Barr Gazetas

"Grainhouse’s success as a retrofit project lies in the project team's depth and breadth of experience." As part of the NLA Retrofit Reads series, Jon Eaglesham, our Managing Director, reflects on Grainhouse – a project that demonstrates how bringing the right team of skilled professionals together can overcome the challenges associated with complex retrofits and deliver exceptional outcomes. Read the article here: https://lnkd.in/e7afntJn

We are incredibly proud of Grainhouse. It’s a project which exemplifies the benefits of retrofit over demolition, and is a true testament to what can be achieved through collaboration and commitment.

How did we refurbish this building to honour its heritage while transforming it into a state-of-the-art workplace?   Originally built in 1925 as the UK headquarters, showroom, and dispatch depot for textile manufacturer Courtaulds, 16 St Martin’s Le Grand was listed in 1989, narrowly escaping demolition. At the time, English Heritage described it as a "remarkable and important example of the Chicago School of Architecture."    A building should reflect the time and values in which it is built. For 16 St Martin’s Le Grand, we carefully preserved, restored, and celebrated its historic features. When incorporating new elements, we didn’t replicate or mimic the original design, but instead created a sensitive contrast that honours its heritage while clearly expressing modern interventions.   Achieving this balance is an art we specialise in, understanding what to preserve and how to introduce new features that both enhance and respect the existing architecture. Swipe to see how we did it 👈   Read more about the project here: https://lnkd.in/eebFMAkM

We are thrilled that Grainhouse has been recognised as one of five exemplary built environment projects, earning a ULI Europe Award for Excellence. The jury highlighted that the project pushes the boundaries of the ‘office of the future’, retrofitting and maximising use of existing assets, and that it represents a great example of how to attract people back to the office.

Introducing 16 St Martin’s Le Grand, a meticulous refurbishment that restores the grandeur of this distinguished Grade II listed building. Originally constructed in 1925 as the headquarters for Courtaulds, one of the 19th and 20th centuries’ leading fabric and clothing manufacturers, 16 St Martin’s Le Grand is a building rich in history and character. Situated just steps from St Paul’s Cathedral in the heart of the City of London, its heritage is as remarkable as its location. The comprehensive refurbishment includes a new reception area, premium end-of-trip facilities, and CAT A+ office spaces. Every contemporary intervention has been designed with the building's history in mind, with textures and fabrics "woven" throughout. For example, the leather inset in the reception desk serves as a nod to the building's textile legacy. The result is a blend of heritage and innovation working in harmony to provide a best-in-class, contemporary workplace. Read more about the project on our website: https://lnkd.in/eebFMAkM Knight Frank GDM Group Rolfe Judd Planning Turley Parmarbrook Structure Tone Hoare Lea

A day in the life with… Dale! Dale joined us in 2023 as an architect and has since been involved in a variety of projects, from public realm work to conservation and retrofit projects. His gift for illustration has been a real asset to the Barr Gazetas team. Dale’s beautiful hand-drawn sketches add a creative, visual layer to design proposals, enhancing the storytelling and helping to bring ideas to life. Outside of the studio, Dale is passionate about giving back to the community. He mentors young people through the Construction Youth Programme, supporting the next generation of architects. Dale is a valued member of our team, and we’re excited to see how his architectural and artistic talents continue to grow! 🎨🎸

Congratulations to two of our wonderful team members, Jasmine and Shukti, who have officially joined the Architects Register 🎊 They’ve been working their socks off, pushing through what has probably felt like an eternity of hard graft, but it's all been worth it! We're delighted for them. Reflecting on her experience, Shukti shares, “The best part has been qualifying in the UK after converting my Part 1 and Part 2 from another country; it made completing my studies an even greater achievement. The challenging aspect has been balancing my social life with my studies.” For Jasmine, her highlight has been “learning from and connecting with amazing minds along the way. The guidance from exceptional teachers and mentors has changed my way of thinking. On the other hand, one of the challenges has been sometimes feeling underrepresented in the industry.” We can’t wait to see how they both continue to grow and excel in their new roles.

The 2024 British Council for Offices Awards concluded this week on Tuesday night and several members of our Grainhouse project team were in attendance. We were delighted to receive a high commendation for the project and we wish hearty congratulations to the national winners! Grainhouse was the winner of the BCO "Best Corporate Workplace" Regional Award. The judges commended the project team for overcoming significant logistical challenges, particularly navigating a complex layout that seamlessly connected five buildings across different boroughs and levels. A huge congratulations to all involved! 🎉 Hines Knight Harwood Gardiner & Theobald LLP Scotch Partners Elliott Wood Faithful+Gould

How does the BRPD role affect the construction industry? As with any significant changes to long-established ways of working, the introduction of the new Principal Designer role has understandably led to some resistance within the industry. At Barr Gazetas, we’ve found that these new responsibilities align well with our core strengths in coordination, collaboration, and managing multidisciplinary discussions – adding a complementary layer to our existing approach. The role itself is inherently proactive, requiring us to ask critical questions, actively ensure design coordination, and confidently challenge other duty holders when necessary. With this proactive approach, architects can once again assume a guiding force in the design and construction process.

No dreary, windowless conference rooms here! Demanding workloads and pressing deadlines push face-to-face meetings down everyone’s priority lists. With this in mind, Marcus Pethica attended the inaugural Workspace_Meets event last week in Mykonos. It was a stacked programme of high-value keynote speakers and brand connections – three days of experience and connection with Europe’s leading workspace designers and a curated collection of luxury, innovative, and contemporary suppliers. “Learning, knowledge-share, and inspiration flowed harder than the local wine. The symposia subjects on lighting, workplace culture, designing for the next generation, responsible use of AI in design, and sustainability – plus the many one-to-one meetings – made this event productive, and attuned to what Barr Gazetas are all about. It was great to take a deep-dive with innovators in the FF&E and building product arena, with a focus on circularity, hyper-localism, and ESG-focused products. This was a brilliant event for personal and professional development with a lot of great take-aways I can leverage straight into projects”. A memorable experience in a stunning location is a welcome disruptor to Barr Gazetas' typical yearly events calendar – and as promised, it was truly ‘a years worth of networking in 3 days’. Thank you Luke Collings and your awesome team for the insightfully curated and slick programme – and top quality hospitality!