Folkestone Police Station

As part of Project Zenith, Kent Police’s wider estate transformation programme, Bond Bryan was appointed to provide architectural and interior design services for the comprehensive refurbishment and remodelling of Folkestone Police Station.

Transforming an ageing and underutilised estate into a modern operational hub for Kent Police’s East Division, the project reimagines accommodation across multiple buildings, introducing flexible workplaces, improved operational facilities and targeted new-build interventions. Working within a live, fully operational police station, the design balances operational resilience with workplace quality, creating an environment that better supports the evolving needs of modern policing while extending the life of the existing estate.

The project demonstrates how thoughtful refurbishment can unlock the potential of an existing operational building, creating a workplace designed around the people who use it every day.

Through the reorganisation of departments, previously dispersed teams are brought together within flexible, open-plan environments that encourage collaboration, improve communication and make more effective use of the available floor space. Existing cellular layouts and inefficient circulation have been rationalised to maximise natural daylight, increase usable accommodation and create intuitive, efficient workplaces that respond to the demands of contemporary policing.

New briefing rooms, meeting spaces, welfare facilities and staff amenities further enhance the working environment, while targeted operational facilities support the specialist functions required within the station. Throughout the design process, Bond Bryan worked closely with Kent Police to refine layouts, improve accessibility and create a more flexible estate capable of adapting to future operational requirements.

Working within a live police station required careful planning to ensure critical services remained fully operational throughout the refurbishment.

By combining phased delivery with intelligent spatial planning, the project enables the station to continue serving its operational role while significant improvements are made to the existing estate. The transformation not only creates a more efficient workplace but also supports a stronger operational culture by bringing teams together, improving communication and creating spaces that are better suited to collaborative ways of working.

The refurbishment also addresses years of underinvestment, creating brighter, more accessible and future-ready environments that improve the day-to-day experience for officers and staff while providing the flexibility to respond to changing organisational needs over time.

The project reflects Bond Bryan’s refurbishment-first approach, demonstrating the long-term value of adapting and investing in existing public-sector assets.

Rather than replacing the existing buildings, the design retains and repurposes the established estate, extending its operational life while reducing the need for wholesale redevelopment. Alongside the refurbishment, targeted backlog maintenance addresses long-standing issues with the building fabric and services, including improvements to roofs, windows, electrical infrastructure and internal finishes, enhancing building performance, resilience and longevity.

Flexible planning and future-proofed workplace layouts ensure the station can continue to evolve alongside the changing needs of Kent Police, creating a more sustainable estate through thoughtful adaptation rather than replacement.