging the gap between the traditional norms of Architect and Developer within our Strategic Team – with a particular focus on our emerging “Bond Bryan Living” brand. His expertise offers an industry-leading understanding of residential design around Build to Rent, Co Living and Market Sale – amalgamating a design-led approach with an understanding of viability and planning policy – across both public and private sectors within an urban to an open-countryside development context.

So, here we have it….let us know what you think.

Plans for a new Community Arena on the Bond Bryan-designed Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park have taken one step closer to becoming a reality this week, after Sheffield City Council’s Planning Department gave the green light to our reimagined proposals for the facility.

The Park Community Arena (PCA), which is set to be a multi-purpose, indoor community sports facility housing three full-size basketball courts, home for the Sheffield Sharks basketball team and home to major events company, MLS Contracts Ltd, was originally approved as part of the Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park Outline Planning Permission granted on the site of the former Don Valley Stadium back in 2015. The arena will now also house a Sports Diagnostic Suite, funded by Canon Medical Systems, which will add a fantastic service accessible for all sports professionals and enthusiasts throughout the City region.

Director of Park Community Arena and Chairman of the B. Braun Sheffield Sharks, Yuri Matischen, comments:

“The new arena will be a base for a number of community-based, high-performance sports teams which have strong links with education and the wider Sheffield community. 

It will provide additional affordable space for clubs – from grass roots to the elite. These will include basketball, volleyball, netball and futsal – providing a ‘club’ environment for the teams. The PCA will have a focus on basketball of all ages and abilities, and as the indoor sport that attracts over 50% participation from amongst BAME communities, the venue will have a strong allegiance with many disadvantaged communities providing pathways to physical activity and sport coupled to extra-curricular learning inspired by sporting role models”.

We believe that the venue, with its lower overheads and club approach, will help to make these sports and clubs into sustainable community enterprises – reflecting the legacy of the London 2012 Olympics.” 

We’ve developed a close relationship with the team at PCA, MLS and with Sheffield Sharks since we first became involved in designing the arena during its initial phase back in 2013; we understand how much passion and investment has gone into reaching this crucial point and we’re delighted for Yuri and the team over the renewed sense of momentum and focus which the recently approved redesign and inclusion of the world-class diagnostic suite is set to generate.”

In terms of the architectural solution presented as part of the revised proposals, the building design is simple in its form and materiality and has a strong, sweeping silhouette profile. We have sought to ensure that design quality is maximised on the two principal elevations – utilising an aesthetic of understated functional elegance, combining large expanses of glazed curtain walling with a more delicate outer layer of timber ‘Brise Soleil’ horizontal shading. We felt strongly that the building should feel inviting and exciting to visitors and speak both for world-class, elite athletes and grass-roots community-level sport in the same, welcoming way and we’re thrilled that the Planning Department have supported this vision.”

The Park Community Arena is expected to start on site later this Spring.

We are delighted to see Tomasz Romaniewicz relocate to our Birmingham Studio.

Tomasz will be supporting the wider Birmingham Studio and local Architect and Associate Director, Fran Holloway who has been working in the region for the last 20 years.

Furthermore, Tomasz will be leading our commercial real estate growth within the Midlands through workspace, retail and mixed-use.  Along with the residential sector, Tomasz will continue to support a wide range of investor clients – throughout the UK and internationally – as a platform to invest in the region.

Bond Bryan have delivered projects in the region for over 20 years, having recently completed the Warwick Manufacturing Group’s Degree Apprenticeship Centre at Warwick University, and are currently working on the Warwick Arts Centre and the expansion of the Business School. The practice has 135 members of staff nationally and the Birmingham studio is supported by Bond Bryan’s studios in London, Sheffield and Kent.

As the current year draws to a close, and we recognise what a challenging year it has been for us all – it’s important to reflect and be thankful, for the dedication and support of those around us; our people have been incredible this year, we know that it has not been at all easy, but we have witnessed a super-human effort and it is, with great pleasure, that we are thrilled to announce the internal promotion of 7 hard-working colleagues, to Associate level, as we end the year.

One of our most creative design talents, Alex is often found surrounded by tracing paper and the most beautifully intricate artistic sketches of our early-stage concept proposals and strategic planning schemes.  As part of our Strategic Team, Alex’s new role will involve bringing together clients, landowners, agents, consultants and developers to identify suitable sites, unlock their potential and create successful, long-term business partnerships to drive viable schemes off the drawing board.

Having been responsible for numerous high-profile education projects within the practice over recent years – including the RIBA award-winning Mercia School for Sheffield City Council in 2019 – Andrea brings a measured, methodical and transparent management style to successfully delivering complex, large-scale projects.  Andrea is set to join Alex as another new addition to our expanding Strategic Team in 2021 – to further bolster the blend of experienced, evidence-based decision makers who are driving this part of our business into the future.

As one of our longest-serving members of the Sheffield Studio, Chris has spearheaded knowledge-sharing, technical standards and construction best practice across all of our locations – helping to define and improve what delivery excellence looks like at Bond Bryan.  An experienced, job-running Architectural Technologist, Chris brings a unique mixture of the detailed ‘nuts-and-bolts’ understanding of how to execute and deliver exceptionally well-constructed buildings, with a broader ‘big picture’ mindset – being crucial in strengthening the link between our process and our purpose.  Chris is currently helping to drive this technical excellence into our increasingly-varied and exciting “Bond Bryan Living” portfolio and in leading projects which are spanning the breadth of the residential sector.

Emma is a crucial component within our Bond Bryan Digital team – providing intelligent advice to our clients whilst playing a major role in the UK BIM scene. Nationally-renowned as a passionate speaker – and with an international following – Emma is a staunch advocate of openBIM standards and is exceptionally knowledgeable on interoperability – including being the co-author of the book “Delivering COBie Using Autodesk Revit” and contributing to our award-winning BIM Blog. Emma is now part of the BSI committee who develop the standards for digital construction, is an ambassador for the UK BIM Alliance and has judged this year’s buildingSMART International and BIM Show Live awards.  As an Associate, Emma will continue to grow and evolve our Bond Bryan Digital team to further cement its position at the forefront of information management and building information modelling (BIM) in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction sector.

Over recent years, Garry has played a vital role in helping us to develop new and existing relationships with the clients and contractors with whom we work, whilst also continuing to develop and further refine our methodology for drawing and modelling practices. As a design-driven Architectural Technologist, Garry has played a significant role in a substantial number of our award-winning Higher Education and Advanced Manufacturing schemes – where his ability to seamlessly link architectural concept and technical construction detailing shines through.  Garry has also grown into a respected mentor within the office for the more junior members of staff and students and plays a key part in identifying, nurturing and developing Bond Bryan’s next generation of talent.

Nicola has been a core member of Bond Bryan’s team for over a decade and has been a pivotal force in developing the national reputation and portfolio of our Interior Design brand – working alongside our architectural teams to achieve continuity of the design concept into the interior architecture of our most notable projects.  Equally comfortable in engaging with Clients and Collaborators at concept stage, or managing complex multi-million-pound fit-out and refurbishment jobs, Nicola will continue to develop and lead on all Interior Design output within the practice across the North and the Midlands from Bond Bryan’s Sheffield and Birmingham studios.

Through his experience of working within both client and consultant roles, Tomasz’s position at Bond Bryan exhibits a national focus on bridging the gap between the traditional norms of Architect and Developer within our Strategic Team – with a particular focus on our emerging “Bond Bryan Living” brand. His expertise offers an industry-leading understanding of residential design around Build to Rent, Co Living and Market Sale – amalgamating a design-led approach with an understanding of planning policy and viability across both public and private sectors within an urban to an open-countryside development context.  Tomasz is a passionate and exceptionally well-connected speaker and, within his new role from 2021, Tomasz joins our Birmingham Studio to help in further establishing our strength, reputation and presence across the Midlands region.

At Bond Bryan, our vision is “people first” – always; so, it is incredibly fulfilling for us to be able to share this news and to recognise the hard work, skill and dedication of our people.

As designers, we are continually looking for ways to improve our approach to sustainable design – to ensure that we are actively engaged at the forefront of carbon-conscious design and that our teams are constantly striving for ways to soften the impact on the environment which our buildings may have.  Environmentally-aware design and Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) are a natural fit; by embracing new technologies – and new methods of designing, fabricating and constructing buildings – we can ensure that our projects are built more efficiently, with less waste, using less energy and to a great overall quality in a reduced timescale. MMC, whether this be a volumetric or panelised modular approach, can also provide an answer to workforce shortages, thus reducing the need for skilled on-site labour and opening up opportunities to train people in new skills.

At Bond Bryan, we have embraced and identified MMC as a key means of achieving our own practice-wide environmental objectives through the projects which we design and deliver and – perhaps more importantly – as an essential way to help to ensure that the construction industry meets its carbon reduction targets over the next decade.  Our projects now widely utilise off-site manufacturing principles and other modern methods of construction – and our teams are passionate and committed to adapting to these new technologies as a core part of our business.

Having joined Bond Bryan in 2015, Arthur brought with him a wealth of varied experience garnered through a fruitful career – both in Britain and in his native homeland of France.

Quickly settling into Bond Bryan and becoming a prominent figure in the Westerham studio – especially as a mentor to the more junior members of staff – Arthur applied his decade of multi-national architectural experience to a wide variety of projects. It wasn’t long before Arthur started exploring the benefits of Modular Construction when pencilling out designs for several different projects.

Over time, Arthur became Bond Bryan’s expert in Modern Methods of Construction – sharing his knowledge with colleagues in his studio and across the wider practice, and designing and delivering several part- and fully-modular educational projects.

Over the past five years, Arthur has led Bond Bryan in delivering several award-winning Modular projects, including the recently delivered Robert Clack School in Lymington Fields – the winner of multiple awards, including the Building Project of the Year, and both Sustainability and Offsite Awards at the 2020 Constructing Excellence Awards.

Now, as we move closer to a new year full of new challenges and opportunities, we sat down with Arthur to ask what the future holds for Bond Bryan’s approach to Modern Methods of Construction.

I guess that we really need to re-define the construction industry; we can’t keep doing what we’ve traditionally been doing for the past 100 years. As it is, the construction process is lengthy, it’s costly, and it’s not great for site health and safety or user health and safety. There are definitely a lot of improvements to the construction process that can be gained from MMC – especially given how it pairs very well with digital construction and the improvements to the industry on the digital side in general. With MMC – and certainly modular construction – we can control what happens within a safe factory setting; this means that we can create a safer environment, control sustainability, improve on the products’ performance and how we use them – all leading to a building that performs far better than a traditional construction.

It comes back to my geeky side. I’ve always enjoyed playing with Lego and putting things together – and that’s what modular construction is like at its core. _­­I like looking at the process of improvement: making something in a factory and joining it together on site is an approach that just makes more sense to me. When you go to site and you see people in the cold and rain pouring cement into holes, laying brick after brick after brick, it all comes across as very inefficient – and modular construction is definitely a better way to construct a building for all involved; you can achieve the same aesthetic, the same performance, and the same building – it’s just a better, smoother, and more efficient process.

I think it’s also very interesting from the local perspective. Over time, architecture and construction have lost their diverse ways of working with “the best of local” through the globalisation and monopolisation of construction technologies and methodologies. I think that looking at a different type of building or methodology gives us a different playing field of procurement – so that we can bring the local aspect back to construction through working with local modular suppliers and innovators. This is how we can champion local craftmanship and embed local identity and social sustainability into the built environment.

Of course, there are a lot of government and private sector initiatives going on, so there’s definitely going to be an increased need for MMC and digital systems in the upcoming years. I think that we’re going to see a lot of development around 3D printing of certain building elements – as well as standardisation and re-definition of how the different elements can work with each other. There are still some inconsistencies across testing and assembly, with some very strong products on the market and some not-so-strong products out there as well, so I think that the next few years will revolve around finding the best products and technologies and standardising them. Hopefully, in the next 5–10 years, we’ll be looking at a whole new industry with brand-new solutions.

Architect of the Year at 2020’s Offsite Awards for the Robert Clack School was such an amazing achievement – and a fantastic recognition of all the hard work that went into that project! Seeing it come along on site was incredible, and being able to see such a fantastic product be built up and delivered was great. When we started with the project, nobody knew how it would end up, but seeing that final product delivered as such an amazing piece of quality – better than a traditionally constructed product – was a great achievement in itself.

A few years back, when I was in university and started looking at these MMCs – or Smart Construction as it was known by then – there was all this talk of 3D printing for the design and construction of buildings, and talk about shipping 3D printers to Mars or the Moon to build there. That’s an idea that’s always captivated me and I’d love to help to build something on another planet!

The move towards a net zero carbon society is something which we are deeply passionate about at Bond Bryan; it has always been built into what we do – but now, more so than ever, the need to respond to the global climate crisis is driving the sort of practice that we aim to be – both today and into the future.

We acknowledge that, as architects,​ we have a significant role to play in shaping the future of our planet.  As members of the RIBA 2030 Climate Challenge initiative, our team at Bond Bryan recognise that our passion and care for the environment is focussed best through the places which we create and in the projects that we help to deliver – and how, collectively, these can positively contribute to tackling the climate emergency and in changing our environment for the better.

As such, we couldn’t be prouder than to announce that one of our latest schemes – which has research into low carbon energy at its very heart -has taken one step closer to completion this month.  The Translational Energy Research Centre (TERC) Project, for the University of Sheffield, reached Practical Completion in November – designed and delivered by Bond Bryan in collaboration with Main Contractor, J F Finnegan.

Located on the University of Sheffield’s Innovation District, the project is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.  Forming part of the University of Sheffield’s Energy Institute, the £21m scheme is set to become one of the largest and best-equipped renewable-energy generation and advanced carbon-capture research and development facilities in Europe.  The TERC project will be focussed on supporting national industrial partners, regional SMEs and academic research in order to find solutions to some of the most complex energy challenges which are facing the UK – with the aim of becoming a zero-carbon society by 2050.

Bond Bryan Project Architect, and Project Lead for the Translational Energy Research Centre, Yasser Fadhl, commented on the opening of the project: “At a time when the eyes of the world are rightfully focussed on environmentally-responsible, emission-conscious design, we are delighted to be able to have played a part in the realisation of such an important, symbolic and ground-breaking facility that will make a huge contribution to the UK’s position as a European leader in low/zero carbon technological research. As architects, protecting and preserving our planet is fundamental to what we do and we can’t think of a more fitting project to hand over to our clients than one that captures and represents this philosophy as perfectly as the TERC project.  It has been a pleasure to be involved and we look forward to seeing the building being fully-occupied and operational”