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As architects with a particular penchant for the residential sector, amongst others, we believe that it is essential to be at the forefront of sector changes – especially in one as fluid and ever-changing as the residential sector. As such, we pride ourselves on the knowledge, that we possess, of the changing market – and we also pride ourselves on having those residential sector specialists who work within our practice.
Throughout our company, we foster a culture of collaboration, idea sharing, peer-to-peer mentorship and cutting-edge research into this evolving sector and its fluctuating market trends. One such trend, which we have been following closely since its inception, is that of the Build to Rent, or BtR, sector.
The BtR sub-sector of the residential and housing sector is still a relatively new concept within the construction and design industry, and it is something that we at Bond Bryan are very excited about; none more so than our BtR research and development leader, Tomasz Romaniewicz.
Tomasz joined Bond Bryan’s Sheffield studio back in 2017, quickly establishing himself as a driving force within the practice and pushing Bond Bryan deeper into the residential sector.
With a colourful history as a globetrotting Development Consultant and Senior Architect, Tomasz has worked at the forefront of the housing and regeneration sectors for major design and architecture practices in London, Germany, and Belgium.
As Deputy Chair of the Member Engagement Team of Sheffield Property Association – and a chaired member on the RIBA’s Yorkshire Housing Panel – Tomasz’s expertise and advice has guided many different residential developers, local authorities and government agencies in developing doctrines for mass-scale, high density housing and urban regeneration schemes.
Now, looking to the future, Tomasz has been playing an active role in driving the BtR market forward; so we sat down with Tomasz to ask him a few questions about the BtR sector and the journey that bought him here.
Two things really – it’s the passion I have for people and for place. I’ve never really been interested in the fundamental technical aspects of building, but more around architecture’s role as a tool within the city, that can be used as a social medium rather than something simply focused on the building or design.
It really seems to encompass all of the aspects of architecture and property development that I enjoy. In one sense, the innovative and pioneering nature of the sector is what inspires me: whether those are innovations born through building design, technology, Modern Methods of Construction or how the BtR sector itself drives these innovations throughout residential architecture as a whole – such as lifestyles and new ways of living – particularly within the UK. Similarly, the BtR sector also encompasses everything that I enjoy about architecture and development: unlocking sites, the reason why development can happen, and equally how – as a design medium – it is very attractive to investors. This is something often overlooked. All in all, the way in which the sector embodies the wider infrastructure of architecture and property is, ultimately, what I find so attractive about it.
Oh – it’s absolutely essential right now. From a regeneration perspective, BtR thrives when it is the first component of a wider placemaking framework – often becoming viable before other land uses take shape. This resilience isn’t just specific to the urban regeneration market, though – it relates, on the same level, to suburban housing where BtR suburban models are evolving to meet new lifestyles and end-user needs. It’s also very important for town centres as I think it’s going to play a key part in redefining the high street in a post-Covid world.
Know your market place, know your location and quality of amenities and understand your target resident – satisfied tenants equal longer tenancies which is the key to maximising your yield. The ultimate goal should always to be deliver highly-efficient building – one that supports effective operational management and has a unique sense of place that enhances overall resident experience. A sharp eye for detail and nuances is also key – for example, the placement of bin stores or post boxes can dramatically impact the building’s operational management causing unnecessary problems and costs further down the line. One of BtR’s greatest strengths is its ability to connect to the public realm and both internal and external amenity space. More and more now, post Covid-19, we will be seeing a greater emphasis on this.
We’re working on a Sheffield city centre BtR ‘gateway’ scheme that will form part of a major masterplan and be a key next step for Sheffield’s regeneration.
We’re also getting involved in the ‘sequel’ to BtR – Co-Living – which is going to be an exciting sector as it develops and grows.
Besides those, we’re also early on in our proposals for regeneration schemes in Yorkshire and the North West, with BtR at their core, and also in continuing our growth in Birmingham and the West Midlands.
Likewise, we’re also shortlisted for what will be the largest single-phase delivered BtR scheme in the UK: this is testimony to the industry-leading delivery methodology which we’ve been working on that maximises building efficiencies, enhances design and construction team coordination, reduces time on site and explores innovative construction and delivery models. All of these things are absolutely essential to making BtR viable nationwide and they’re always at the core of all the work we’re doing.
Douglas Mill began its life as a worsted spinning mill developing worsted cloth – a light fabric with a smooth finish created from wool. Its name derives from the Norfolk village of Worsted, where the British industry begun in the 12th Century and then, during the 18th Century, the centre of production moved from East Anglia to the West Riding of Yorkshire and in the early 19th century was concentrated in the Bradford area, giving the town the moniker of Worstedopolis.
Douglas Mill has now been conscientiously adapted and reconfigured for the 21st century – with a vision, of the Department for Education and Dixons Multi Academy Trust, to turn Douglas Mill and its Coach House into one of its first Sixth Form facilities in Bradford, providing education for 16-19 year olds and allowing the building to generously provide another 100 or more years’ service.
During engagement with the Academy, the key drivers for the redevelopment of Douglas Mill and the Coach House were discussed and established. With the new school to provide accommodation for 880 pupils; this would include 40 timetabled spaces, a new sports hall and additional supporting spaces within the ESFA-funded GIFA of 7210m2 whilst working within the constraints of the two historic, Grade II listed buildings.
This was a great team effort of all involved in combining all of the requirements for modern teaching into an already established, robust shell and was a very rewarding challenge. Whilst the inside of the building had to incorporate all of the current day legislations – and meet the requirements of a modern sixth form – we also wanted to preserve and expose the beauty of the building’s original construction; when refurbishing a Victorian building such as this, we wish to retain as much of its soul as possible or what’s the point? Therefore, in order to retain links with the solid beauty and rich heritage that this building – and, ultimately the City itself – possesses, we decided not to cover the brick vaulted soffits, to encapsulate the cast iron columns with bolting face detail forming the central aisle and not cover this with plaster.
The building, fortunately, did not fight too much against us in the re-planning of the internal elements but did, however, throw up some interesting design challenges – certainly with the construction of the partitions interfering with the cast iron columns and beams. However, all these issues were overcome and allowed us to create what Dixons Academy ultimately required for them: to teach and prepare their students for their next chapter.
Olly Powell, Project Architect, said: “It’s fantastic to be a part of a project which is so rich in the heritage of the local area and that celebrates the engineering of both the past and the present – inviting the building’s users to examine both in more detail; this is what conservation should be about – engaging with the user and the wider public and bringing these buildings back to the prominence that they deserve.”
As we move ever closer to the last quarter of this year, we reflect on what we’ve achieved in these unprecedented times. We’ve seen high-profile project wins, framework commissions and the completion of some truly fantastic projects.
Two recently-completed Fire Stations – adding to our growing Blue Light portfolio are: Aston Fire Station Refurbishment and the Wyre Forest Emergency Services Hub – delivered for West Midlands Fire Service, and Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service.
Both of these projects represent significant steps towards the modernisation and regeneration efforts by each Service to richly enhance their local communities and continue to shine as a beacon of best industry practice.
Won through a public sector procurement process back in 2016, the Aston Fire station presented a unique challenge for our project team – comprised of a Grade II Listed structure that was earmarked for demolition – to continue with a new-build process.
Keen to preserve the original fire house, Bond Bryan worked hand-in-hand with the Client – collaboratively exploring options for how we could develop the design and incorporate heritage building harmoniously into the design.
The result has seen the full refurbishment of the Grade II Listed building, with the operational accommodation and appliance bays being retained at ground level and with the addition of several new-build support facilities adjacent to the main building.
Community integration has been key to this project throughout: the new-build facilities on the upper floors include a community library and heritage museum display – offering the local community a place to learn about the heritage of both the site and their local fire service.
A new-build facility – at the Wyre Forest Emergency Services Hub – was also completed this summer, marking a significant step forward for Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service: this project transformed a disused brownfield site, formerly used by commercial and industrial operators. Seeking to amalgamate three different facilities into a singular, cohesive emergency services hub, the project’s design was heavily influenced by the need for operational efficiency – both in the form of multiple emergency vehicle service bays and in the form of site access and egress.
We worked with the site’s parameters to create this design – using these to keep both appliance and staff/visitor access points separate and negate the potential for conflict between the different traffic types – ensuring no time would be lost in an emergency situation.
As part of Bond Bryan’s imaginative site usage, the building’s design runs parallel to the adjacent street frontage – maximising the portion of site available behind the main building that has been allocated for training facilities. These training facilities also seek to replace an aged Hot Fire training facility, whilst also including other essential training facilities such as a High Volume Pump training facility and a Road Traffic Collision (RTC) training area – offering the chance for easy and cohesive cross-discipline training with the different emergency service operators located at the site.
Through its design and function – the new-build signifies both Bond Bryan’s and the Authority’s commitment to delivering excellence for a reduced cost whilst ensuring an outstanding service is still given.
BIM Level 2 was replaced by the UK BIM Framework in October 2019, after the release of BS EN ISO 19650-1 and BS EN ISO 19650-2 in December 2018. Guidance has been developed to support the ISO 19650 series and both Rob Jackson and Emma Hooper have been involved in developing this written documentation. These webinars offer an opportunity to listen to the authors of the guidance in order to gain a better understanding of applying ISO 19650 onto projects. Rob will be part of the team – explaining the information management function – whilst Emma’s session will be discussing the development of information requirements.
We invite you to sign up to the sessions here:
Part A: The information management function and resources (Thursday October 15th 10:00AM – 11:00AM) including Rob Jackson
Part D: Developing information requirements (Thursday October 15th 12:00PM – 1:00PM) including Emma Hooper
Part C: Facilitating the CDE (Thursday October 15th 2:00 PM – 3:00PM)
Part E: Tendering and appointments (Friday October 16th 12:00PM – 1:00PM)
Part F: Information delivery planning (Friday October 16th 2:00PM – 3:00PM)
All events can also be found here.
Bond Bryan have been delivering educational environments for over three decades. Over this time, we’ve fostered a culture of collaborative design with our clients, and also ensured that all of our innovations are shared from project team to project team throughout our wide-reaching practice.
As such, our team members work with – and add to – the rich tapestry of knowledge gathered by all of their colleagues since 1987. Our never-ending cycle of knowledge sharing, architectural revolution, and peer-to-peer mentorship has ensured that we have remained strong leaders within the education sector – delivering a vast portfolio to a fantastic client base.
Within each sector we work in, we have those whom we consider to be our ‘sector experts’, and this piece is designed to give a glimpse into the career, inspiration and design philosophy of one of our foremost School Sector leaders – Afshan McKay.
Afshan McKay sits within our Sheffield studio and is recognised as our sector leader for designing vibrant, energising and motivational school environments.
An Associate Director and a long-term Bond Bryan veteran, Afshan has been a key member in many of our educational teams – leading design teams, mentoring staff, and delivering many award-winning schools across the UK.
Over her 13-year career with Bond Bryan, Afshan has cemented herself within our firm as a natural leader and is highly regarded – as a trusted pair of hands – by the Department for Education and local authorities across the midlands and the north of England.
We caught up with Afshan to ask her a few questions about her passion for design, her inspiration and what she thinks is the key to creating a truly inspirational school environment:
That’s an interesting question! It was about year 8 of school when we had to write an essay about our interests and what career we’d like to pursue. Coming from an Asian background, it can be a very competitive environment to succeed – people become doctors, surgeons, engineers, scientists – but all I wanted to be was an artist, which didn’t exactly fit into the idea of success which my parents had. However, by marrying up my loves of science, maths and art, I chose to pursue architecture as a career. For me, problem-solving and creativity have always been my strengths and things which I enjoy – and architecture really gives me that freedom to solve problems in a creative way.
I also wanted to have a job where no two days would be the same – and that’s exactly what architecture gives me: one day I’m designing, the next I’m meeting my clients, then I’m going through technical detailing with my design team. I always say, “find what makes you happy in this world and do that” – and, for me, that’s exactly the opportunity which architecture has given me.
I think the biggest thing to remember, as an architect, is that buildings are not sculptures. In every design you produce, you have to put the human element first – a building can be the most stunning piece of architecture on the outside, but if it doesn’t work on the inside, then the building has failed.
In the end, it’s what’s inside that counts: the building functions to serve those within it – and, if you fail the interior of a building, you fail the user.
It wasn’t even a flashy building! It was the Dyke House School in Hartlepool. It was a remodelling project of an old Victorian school building, which in itself was a very typical design of the era but, over time, there had been countless piecemeal additions made to the original building – making it a nightmarish mish mash and the interior spaces had paid the price. So, we stripped back all of these additions, completely gutted the building’s internals and repurposed the school to fit its modern-day use: we allowed natural light to illuminate the building, we stripped away any small interior spaces and replaced them with large, open spaces. We restored it to its former glory – it was an internal transformation – and most importantly, the kids loved it!
As a BSF project, we had a lot riding on it and it was a particularly challenging refurbishment – besides the added pressure. However, the end product itself was astounding and all involved in the project – from the design team, to the clients, to the staff and students – felt a real sense of pride in what we had achieved; it’s not about glory, it’s about how you make the spaces work.
The end-user’s needs. Every school – no matter how big or small – must serve the needs of the staff and the students first and foremost. Once those needs have been addressed and incorporated into the design, you can start to review how the context and setting of the school should feed into the design.
Architecture shouldn’t be a display of ego – it’s not about designing the building I want to design, but about designing the building that the end-user needs. We, as architects, are subservient to the needs of our buildings’ users, and this is something we should never lose sight of.
Benton Park School is an authority-maintained public-sector school tracing its history back to the early 1800s. After a review by Leeds City Council Children’s Services, it was identified that the school would have to grow to accommodate an extra 300 students by September 2021.
Bond Bryan first began work on this project in 2016 – producing a feasibility study that led to the Council’s acquiring adequate funding to finally launch this project, in earnest, in 2019. Following a very tight design competition period, we were delighted to win this project in December 2019 and finally able to take it forward to completion.
Considerable work has since been undertaken by Bond Bryan, in conjunction with the School, the LEP and Leeds City Council, to develop the vision for the school – including a comprehensive review of the existing school estate. At the centre of this vision is the construction of the new school building and associated facilities – to replace some of the school’s existing accommodation and to provide an integrated, inclusive and sustainable environment in a development that is a fantastic place in which to learn.
Our scheme includes a high-quality, new school building that benefits from its parkland setting with improved open spaces, play and sports facilities and provides a distinctive and striking design whilst sitting comfortably within the immediate, enhanced surrounding landscape.
Work started on site in July and we are delighted to see this project rising from the ground, with a projected finish date for the building of September 2021 and the completion of external works by May 2022. Bond Bryan Associate Director and Project Lead, Afshan McKay, comments:
“We are delighted to see this project finally come to pass. It was a long time coming for both the School and the local community!”
We hope to see the works continue their smooth progress in these trying times – giving us all something exciting to look forward to!
Tomasz Romaniewicz has been invited by Turner and Townsend to join them, on their webinar on Town Centre Regeneration funding, to an invited audience of Local Authorities, Stakeholders and Developers.
With many of the UK’s once-thriving town centres facing economic demise and a sharp decline in retail tenants – exacerbated by the global pandemic – the webinar will share insights and provide advice and guidance on how local authorities can secure and maximise the benefits of public sector funding in revitalising the high street and town centres.
During this session, Turner & Townsend, Bond Bryan and Caledonian Economics will also consider how local authorities can start to reinvent and reinvigorate town centres and will discuss the importance of a well-evidenced business case to unlock funding. In addition, the webinar will be supported by MHCLG, the City of York Council and Calderdale Council.
Tomasz will be discussing how Bond Bryan adapted their community and stakeholder engagement model during the COVID-19 outbreak, and the lessons-learned around using this data to inform the evolution of the masterplan and contribute to evidence-based decision making when bidding for MHCLG funding.
The government has invited 100 locations to develop proposals for a Town Deal – as part of the £3.6 billion Towns Fund, in its plan to level up our regions.
National property developer, Godwin Developments, has recently announced the acquisition of a one-acre site within Sheffield city centre. The company plans to transform it into a 300+ unit residential build to rent (BTR) development. The developer is working in partnership with local planning consultants Urbana Town Planning and architects Bond Bryan. Farm Road’s new scheme is set to play a major part in delivering a new gateway to the city.
Stuart Pratt, group development director for Godwin Developments, showed his support for the city and the development. “We are absolutely delighted to have secured this highly desirable site, situated in the Sheaf Gardens area in Sheffield. We look forward to working closely with Urbana Town Planning, Bond Bryan, the local planners, the community and the city council to ensure this scheme provides the best possible opportunities for Sheffield.”
Located on the corner of Farm Road and Queens Road, the site is a five-minute walk from Sheffield’s main train station. It will form a significant part of the Sheffield Midland Station and Sheaf Valley Development framework. The area, which is the focus of the next phase of the city centre regeneration, will establish Sheffield as a regional and national development hub. It is well placed to benefit from enhanced connectivity to be delivered by HS2 and the Northern Powerhouse Rail.
Godwin’s city centre development, which is in close proximity to Sheffield Hallam University as well as local amenities, expects to create more than 200 temporary jobs during its construction phase, with an additional 30 permanent roles when operational.
Adam Murray, Managing Director at Urbana Town Planning and member of the executive board of the S-PA, added: “We’re delighted to be involved delivering this exciting proposal. Godwin Developments have shown huge confidence in Sheffield as it emerges out of the pandemic and are looking to invest in the city in a big way.
“This is a key gateway into the city centre, and it deserves the high-quality design that you would expect from such an important site. We look forward to working with our partners and the City Council to ensure what is delivered sets a new standard for city living in Sheffield post COVID-19.”
Tomasz Romaniewicz from Bond Bryan architects (another S-PA member) also commented: “We are thrilled to have secured this appointment with Godwin Developments. It further demonstrates BTR’s resilience and its importance as a tool for regenerating our cities. The scheme will form an essential component within the next chapter of the city centre and is another significant project highlighting our BTR expertise.”
Investment in Sheffield and its built environment is always positive, but a display of confidence in our city during this pandemic has particular resonance. We look forward to receiving updates on the project in the near future.
The Aspire School in Sittingbourne is a primary school for 168 children with special educational needs and was founded with an ambition to transform the opportunities of many young people with Autistic Spectrum Condition (ASC) and severe speech and language difficulties (SSLD.)
The design was developed – in close collaboration with the Grove Park Academies Trust -following an in-depth review of a number of SEN schools and their facilities, with the aim of achieving the most important objective: to create an environment that both inspires young people and provides the ideal backdrop to nurture lifelong learning experiences for the children who learn there – going beyond design excellence and embedding an holistic understanding of how buildings can enhance the day-to-day life of their users, as well as focusing on sustainable and environmentally-responsive design.
Caroline Gibbs, SEN design expert, commented: “The design of the school aims to provide a cohesive and inspiring educational facility. The learning experience of those with learning difficulties can be greatly enhanced by removing distractions and providing a safe, structured environment alongside clear routines in the classroom.
The elements of comfort, relaxation, motivation and inspiration are all essential to the SEN learning experience and must be considered if pupils are going to engage with, and enjoy, the environment they are within whilst helping them to feel safe.”
The smooth transition through the school years was a key driver for the design concept. It was paramount that the pupils’ learning environment was replicated when they moved up and through the school – in order to ease the overwhelming impact of change which can have a negative impact on a pupil’s learning journey. Based on this, each classroom has direct access to: outside, a toilet, a quiet room, a staff workroom and a coat/lunch storage space. This was a very specific requirement, which assisted the staff in their working day and the pupils’ learning experience.
Having a direct toilet access provides privacy and easy supervision, whilst balancing pupils’ needs for privacy and dignity. The storage space for coats and lunch bags assists with the challenges associated with clutter and allows the classroom to be non-distracting and uncluttered. Having each classroom with a staff work room, allows for passive supervision onto the circulation and within the classroom; which is invaluable support to pupil and staff.
The school benefits from large classrooms with plenty of natural light and easy access to outdoor learning: being outdoors, in open quiet spaces whilst being secure, relieves stress and anxiety; this allows children to develop better social skills and to feel more in touch with their natural surroundings – providing children with visual, auditory and kinaesthetic learning.
Pupils with ASC often have sensory overload; for example l which was also something that influenced the overall design. Part of the brief was to make sure that the kitchen was located away from the main school, which limited the impact of smell. This knowledge came directly from a visit to another school which provided valuable lessons from its central hall being in the middle of the building.
The school environment needed to be flexible enough to accommodate a wide range of special needs and yet adaptable enough to be able to respond to a changing school population.
Anxiety can stem from a variety of situations – from not understanding the building’s layout and the locations of fire escapes to being anxious about using pressure-push taps.
The design avoids mixed-use, open-plan or shared spaces as students with ASD can develop anxiety about what a space is to be used for.
The Aspire School will open its doors for the first term in September and we are excited about the new opportunities that this will bring for pupils in the Swale area.
Bond Bryan were successful on 6 Lots covering these regions: Yorkshire, West Midlands, East Midlands, East of England, London and South West. This exciting Framework will enable clients to have a fast and flexible approach to procuring the right professional teams to work within a range of projects over a variety of sectors. The framework is accessible to most public sector bodies, free to use and offers flexible call offs and direct awards. We look forward to working alongside Procure Partnerships Framework over the next 4 years.
Join Bond Bryan Director and Project Architect, Matthew Hutton and the RIBA Yorkshire Sheffield Society of Architects on their virtual tour of The University of Sheffield Engineering Heartspace.
The session will begin with a presentation and live Q&A from Matt Hutton – including video and photography from the buildings before and after the striking conversion.
The Engineering Heartspace, at the University of Sheffield’s historic Mappin St complex of buildings, sits beneath a dramatic undulating glass roof structure, providing a unique space for the whole of the faculty. The quadruple height atrium, inserted between the Grade II listed Mappin Building and the 1885 Central Wing, offers highly-serviced laboratories, offices and a café – as well as providing a collaboration space for students and staff from various departments.
The session is free to join in and is welcome to everyone – architects and other built environment professionals, students, families and friends!
Thursday 6th August at 5.30pm via Microsoft Teams.
Register here: https://lnkd.in/ds_vNfS
