First Project Completed at Leeds Metropolitan University

As part of our on-going work at Leeds Met University we have completed an interior project at the first floor of the Universities City Campus library. The project involved rationalising three floors of reprographics space into one in order to provide additional individual and group study spaces. New fixed and ‘quick visit’ IT space has been provided with a varied selection of furniture to give students greater choice. An interior design scheme with new lighting has also made the space more welcoming and functional.

WBA Double Award Nomination

Watson Batty Architects have had not 1 but 2 recently completed projects nominated for the York Design Awards – ‘Peoples Award’ hosted by the York Press. WBA’s work at Our Lady’s RC Primary School and the refurbishment of the Fountains Learning Centre have been well received and we are delighted that the success of the projects has been recognised through the nominations.

To register your vote and support please click the link below:

YORK DESIGN AWARDS - ‘PEOPLE’S AWARD’

Watson Batty Client Evening

Watson Batty would like to say a big thank you to all that attended our annual client evening which took place on Thursday the 29th of November in our Leeds office. The evening was well attended and a great success.

We would like to say a special thank you to Philips Lighting who did a fantastic job at lighting the exterior of the Watson Batty Office on the night. Watson Batty have been working closely with Philips Lighting over last few months designing the external feature lighting at the (recent planning approved) University of Huddersfield Student Learning and Leisure Centre. For more details on the products and features provided by Philips see www.philips.com

Curtain Goes Up On John Leggott College Performing Arts Building

The new Performing Arts Building for John Leggott College opened it's doors to welcome students this Autumn. The state of the art facility provides a range of dedicated teaching, learning and performance spaces, including specialist acoustic practice and technology spaces. Watson Batty Architects were appointed by the contractor to complete the design and support the project through to completion. We are delighted to be involved in this high profile project for the College.

Morrisons Blyth Progressing Well

With the stores envelope practically complete, McLaren Construction, are now focused on undertaking the internal fit out and second fix of the services as the milestone of mains power is completed this month to the store.   

On completion of the works, due January 2013, the existing stores staff will transfer to the new store and the existing Morrisons building will be demolished to make way for additional car parking and Section 278 works. The external works and new access in the redeveloped site are due to complete in summer 2013. The new store will create an additional 200 new jobs for the local area and forms part of the Blyth town centre regeneration programme.

Watson Batty Architects will be working closely with all involved in the construction phase to ensure a successful delivery of the store

Planning Approval for the Graham Solley Sports Development Centre

Planning permission for the development at Graham Solley Sports Development Centre was granted on Monday the 22nd October.

      

Sheffield City Council have approved a second planning permission on the site for a Pavilion,  Sports Hall and two Synthetic Grass Pitches.

The pavilion comprises of a  two storey building with 14 changing rooms on the ground floor and a Student Social Hub on the first floor offering 4 sided viewing balcony and 360 degree views onto the 8 sports pitches on site for cricket, football and rugby.

The proposed sports hall building comprises of multi-purpose 4 court sports hall, changing rooms , main entrance on the ground floor and a multi-purpose room and viewing gallery on the first floor. The new sports hall building will be linked to the existing sports hall on site on the ground and first floors.

Construction works will commence on site in January 2013 with a completion date set in September 2013.

University of Bradford Consultants’ Framework 2012 – 2015

Watson Batty Architects have been successfully appointed onto the University of Bradford Consultants’ Framework for a further 3 years. Initially appointed onto the framework in 2009, we have now been awarded a position on the latest framework which will run until 2015 with an option to extend the appointment for a further year. Our successful working relationship with the University has seen a number of high profiled projects being delivered on the City Centre Campus. Of note is Student Central, the £7m extension and refurbishment of the Students Union and Student Services building, and the £1m refurbishment of the ground floor JPB Library. We are now on site with Bradford STEM, currently assessed to BREEAM Outstanding and PassivHaus accreditation, possibly the first building to ever achieve both standards simultaneously. We are looking forward to working with the University in the next few years.

Leeds Bradford Airport Apron Walkway Almost Complete

Watson & Batty were commissioned to design an apron passenger walkway at Leeds Bradford International Airport (LBIA) in October 2012.

The walkway was to offer a covered access for passenger access & egress aircraft from gates 8 to 14 inclusive and totaled distance of 155 metres. To give full flexibility the structure has three aisles offering interchangeable access to both arriving & departing passengers to balance peak demand.

The structure is naturally vented & fully glazed for passenger comfort.Phase one & two of the project were completed in October 2012 with phase three due for completion at the end of 2012.

Royal Mail Projects win two National CDM Awards

The recently completed projects at Tyneside Mail Centre and Leeds Mail Centre, part of the Royal Mail North East Transformation Programme, had received three nominations to the 2012 Association for Project Safety National CDM Awards. Royal Mail Group Property, with their Consultants and Contractor, were outright winners of both the Regional Health & Safety Awards and CDM Co-ordinator of the Year Award.

The APS Awards are the construction industry's premier showpiece for excellence in Design and Construction, they recognise projects with an outstanding and innovative approach to Health & Safety.

On the two Mail Centre projects the Royal Mail operators, main contractor Wates Construction and the design team collaborated to promote a culture of zero-tolerance to H&S risks which resulted in over 200,000 accident free hours across the two projects over an 18 months period. Innovative measures included a red-card system for unsafe acts, stringent policy on the use of PPE, weekly planning meetings of the work ahead and monthly rewards for individuals and sub-contractors demonstrating exemplary H&S awareness and initiative.

Overall a great team effort.

The new extension at Tyneside Mail Centre

Leeds Mail Centre during construction

University of Huddersfield Student Learning and Leisure Centre Gains Planning Approval

The new £22.5m Student Learning and Leisure Centre for the University of Huddersfield received planning permission during a special committee meeting on the 10th September. The facility provides much needed sports accommodation including an 8 badminton court sports hall, fitness suite, squash courts, a climbing wall, and a range of studios and a spa. To compliment the leisure activities the new development integrates social learning and catering facilities, student services, students' union and the existing library  accommodation, and a new corporate suite.

The striking appearance and use of modern materials crates a unique identity on a key gate way into the town.

Demolition and enabling works are currently ongoing with the main phase of construction work due to start on site before Christmas. The project is due for completion in Spring 2014.

click here to view fly-through video

WBA appointed for Limehurst High School, Loughborough

Watson Batty Architects have been appointed by Limehurst High School as Project Architect to deliver a Property Strategy to determine the best option for the redevelopment of the High School.

WBA are working closely with the school headmaster, teachers, governors and the Project Managers AA Projects to deliver this exciting development. 

Graham Solley Sports Centre starts on site

Construction work has started on the first phase of an exciting £4.8 million development of the site at Bawtry Road, Sheffield. Works at this phase involve heavy engineering ground works relating to the reinstatment and reseeding of 5 grass pitches for football and rugby.

A second Planning Application has been submitted to Sheffield City Council for the wider site development including 2 full size synthetic turf pitches, flood lights for 3 grass pitches, a new sports hall (future Development), two storey pavilion with 12 team changing rooms, bar, function rooms, kitchen and other ancillary accommodation.   

WBA appointed for Queens Park Sports Centre, Chesterfield

Watson Batty Architects have been appointed by Chesterfield College as Lead Consultant and Project Architect to deliver a feasibility study to determine the best option for redeveloping the Queens Park Sports Centre.

WBA are working closely with Chesterfield Borough Council and design team colleagues Buro Happold, Turner & Townsend and Knight Kavanagh & Page. 

The study is due to complete by the end of September reviewing and advising on various refurbishment and redevelopment opportunities for the existing 1960s and 1980s sports centre site. 

Morrisons contend for NACS award second year running

It has been announced that the National Association of Convenience Stores will be touring the UK in September 2012 visiting leading convenience formats. The tour will see the NACS visiting Morrison’s M-local once again with an opportunity to meet the store team behind the new c-store concept. 


M-local was highly commended in Insight NACS’ 2011 International Convenience Retailer of the Year Award for its innovation with fresh food in a small format. Watson Batty were pleased to assist Morrisons as Lead Designers in delivering the first M-local store in Ilkley, followed by Wilmslow with a third store due to open in Widnes.


Watson Batty wish Morrisons the best of luck with there forthcoming visit! 


For more information visit: Click here

Olympic Torch reaches Loughborough University Stadium

Hundreds of local school children greeted the London 2012 Olympic Torch as it passed through the recently completed Loughborough University Stadium designed by Watson Batty Architects.  The torch entered the stadium to huge cheers from the near capacity crowd before embarking on one circuit of the ground and then being exchanged between the Torch relay runners. 

Loughborough University is the official base camp for Team GB in the lead up to the Olympic Games where some of the recently completed WBA sports projects will be used by our Olympians.

Watson Batty Architects wish all concerned and Team GB the very best of luck.

Student Success for Watson Batty

Stewart Brewer is our third successful employee to achieve their Higher National Diploma in Building Studies, after successfully completing the three year part-time course at Leeds Metropolitan University. Stewart is now focusing this attention on internal CPD’s and gaining recognition through the CIAT to support progression in the ever demanding industry. 

Congratulations Stewart!

Watson Batty Furthers Sustainability Credentials

Watson Batty Architects on-going sustainability credentials have been boosted by achieving certification for ISO 14001:2004. Encompassing environmental management systems for architectural services including building design, contract administration, construction monitoring, project management, disabled audits and advice, CDM co-ordination and building condition surveys.

Stephen Jones, Project Architect commented “the ISO 14001 accreditation has made us aware of the environmental implications we have as a business and how simple changes can make a big impact. As a company we are committed to reducing our impact on the environment.”

Watson Batty has also achieved BS OHSAS 18001:2007 Certification, the internationally recognised assessment specification for occupational health and safety management systems. Certification will ensure that the company meets its health and safety obligations in the key areas of hazard identification, risk assessment & control, training and performance monitoring.

Reaching New ‘Heights’

We have successfully commenced works on site up at Woodland Heights in Keighley for our new client Skipton Properties.  This scheme was won in competition to deliver 96No. new build family houses including 16No. units for Bradford based Housing association Incommunities.  The first units of this exciting regeneration project will be handed over in December of this year.

Woodland Heights is our first collaboration with Skipton Properties and hopefully this represents the start of a successful long term working relationship.

Success ‘InBusiness’

Following the recent OJEU bid process, we are delighted to announce that we have been appointed onto the InBusiness for Yorkshire Consultant Framework.  This four year framework is being driven by Yorkshire Housing Group in collaboration with South Yorkshire Housing and aims to deliver new build affordable dwellings across the county up to an estimated construction value of £96Million.

We are very excited at the prospect of helping these schemes move forward.

Spurs and Barbarians open new Loughborough University Stadium

Two special nights of sport opened the new Loughborough University Stadium designed by Watson Batty Architects. Premiership Tottenham Hotspur brought along their emerging football stars of the future when their under-20 academy team played their part in an entertaining 4-4 draw against the University Students.  Former Arsenal and BBC sports presenter Bob Wilson gave an opening speech prior to kick off. 

A few days later the world famous Barbarians rugby union team took to the field, lead by Scotland manager Andy Robinson. In front of an almost full house the University Students, recently promoted to National League One, lost 40-7 in an entertaining and free flowing game. The new floodlit stadium provides accommodation for nearly 4000 spectators, fourteen team changing rooms, officials changing, meeting room, social area with bar and kitchen for 250 guests and covered tiered seating for 300 spectators.

Northfield Hall Complete

Northfield Hall has reached completion and been handed over to the client Brackenhall Community Trust.

The £1.7million community centre project includes two football pitches, a MUGA, large multi-purpose hall which can be divided in two, four large changing rooms, catering kitchen and restaurant, exhibition space, meeting rooms, sanctuary, activity room and a Jolly Roger play gym.

There has been a great reaction from the community about the building with one person describing it as “the best building in Brackenhall”. The contractor was QSP Construction Group from Illkley.

Elland Morrisons Construction Underway

Marshall Construction are currently underway with the Morrison’s new food store in Elland which commenced in February 2012. The construction phase for the food store will continue for the remainder of this year to enable the store to open in January 2013. Following the store opening the adjoining Petrol Filling Station will be constructed which is due to open in May 2013.

The new Food Store and Petrol Filling Station are being built on the existing Nu Swift factory site which supplies and assembles fire extinguisher equipment. During the construction phase Nu Swift are operating as normal until their new factory and offices are complete in September 2012.

Nu Swift International making good progress

Further to Wm Morrison Supermarkets plc acquiring land from Nu Swift International to a build a new Food Store and Petrol Filling Station, Thistle Construction are currently underway with the construction of the new purpose built Nu Swift factory and offices. The building is due for completion in September 2012.

Following completion, Nu Swift will vacate from their existing premises to enable Morrison’s to complete the infrastructure works and petrol filling station.

Loughborough University Cricket Pavilion opening in honour of Graham Dilley

In tribute to the late Graham Dilley, the newly built Cricket Pavilion was named on Friday 13th April in his honour after 11 years of dedication to the University, by Andy Borrie, Deputy Director of Sport.

The new single storey pavilion, designed by Watson Batty Architects alongside Graham and his ECB colleagues, and built by Baggaley Construction, includes team/officials changing rooms and scorer’s room overlooking the Brockington cricket pitch.  Completed towards the end of the 2011 summer the naming ceremony preceded a three day first class fixture between Loughborough MCCU and Leicestershire CCC on the first XI Haslegrave / ECB National Performance Centre cricket pitch.

The refurbished and extended two storey Haslegrave Pavilion and Cricket Analysis Suite for the University and ECB, designed by Watson Batty Architects, also completed last summer, was a new addition to the University ground for the drawn fixture with Leicestershire ahead of the forthcoming season.  

Blyth Morrisons on target to open early 2013

With the enabling works well underway with the main contractor, McLaren Construction, it signals an important milestone in the regeneration of Blyth town centre, securing delivery of this long awaited development.

The new store will be considerably larger than the existing store and will incorporate Morrisons full range of goods and services. It will bring to Blyth the latest Morrisons interior layout, one of the first to be rolled out in the North East. This exciting new concept includes all the food departments, facilities and product choice that make up Morrisons current fresh food offer, but displayed and presented in exciting new ways, which bring together the best innovations in fresh produce retail from the UK, and the latest ideas from the US and Canada.

Watson Batty Architects will be working closely with all involved in the construction phase to ensure a successful delivery of the store.

Village Approval

Watson Batty Architects achieved a unanimous seal of approval at the recent Heavy Woollen District Planning Committee meeting for their development at Beech Farm, Farnley Tyas.  Set within the heart of an old ‘estate-owned’ village, the design offers the opportunity to develop a very high quality residential scheme.

The historic urban grain of Farnley Tyas has dictated the form of Beech Farm development, incorporating the local vernacular through looking at existing ratios of buildings to open space, relationships between buildings, roads and view corridors within the village.

The site has been subdivided into smaller ‘paddocks’ of development creating architectural individuality based around a common theme. The Paddock forms recognise the historic plot shape, size, architectural styles and dynamic rhythm and building pattern of the existing village.  

As part of the planning process we prepared a cohesive architectural handbook to provide a subtle palette of materials, details and colours across the development, which was very well received by Kirklees Planning officers and committee.

We are very excited at the prospect of working further with our Client, Radcliffe Developments Farnley Ltd, to deliver this high quality project on site.

Ground Breaking PFI

Having achieved financial close on the Kirklees Excellent Homes for Life PFI in December last year, Watson Batty Architects are delighted to announce that works on site are now well under way.

Phase 1 (which consists of 12no. different sites located across the Kirklees district) is the culmination of over two years work with our clients, Wates Living Space and Regenter, to deliver new affordable homes.  The mix of housing includes one and two bedroom flats along with 35 homes specifically designed to accommodate wheelchair users, all to Lifetime Homes and Code for Sustainable Homes standards. 

The construction will take approximately 30 months and will help deliver the much needed accommodation as part of Kirklees Council’s housing strategy.

Doha, Qatar design takes shape

Watson Batty Architects in conjunction with our partners in Doha, Qatar, have submitted exciting conceptual designs for our respective Client, a leading Real Estate and Development company in Doha, Qatar.

The project comprises of two sites at the new environmental city in Doha. Each site at approximately 2.5 hectares, offers mix use developments including commercial hotels and private residential accommodation with outdoor extreme sports, marina and helicopter pad. The two sites have strategic sea locations in the entertainment sector of the new city.

WBA wear something yellow day

 

Watson Batty staff joined the wear something yellow campaign for the Marie Curie Cancer Care Charity on Friday the 2nd of March 2012. While some were buying and wearing the daffodils, others put on something more noticeable to raise awareness. All proceeds from the day have been donated to the Charity.  

University of Bradford's STEM Project gets Planning Approval

The University of Bradford's innovative STEM Bradford project has successfully gained Planning Approval.

The new Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) building provides an inspirational learning space with high quality laboratory facilities and creating exciting opportunities for local schools and colleges.

  

The laboratory will also act as a training space for school teachers across all age ranges, equipping them with the skills to inspire the next generation of scientists back in their own classrooms.

As Project Architects we have designed and utilised a high thermal perfomance shell and passive heat / cooling techniques. The building is predicted to achieve 'BREEAM Outstanding' and 'Passivhaus' accreditation meeting and surpassing the Universities track record for sustainability on campus with three BREEAM 'Outstanding' buildings.

The project will be on site in May with a projected opening early 2013.