The Business
News and pictures from the design sector
Words by Emily Martin
Brighton’s Circus Street dazzles
Brighton’s Circus Street has been transformed into a vibrant new social, cultural and economic quarter.
The Circus Street development, as it’s known, draws inspiration from Brighton’s historic agricultural lanes, as well as the urban grain of the city’s older parts.
A formerly disused area of the city centre, the mixed-use site now includes 142 shared ownership and private homes, 450 student accommodation bedrooms, office space and retail units.
The project design team was made up of regeneration specialists, U+I, architects shedkm and landscape architects J & L Gibbons. And lighting design practice Michael Grubb Studio was brought into the project to deliver its lighting strategy.
The project has been ongoing for a number of years, with the initial concept first imagined more than seven years ago.
www.shedkm.co.uk | www.michaelgrubbstudio.com
Planning for Camden lifestyle hotel
Dexter Moren Associates (DMA) has gained planning permission for a new lifestyle hotel in Camden Town, London. The hospitality design specialist was appointed by RE Capital to review a previously consented hotel scheme at Bayham Street to maximise its potential and improve its buildability.
Working within the existing building envelope, DMA has redesigned the scheme to create 70 keys, an uplift from 58 in the original consent.
The main façade, reflective of an industrial warehouse, has been revised to reflect the new internal layouts, better sympathise with neighbouring building typologies and with an emphasis on improving privacy.
www.dextermoren.com
Steuart Padwick’s cement free concrete superstructure reduces its carbon footprint by 70%
Artist and designer Steuart Padwick has delivered The Hope Sculpture, the first 100% cement free permeant concrete superstructure in the UK. By omitting cement, the sculpture has achieved a 70% reduction in CO2 compared to conventional concrete methods.
Image Credit: KEITH HUNTER PHOTOGRAPHY
Sited in Clyde Gateway, Scotland’s largest regeneration programme, the landmark sculpture is a 23.5m high installation, which can be seen from various viewpoints across the city.
This is part of a larger public art installation featuring three sculptures across Glasgow and South Lanarkshire, designed by Padwick.
Image Credit: KEITH HUNTER PHOTOGRAPHY
Padwick commented: ‘We all need to address this new global agenda so our young can embrace a future of hope. It is very simple, why would anyone want to poison their future?’.
As part of the project 30 writers, poets and local school children were asked ‘What makes you hopeful for the future?’. These included some of Scotland’s best known writers including Jackie Kay, Booker winner Douglas Stuart and Ali Smith. Their words are inscribed on the sculptures.
www.thehopesculpture.com | www.steuartpadwick.co.uk
Ercol announces new MD
David Finch
Heritage British furniture manufacturer Ercol has announced David Finch as its new managing director. Finch previously held the role of Ercol’s financial director, which he took up in 2016. Chairman Edward Tadros said,’David knows our business very well and will lead an excellent team throughout the company in which I have the greatest of confidence’.
www.ercol.com
Andreu World opens new showroom in Kansas City
Kansas City has recently become the destination for the latest Andreu World showroom in the United States. The space is now a hub offering continued support to the local community of architects and interior designers with a wide range of design and furnishing solutions, focusing on sustainability and well-being.
www.andreuworld.com
Rockwell and Cerberus Acquire Landmark London Waterfront Site
Rockwell, has announced the acquisition of Hurlingham Retail Park from Royal London Asset Management (RLAM), in a joint venture with Cerberus Capital Management. The sought-after waterfront site, which is inside the South Fulham regeneration area, is one of the few remaining regeneration opportunities in the area. Once developed, the site will comprise multiple 4-12 storey buildings, delivering some 269 residential apartments alongside more than 30,000 sq. ft of commercial space.
www.rockwellproperty.co.uk
www.cerberus.com
New Garden Square Brings Tranquil Retreat to Kensington
A garden square created by Scape Design has recently been completed in the Kensington Palace conservation area of West London. It provides high-quality public realm and private landscape areas for Lancer Square, a new mixed-use development of 36 world-class apartments, retail and restaurants exclusively designed by Squire & Partners.
www.scapeda.co.uk
Willmott Dixon partners with North Tyneside Council for net zero transport hub
Willmott Dixon is expanding its portfolio of net zero in operation projects by teaming up with North Tyneside Council to deliver a sustainable transport hub and town square in North Shields.
The proposed transport hub will provide a contemporary, high-quality facility bringing together the town’s bus services while being closer to the Metro, taxis and cycling links. The site will also feature a new open town square for events and leisure activities, creating a calming green space in the heart of the town centre.
The transport hub is being targeted as the first net zero carbon building in North Tyneside by incorporating an enhanced building envelope to maximise airtightness, an array of photovoltaic (PV) solar panels and a surface water management system.
The project has undertaken a Life Cycle Carbon Assessment to understand and take steps to reduce the embodied carbon footprint of the project.
Nick Corrigan, director at Willmott Dixon said: ‘We are proud to be playing our part in delivering a project that will be a catalyst for the regeneration of the town centre and create a new gateway for the people of North Shields. It really is a dynamic and sustainable design which will create a vibrant and innovative space for local people’.
www.willmottdixon.co.uk
FX Awards to return to the Grosvenor for 2022
The FX Awards are set to return to the Grovesnor this autumn for the first in-person event since 2019.
Image Credit: DEXTER MOREN ASSOCIATES
Table bookings are now being taken, so do join FX as the team parties through the night and ensure you book early to avoid any disappointment.
Entries for the awards are also now open. Head to the website to book your place and/or to enter.
www.fxdesignawards.co.uk
Fritz Hansen: 150 Years of Extraordinary Design
Danish furniture brand Fritz Hansen is celebrating 150 years, with a series of events and limited edition products.
Select pieces of Fritz Hansen’s most famous designs will be reinterpreted with the use of special fabrics, colours, and materials as apart of its special anniversary editions.
The pieces will be showcased at this year’s Milan Design Week (5-10 April) as well as 3daysofdesign, which takes place in Copenhagen (8–10 June), with the company also showcasing all things ‘Nordic design’.
Josef Kaiser, CEO, Fritz Hansen said: ‘Together, these pieces interpret the Nordic lifestyle seen through an international methodology; understated, aesthetic, elegant and holistic. Ours is a story of exquisite design created on a foundation of craftsmanship and innovation. The anniversary designs convey the modern-day relevance of each design’.
Founded in 1872 Fritz Hansen has pioneered designers, such as Arne Jacobsen, Poul Kjarholm, Hans J. Wegner, Cecilie Manz, Jaime Hayon, Kasper Salto, and others. The company also contributed to revolutionary making-techniques such as wood bending and curving steel.
www.fritzhansen.com
First academics move into new £116 million research facility in Glasgow
The University of Glasgow has welcomed the first researchers into its pioneering flagship research facility, the ARC (Advanced Research Centre).
The L116 million, 16,000m2 building will house a collaborative community of academics from across a range of disciplines and is set to be fully operational from Spring 2022.
Image Credit: ENCO GROUP
The ARC is designed to bring together researchers in an accommodating environment that encourages collaboration, creativity and cross-pollination of ideas.
www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/ campusdevelopment/arc
Squire & Partners showcase stone tapestry
Stone Tapestry was unveiled at Surface Design Show 2022, designed by Squire & Partners to highlight innovative uses, applications and the reuse of natural stone.
Squire & Partners was invited by Stone Federation for the second year running to design a bespoke installation for the show’s Stone Gallery.
This year its Stone Tapestry focuses on the locality, application and reuse of natural stone, and showcases some of the impressive materials quarried in the UK – tapping into the ongoing conversation around using natural stone to deliver a more sustainable built environment.
www.squireandpartners.com
Ultrafabrics announces Jennifer Hendren as new Senior Director of Product Development
Ultrafabrics has announced Jennifer Hendren as its new senior director of product development. Hendren has extensive experience with woven performance jacquards and expertise in textiles.
She said, ‘I’m very excited to be working with the incredible team at Ultrafabrics to expand our product offering into different markets globally. There is tremendous potential with the amazing products that we already have in the works’.
www.ultrafabricsinc.com
New UK architecture degree comes with scholarships built in
The University of Bradford’s new architecture programmes will include a scholarship to all its undergraduate students.
The courses will enable students to learn directly from practising architects, work on projects and embed ‘rigorous sustainability principles’ into their designs.
Dr Mostafa Mohamed, head of Civil & Structural Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering & Informatics, said: ‘There is a need to produce the next generation of architects, architectural engineers and architectural technologists... to address a range of regional and global challenges’.
www.bradford.ac.uk
Manchester’s spectacular Tower of Light
Located in the heart of Manchester city centre, a new 40m illuminated tower has been constructed marking a key milestone in the development of the city’s new heating and electricity network. ‘The Tower of Light’ is a flue tower and facade enclosing the new Vital Energi CHP energy centre.
Image Credit: PHOTOGRAPHY BY BEVERLEY. LIGHTING PRODUCTS BY TRYKA
Spearheaded by the city’s ambitious target to transition to zero carbon by 2038, the Manchester Civic Quarter Heat Network (MCQHN) is now supplying low carbon heat to its first customer, the Manchester Central Convention Complex.
The tower has been designed by architecture practice Tonkin Liu, using a shell lace structural technique created in partnership with Arup.
During the day, the wind moves reflectors to direct sunlight into the tower, filling it with ‘dancing’ light. At night, The Tower of Light showcases a light show. SEAM Design was appointed to create the tower’s lighting scheme, which features products from Pharos Architectural Controls and Tryka.
www.tonkinliu.co.uk | www.pharoscontrols.com | www.vitalenergi.co.uk
New leadership team for TTSP
Architecture practice TTSP has unveiled a fresh leadership lineup that reinforces the practice’s commitment to growth in 2022.
Anna Rigoli is promoted to director of architecture, while Nick Simpson is now director of mission critical. Rosie Richardson- Prescott, who has joined from Gensler, is now the director of interiors, leading TTSP’s interior design team.
Together with managing director, Bill Ryan, and fellow director, Ian Miller, the new directors form the senior leadership team for TTSP.
Ryan said the recent appointments mark the start of an exciting new era for the practice, which recently took up its new residence in The Loom, Aldgate, and has undertaken a wholesale revamp of its vision, mission, and business strategy.
‘TTSP has its eyes now firmly on the future’, said Ryan. ‘We welcome the injection of fresh thinking and new perspectives they collectively bring to ensure we are consistently delivering a positive impact through creative design work.’
www.ttsp.com
TP Bennett completes new BT Hub in Birmingham
TP Bennett has delivered a new workplace experience for global technology company BT within Three Snowhill, Birmingham is the first strategic Hub location to be delivered for BT as part of its ‘The Better Workplace Programme’. Providing a future-fit workplace for up to 3,500 employees, it is also the largest BT Hub outside of London.
Image Credit: HUFTON+CROW
The architecture practice has delivered a series of agile spaces and social hubs as well as ‘destination zones’ to encourage staff to move around the building. A restaurant, terrace and events space, also feature as do multifaith, parenting and consult rooms.
The design scheme features subtle references to Birmingham’s railway industry, canal networks and jewellery quarter woven in through artwork and furniture selection.
The worspace has been rated BREEAM Excellent.
www.tpbennett.com
