Conamar’s Post

Metropolis has been featured in Architecture Today, where Ben Cross from General Projects reviews what the market for retrofit is like at the moment. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/erBdb6R7 B&K Structures delivered the CLT floor decks and roof, CLT upstands and structural steelwork elements for #Metropolis, on behalf of ISG. “Metropolis is retrofit at its most radical. This is a building that, seven years ago, would have been one of the 50,000 that are demolished every year to make way for a shiny new build – out with the old, in with the new. So the brief was simple. Reset the standard for what a refurbishment can achieve and deliver. Fast-forward over half a decade and we are only six months away from completion of one of the highest performing, amenity-rich and most sustainable developments in London. All rekindled from a Richard Seifert mid-century classic that was commissioned originally for Woolworths as their UK headquarters. It’s difficult to distil what is truly special about this building. We’ve created market-leading amenity throughout the whole building, given every floor a private garden, extended the building by 50 per cent using mass timber, planted over 4,000 trees, saved 4,240 tonnes of carbon through building re-use, achieved BREEAM Outstanding, removed all fossil fuels from our energy supply and we were the first building in London to achieve AirRated Platinum. It really is a building of superlatives. But if you were to say one thing about it, I would hope it is proof that radically reinventing an existing building is not only better for the planet, but delivers better product too.” Find out more about our work in the #Refurbishment and #Retrofit sector here: www.bkstructures.co.uk Henderson Park Capital Partners and General Projects alongside Heyne Tillett Steel, Stora Enso and Allford Hall Monaghan Morris. #construction #sustainability #sustainableconstruction #timberconstruction #masstimber #engineeredtimber #offsitesolutions #netzero #carbon #jobs #buildingdesign #builtenvironment #timber #masstimberconstruction #zerocarbonfuture #timberbuilding #masswoodbuilding #engineeredtimber #offsiteconstruction #timberconstruction #construction #sustainable #building B&K Hybrid Solutions

We’ve claimed 1st and 2nd place… St Helens Central has become the 2nd busiest station in St Helens – behind Newton-le-Willows, another one of our projects Last year, St Helens Station saw 536,754 entries and exits Here's the story of how we designed it: Network Rail and Merseytravel recognised that St Helens Train Station had the potential to become a more prominent feature in the town and sought to improve it significantly. Their vision was to transform the station into an iconic gateway, enhancing its role as both a transportation hub and a visual landmark for St Helens. To achieve this, Merseytravel commissioned the project through Network Rail, and the redesign was led by Seed Architects Limited, with Gary taking charge of the design. A £6 million investment was secured for the redevelopment, resulting in the construction of a stunning glass-fronted building. The design was carefully crafted to align with the aesthetics of the nearby George Street conservation area, creating a modern yet sustainable structure. The station was designed to be equally impressive from both rail and road approaches, establishing its status as a key feature of the town’s landscape. The progression from the previous outline design to the final build involved using advanced materials to create a modern response to the demanding site. These materials included: ⤵️ 🔶 An exposed structural framework. 🔷 Copper shingle fin walls 🔶 Standing seam roofing 🔷 Bridge cladding 🔶 Spider glazing The copper cladding was specially treated to retain its vibrant colour over time and was chosen for its durability, sustainability and low maintenance needs, ensuring the station remains visually appealing for years to come. In addition, the station now includes a new pedestrian bridge and a connected platform 2 building. The upgraded facilities featured: ⤵ 🚗 120 park-and-ride spaces with dedicated blue badge holder bays. 🎟 A new booking and ticket office 😎 Improved waiting areas 🛍 Retail spaces This is serviced by new lifts, cycle parking, digital CCTV, and customer information systems which were also added to enhance accessibility and the overall passenger experience. Last year, St Helens Station saw 536,754 entries and exits, highlighting its growing importance to the local community as a vital transportation hub.

The oldest buildings are the most sustainable buildings, and a very satisfying part of our work is being able to give an old building a new purpose and lease of life. Especially when it’s a distinctive brutalist building like this one in Sheffield city centre. Sheffield is known for its brutalist landmark buildings, such as Park Hill, the Moorfoot building, and the Moore Street electricity substation. Division House, the former Westfield offices on Division Street, is not as well-known, but it is a little brutalist gem. Working on behalf of our client MCR, we converted this building from offices into 39 residential apartments whilst retaining the ground-floor retail units on this popular city centre street. The things I particularly like about this scheme are: 🏘️ More new homes in the city centre 💰Local businesses occupy ground-floor spaces, supporting local commerce and activating the street. 🏢 Sheffield is known for its brutalist architecture, so the retention of this building contributes to local identity and distinctiveness. ✅ Breathe new life into a building whose former use had become obsolete, securing its future for many decades to come. 🏬 A good example of mixed use ‘gentle density, buildings ranging between 3-7 storeys. ♻️ Reusing the existing structure was a more sustainable alternative to demolition and the construction of a new building on the site. Division House is a project that can help bring new life into urban centres, and it is a classic example of our work.

WATSON STREET CONSULTATION EVENT THIS FRIDAY & SATURDAY A vision to redevelop Pilkington UK’s Watson Street Works site into a major mixed-use scheme will be showcased this month. Pilkington UK, part of the NSG Group, has been producing glass at the site in #StHelens for almost 200 years. During that time, technology has evolved and buildings on the site have been built, adapted, and demolished to suit these changing requirements. NSG Group is relocating glass production from Watson Street to a rolled glass line at nearby Greengate Works. The move to the more sustainable site was said to represent progress towards a sustainable future for the NSG Group as it targets carbon neutrality by 2050. The relocation provides an opportunity for the development of the Watson Street Works site for alternative use. NSG Group has been in discussion with St Helens Council to determine how the future of the site could support wider regeneration plans for the nearby town centre. While Pilkington UK/NSG Group will not be directly involved with any future development of Watson Street Works, it intends to demonstrate how the site could contribute to the future #regeneration of St Helens. The masterplan concept, which has been developed by a team of consultants led by Broadway Malyan on behalf of St Helens Borough Council and Pilkington UK/NSG Group, envisions a new mixed-use district on the edge of the town centre that will include 700 new homes, and light industrial and business space, all integrated around generous green space and inspired by the site’s rich industrial heritage. Ivor Phillips, director of architecture at Broadway Malyan, said: "This is a huge opportunity for St Helens to regenerate and reimagine this key brownfield site and create a vibrant, liveable and sustainable place that takes reference from the past while responding to the future needs and aspirations of the town." Neil Syder, managing director at Pilkington UK, added: "While we won’t be directly involved in future development of Watson Street Works, we are keen for potential developers to recognise the contribution the site could make to the future regeneration of St Helens. "It’s a really exciting time for the region, and with our investment into Greengate, and possibilities for the future of Watson Street looking really interesting, we are committed to supporting the St Helens community to thrive, and ensuring that the town remains at the heart of UK glass manufacturing." Other consultants working on the project include Nexus Planning, IMT Consulting, Curtins, RSK, TEP, Buro Happold and Aspinall Verdi. Public drop-in event The public drop-in consultation event for the regeneration of the former Pilkington UK glass works at Watson Street will take place on 12th July and 13th July at the LaGrange Arcade in the Church Square Shopping Centre in St Helens. More details can be found at https://lnkd.in/ejkD__pk

VIA 57 West in New York City, designed by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), is an innovative structure that introduced a new design concept in NYC — the Courtscraper. The structure combines 830,000 square feet of indoor space and 22,000 square feet of courtyard space. The mixed-use project consists of 709 residential units with a commercial and cultural space on the ground levels, as well as a variety of amenities for residents. This innovative building required sustainable technologies throughout, so the BIG group specified Uponor radiant for the heating and cooling system, which improved occupant comfort and reduced energy consumption. The intelligent design and forward-thinking construction even landed the project on the 10 Most Sustainable Buildings in NYC list by Green.org Visual Credit: Iwan Baan

Stephen George + Partners (SGP) is delighted to see the The Arch Company's commencement of work on transforming four dilapidated railway arches on America Street, Southwark. SGP's design combines technical expertise with historic building experience to create contemporary spaces, which nod to the industrial heritage of the arches. Located in an area undergoing significant renewal and encompassing the Low Line urban regeneration initiative, the America Street scheme will transform previously unloved arches into contemporary spaces for new leisure, food and drink and retail businesses. Santosh Patel from Pick Everard highlights the project's significance in fostering a vibrant cultural hub. Principal Architectural Technologist, Josh White, emphasises the aim for pedestrianisation and integration with the local milieu. Alan Soper, Studio Director at SGP, underscores the project's transformative potential and commitment to local revitalisation efforts. Craig McWilliam, Chief Executive at The Arch Company, said: “We’re investing £2.5m into these spaces to provide much-needed additional commercial space suitable for leisure use. Repurposing these arches is part of our ongoing programme to create fit-for-purpose spaces in which businesses can thrive. The America Street project is just one of over ten such projects for which SGP has been commissioned to develop designs. Two schemes have recently achieved planning consent in Manchester, whilst elsewhere in London Crucifix Lane and Witan Street are progressing on site. The latter is already on site and due to complete soon and comprises the refurbishment of six arches into high-specification commercial premises for light industrial use located just 16 minutes away from the City of London. To read more visit 👇 https://lnkd.in/eadrf2zd #RailwayArches #RailwayHertitage #Fitout #RailwayArchesRestored #HistoricPreservation #ArchitecturalTransformation #LondonLeisureHub #LowLineRegeneration #SustainableDevelopment #LocalBusinessSupport #AdaptiveReuse #CreativeSpaces #LondonArchitecture #SGPLeisureAndHospitality

Plans submitted for first new homes at Smithfield Birmingham Lendlease has submitted a planning application for a landmark mixed-use building within its exciting regeneration of Birmingham Smithfield. Subject to approvals, the building, designed by Bell Phillips and local practice Intervention Architecture, will overlook Manor Square and include 408 high-quality build-to-rent homes. It will be the first residential element of the regeneration of Smithfield and is planned to also feature a health and wellbeing-inspired leisure facility; as well as a mix of independent shops, bars and restaurants for the public to enjoy. Outline plans for the 17-hectare Smithfield development were unanimously approved by Birmingham City Council in June this year. Altogether the scheme will include over 3,000 new homes and will bring cultural and leisure attractions as well as new workspace for businesses. Birmingham’s historic Bull Ring Markets remain at the heart of these plans and will be housed in two new buildings. Designed with a focus on high-quality architecture, landscape, and public spaces, Smithfield Birmingham will also create up to 9,000 new jobs and deliver significant economic benefits to the city and wider West Midlands region whilst preserving the rich local heritage, particularly the historic Bull Ring Markets, which have existed for over 800 years. Selina Mason, Director of Masterplanning for Smithfield said: “This is an important step for both Lendlease and the Birmingham Smithfield regeneration scheme. These plans kick-start the transformation of this iconic site, bringing much needed new homes and spaces that support health and wellbeing and the local community. “We’re proud to be playing a part in preserving Birmingham’s historic Bull Ring Markets, while also creating a vibrant new neighbourhood that will benefit the city for generations to come and look forward to this application being considered by the City Council early next year.”

The iconic VIA 57 West is a shining example of sustainable innovation in NYC. With features like radiant heating and cooling systems enhancing energy efficiency, it's no surprise this project was named one of Green.org's 10 Most Sustainable Buildings in NYC. As the city pushes for greener construction, advancements in sustainable design, like PEX piping, are paving the way for more efficient, eco-friendly building systems. 🗽Let's shape the future of sustainable design — one project at a time! #NewYork #Sustainability #ConstructionInnovation #PEXSystems #NYCDevelopment

A new #sustainable mixed-use facility under #construction at Harvard University will include 250 sheltered bicycle parking spaces, numerous green spaces, an integrated stormwater-management system and a plethora of natural daylight. Learn more about the project - led by Shawmut Design and Construction - which aims for Living Building Challenge Certification from the Living Future Institute, on Green Building News.

Really excited to share the news that Lendlease has submitted a planning application for a landmark mixed-use building within its exciting regeneration of Birmingham Smithfield. Subject to approvals, the building, designed by Bell Phillips and local practice Intervention Architecture, will overlook Manor Square and include 408 high-quality build-to-rent homes. It will be the first residential element of the regeneration of Smithfield and is planned to also feature a health and wellbeing-inspired leisure facility; as well as a mix of independent shops, bars and restaurants for the public to enjoy. Outline plans for the 17-hectare Smithfield development were unanimously approved by Birmingham City Council in June this year. Altogether the scheme will include over 3,000 new homes and will bring cultural and leisure attractions as well as new workspace for businesses. Birmingham’s historic Bull Ring Markets remain at the heart of these plans and will be housed in two new buildings. Designed with a focus on high-quality architecture, landscape, and public spaces, Smithfield Birmingham will also create up to 9,000 new jobs and deliver significant economic benefits to the city and wider West Midlands region whilst preserving the rich local heritage, particularly the historic Bull Ring Markets, which have existed for over 800 years. Selina Mason, Director of Masterplanning for Smithfield said: “This is an important step for both Lendlease and the Birmingham Smithfield regeneration scheme. These plans kick-start the transformation of this iconic site, bringing much needed new homes and spaces that support health and wellbeing and the local community. “We’re proud to be playing a part in preserving Birmingham’s historic Bull Ring Markets, while also creating a vibrant new neighbourhood that will benefit the city for generations to come and look forward to this application being considered by the City Council early next year.”