Please see below details of a friend of mine Andrew McKeown, who is a local Sculptor based in Middlesbrough.
Andrew has taken on numerous commissions, some of which you may recognise.
More details can be found in the Library.
Visit his website :
Breaking the Mould – Dartford
Organism
Please note that the requirements to meet Lifetime Homes were revised in July 2010.
Please see below:
http://www.lifetimehomes.org.uk/pages/revised-design-criteria.html
Communities and Local Government (CLG) published the November 2010 version of the Code for Sustainable Homes on 11 November. The revised Technical Guidance document and accompanying summary of changes are available to be downloaded. Updated assessment tools and checklists are also available to download for licensed Code for Sustainable Homes assessors via the BREEAM extranet. Follow the link to the BRE http://www.breeam.org/newsdetails.jsp?id=704
Our photographer Doug Jackson visited this fabulous new development last week. The weather wasn’t too bright, but that didn’t stop the building from looking abolutely stunning. Congratulations go to the whole team at P+HS, Willmott Dixon and of course Sunderland Teaching Primary Care Trust who once again have instigated an inspiring development.
LINAC Bunkers
The LINAC bunkers are (I believe) the first to be constructed in the UK using a pre-cast panel sandwhich system and in our case the void between the concrete panels is filled with blast furnace slag and magnetite. This system has offered time savings over the traditional mass concrete solutions as well as passing responsibility for the structural design and radiation protection firmly into the bunker suppliers, which is a significant relief for the main contractor!
Unfortunately it’s quite a tight site and there’s a hoarding all the way round which makes getting good photos almost impossible but Sara’s almost finished some external and internal visuals which I’ll post in due course and these give a much better idea of what the building will look like when complete.
The project is due to handover in June 2011.
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has spoken out against the Prince’s Foundation for the Built Environment’s bid to take on the design review role fulfilled by CABE.
“The Prince’s Foundation is entirely inappropriately placed for a role which demands complete impartiality when making decisions related to the future of the built environment,” said Ruth Reed, RIBA President.
“Good design must not be determined nor constrained by arbitrary stylistic preferences, or the notion of what buildings ‘should’ look like; good design is simply about delivering both the client and the public’s needs within budget, in a way that is appropriate to the building’s context.
“It has to take full consideration of the aesthetic, future use and technical ambitions and constraints of the client, site and brief.
“Design review is one of the most important aspects of CABE’s role, and is a way of helping clients and local communities achieve better buildings.
“The integrity of the process must be maintained, and therefore it should continue to be delivered independently.
“It is something that the RIBA continues to explore with the Government.”
Work is continuing at pace on Ireland Wood Surgery; these photos were taken on Thursday. The green netting and scaffolding are doing a fine job of hiding the building at the moment but the roof and walls are approaching completion.
Yes, the column is meant to be at that angle.
The project is run by Abstract Healthcare Management for Assura Medical Centres, with Tolent Construction. Despite the tropical amounts of rain that seem to be hitting Leeds this autumn, we’re still on programme.
We learned on Friday that P+HS are once again named in Building Good Employers Guide as one of Constructions “good employers”!
Not only did we achieve inclusion as one of the top 50 in the country – we made the TOP FIVE….again!
Your support and commitment to P+HS is always greatly valued, as is your continued trust in the Directors, but never more so than during the current, very difficult time for the profession.
We are delighted to be your management team and proud to be working with you. Together, we do make a crackin’ group of professionals!
Thank you from each of us.
The final bolt on the steel frame of a £4.7m extension to one of Teesside’s most successful business centres has been put in place by the Managing Director of UK Steel Enterprise.
The ceremony marked the completion of an important stage in the development of UK Steel Enterprise’s Innovation Centre on Hartlepool’s Queens Meadow Business Park, due for completion in May 2011.
Stuart Green, head of UKSE, the Tata Steel subsidiary, was joined by representatives from One North East, Tees Valley Unlimited, Hartlepool Borough Council, the town’s Mayor Stuart Drummond and architects, contractors and project managers involved in the project.
The extension will almost double the size of the existing Centre, built in 2005. It will add 20, 000 sq ft of space to the existing 27,500 sq ft, providing 46 new offices, most with balconies, along with an additional reception area and parking space.
“We are pleased to be investing £4.7m in Tees Valley to meet the demand for top quality, managed business premises that is still growing despite the challenging economic circumstances,” said Stuart Green. “We are currently supporting around 80 of the area’s most promising companies in our two Innovation Centres at Redcar and Hartlepool and there has already been considerable interest shown in these new offices.
“UKSE has decades of experience in providing managed business premises and, nationally, we have invested more than £30m in workspace alongside £75m of true risk capital to help more than 4,600 companies and create more than 70,000 jobs.”
Both Innovation Centres are specifically designed to support new and growing companies, leaving them free to concentrate on their core businesses by providing facilities such as a manned reception area, high security, 24 hour access, well-equipped meeting rooms, the latest broadband and telecom systems and even a gym and chill-out room alongside support from an on-site UKSE team and no lengthy leases.
Support for the latest project has come from One North East and Tees Valley Unlimited. David Cramond, Director of Capital Development at One North East said: “This investment by UK Steel Enterprise is very welcome and it is good to see the development taking shape. Projects like this are extremely important for the economy of Tees Valley and the North East and demonstrate what can be done when organisations work in partnership across the region.”
Richard Buckley, Director of Delivery, Tees Valley Unlimited said: “This is exactly the type of project that we are keen to invest in and support as it helps small and medium sized enterprises establish themselves in this area. We want to see developments like this flourish and wish UK Steel Enterprise every success.”
Mayor of Hartlepool Stuart Drummond said: “We are delighted to see UK Steel Enterprise making this investment in Hartlepool. UKSE showed great faith in Phase 1 of our development at Queens Meadow and the Innovation Centre was one of the first buildings to be completed on the business park. A further investment, especially at this time is great news for Hartlepool.”
Stuart Green (top), Managing Director and Simon Hamilton, Regional Manager, from UK Steel Enterprise, tighten the last bolt in the steel frame of the £4.7m extension to the Innovation Centre at Hartlepool. Watching are (from left) Stuart Drummond, Mayor of Hartlepool; David Cramond, One North East; Richard Buckley, Tees Valley Unlimited; Adrian Evans, P + H S Architects; Colin Cook, JNP Group; Lee Barron, Turner & Townsend and Denise Spearman, Mansell Construction.
News release on behalf of UK Steel Enterprise Limited, published in Euvue, see http://regional-news.euvue.co.uk/4-7m-investment-for-hartlepool/
Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) launched an online Sustainability Hub, designed to be a one-stop portal for sustainability information for architects, students, and educators.
This web-based resource, which offers users a platform for learning and discussion, was developed by the Institute to engage the architectural community with sustainability as an inspiration for design, and to pitch green design as an emerging business opportunity.
The content of the Sustainability Hub will initially be centred around four core elements:
- A comprehensive set of design strategies illustrating how to embed the strategy through the conceptual stages of design.
- Relevant and inspiring case studies focusing on the design process, not just the finished building.
- A blog introducing the latest projects and ideas relating to sustainability, content updates, and discussion regarding the experience of RIBA members. High-profile guest bloggers will also be featured alongside a number of regular contributors.
- An expanding series of short films tied into the design strategies, each focusing on one architect, building and design strategy.
The RIBA has ambitious plans for the future growth of the hub, to include book reviews, discussion platforms, related events, and a directory of education and CPD opportunities.
“The RIBA has been at the forefront of sustainable and low carbon design for some time,” said Ruth Reed, President of RIBA. “In developing the Hub, we envisage that it will help to form the central, one-stop site for all of the Institute’s work on sustainability.”
Well, the talking’s over, the retirement presents have been opened and Chris has boarded the ‘Last train for the coast’.
It’s with a feeling of immense pride that I now write this post as the new Managing Director of P+HS. I joined the practice in 1987 and the past 23 years have been eventful, exciting, frustrating but always rewarding. I now look forward with enthusiasm to the coming years and the opportunities that we must explore and secure together to ensure the success of the practice.
There is no doubt that our profession remains in unpredictable times, and we will have to work in lean, effective and innovative ways both now and in the future to ensure our continued success. I know that I am fully supported by a formidable team: my co directors, our hugely talented and dedicated staff, our trusted partners and of course our loyal clients. With this support I am confident, as I take P+HS forward on the next leg of its journey, that we will all do our very best to be successful in identifying and capitalising on every opportunity open to us to deliver great architecture and provide the very best service possible to our clients.
Joe Biggs
Work is progressing nicely on Ireland Wood Surgery in Leeds a GP surgery and pharmacy for Assura Medical Centres and Tolent Construction. This photo was taken a couple of weeks ago so things have moved on a little, but you can already see the form taking shape.
The project is due to finish on site in Spring 2011. I’ll update with more photos as work continues.
Work has started on Phase II of the Hartlepool Innovation Centre. This is the second building on Queens Meadow Business Park that P+HS have designed for UK Steel Enterprise Limited. The foundations are complete and erection of the steel frame is well underway [approx 70% complete]. Work on the roof is due to start later this week, whilst the concrete first and second floors are programmed to commence on 28th October.
Client: UK Steel Enterprise Limited
Architect: P+HS
Main Contractor: Mansell Construction Services Limited
Contract Value: £2.9m
Completion Date: May 2011.
View from site entrance
View from Phase I entrance
View across existing car park
Blaydon Leisure and Primary Care Centre opened its doors to the public on Monday 4 October 2010. The building is a joint venture between Gateshead Primary Care Trust and Gateshead Council. The opening was featured on the BBC local news and further details are available at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-11464725
View from Shibdon Road
View from car park entrance
View from atrium looking towards main entrance.
View from atrium link bridge looking towards PCC
Images supplied courtesy of Willmott Dixon Construction Limited.
