Blaydon Fit Out Complete

Morrisons are due to open the doors to their long awaited new store in Blaydon on Monday the 25th of August. The new store promises shoppers an innovative shopping experience with a focus on fresh produce and traditional craft skills such as butchery, bakery and fishmongery.

The opening of the store marks the latest successfully completed project by Watson Batty Architects who worked alongside the developers design team to coordinate the shell construction and undertook the internal fit out contact with main contractor, Bowman and Kirkland. The store is the first completed retail project by Watson Batty which sees the implementation of the store car park directly above the store allowing cars to park on the car deck above the building with shopper using lifts and travelators to access the sales floor.

Islington Delivery Office On Site

Proposals for Islington Delivery Office are now well underway as the has construction of the new facility commences on site. At 1,745 m.sq the building will play a key part in the royal mail distribution network and will feature the latest Royal Mail Customer and You design standards aimed at improving the facilities on offer to both staff and customers. 

The building also features a number of sustainable credentials allowing making it set to achieve a BREEAM excellent rating. Photovoltaic panels, green roofs, a living green wall and a reed bed in the canal will all contribute to making this a sustainable development.

Miller Construction have taken on the role of principle contractor with the project due for completion spring 2014. 

Progress at Washington Leisure Centre

Following the Ground Breaking Ceremony in February of this year, construction work is underway on the £11m Washington Leisure Centre for Sunderland City Council. 

The steel frame of the building is complete along with the precast concrete floors and stairs. Concrete work for the two pool tanks and the external cladding is in progress.

Using BIM Modelling we have assisted Pellikaan Construction in coordinating consultants and subcontractors information, eliminating any clashes between packages on site and allowing a complete design review of the construction before it gets to site.

When complete, the facility will create a sports hub for Washington and the surrounding areas containing; a 25m, 6 lane pool; a learner pool with water features including two water sides; a 4 court sports hall; an international standard trampoline hall; 2 squash courts; 100 stations wellness centre; 2 dance studios; with associated administration and changing facilities. Externally the site will hold 6 five-a-side floodlit football pitches and a 100 space car park.

The New Leisure Centre also delivers sustainable benefits with the inclusion of a 'green' sedum roof  across half the building. The green roof will provide habitat for insects attracting birds and other creatures while aiding a sustainable drainage solution by holding onto and releasing rain water slowly.

The project is programmed for completion in Spring 2015. Once the new centre is open demolition of the existing centre will commence to make way for the new car park and the external pitches and landscaping.

Liverpool Hope Health Sciences Building set to go

Watson Batty Architects were successfully appointed by Liverpool Hope University in January 2014 to support the design and delivery of the proposals for the £10m Health Sciences Building on the Hope Park Campus. When complete the building will be home to bio medical science and research, psychology, bio mechanics and sports and science exercise, nutrition and robotics. The design team, including Baker Mallett, Allan Hill and Clancy’s, have been working closely with the University and Local Planning Authority to ensure that the Vice Chancellor’s original vision of a high quality scheme supporting excellence in health science learning, was not lost during the detailed design stage of the project. 

Part of the design development works included the redesign of the interior layout of the proposed building. Through a series of detailed end user engagement meetings the design team have completely reworked the interior layout of the building to achieve a more efficient layout that supports and works with the delivery of the proposed curriculum. With only minor exterior alterations required the scheme now has full planning consent allowing the works to proceed when ready.

Contractor expressions of interest have been received for the construction phase of the project. The building is due to be traditionally tendered in August with an anticipated start on site late autumn 2014. Completion is due by Christmas 2015. 

Rufford Park Primary on Track

Works are progressing well at Rufford Park Primary School as the four classroom extension heads towards completion due September 2014.

The extension forms part of the Leeds CC Children’s Services Basic Need Programme delivering additional pupil places needed as a result of the demographic changes across the City.

Watson Batty have been working with the client, Pinnacle psg and Leeds City Council, since December 2012 to develop the most appropriate solution to address the challenges of a steeply sloping site and are now assisting Bermar Construction with the on-site delivery of works.

Ribbon Cut at Beech Farm

Following the official opening performed by Cllr Ken Smith (the Mayor of Kirklees) the newly finished show houses are now open to the public at the prestigious residential development in Farnley Tyas. Developed as a joint venture between Farnley Estates Ltd and John Radcliffe & Sons Ltd, Beech Farm will provide buyers the opportunity to tailor the design their own homes on paper before the building work begins.

Cllr Ken Smith praised the development by saying:

“Looking around me, there’s very little difference between the new houses and the existing cottages in the village. This is due to the thought and high quality materials that have gone into creating this development.”

Having worked closely with the local community, Kirklees Planning Department and various other stakeholders we are pleased to see the successful opening of the show homes. The opening is a key milestone demonstrating the hard work and commitment put it by the team resulting in a well thought out conscious design.  

Further phases of the development are planned with foundations being cast for ‘Paddock 2’ this month and another 7 bespoke units following closely behind.

RIBA East Midlands Regional Awards

We were proud to support the recent RIBA East Midlands Regional Awards 2014. Held in the Newton and Arkwright Building, Nottingham Trent University, and hosted by TV presenter and architectural historian Jonathan Foyle, the prestigious evening included an after dinner speech by award winning architect Sir Michael Hopkins.

An audience of local practitioners, professionals, clients, executives and representative of the East Midlands construction industry, celebrated award winning projects across the region.  Our Managing Director; Peter White, presented the 2014 Client of the Year Award, sponsored by Watson Batty, to Derby City Council.

At Watson Batty we recognise the importance of our clients, some of which we have worked with in excess of 20 years. It therefore felt appropriate to sponsor an award that recognises the client as a key component in the success of a project. The sponsorship of the award comes following the opening of the Loughborough office 5 years ago with our Midlands base now having a number of successfully completed works with many more exciting proposals currently being developed.

Congratulations to Derby City Council and all those who took part in the event.

West Yorkshire LABC Building Excellence Success

Watson Batty Architects were pleased to receive two awards at last night’s West Yorkshire Building Excellence Awards at Headingley Stadium. Three of the practice’s projects nominations were shortlisted; Harold Wilson Court (Huddersfield), Student Central (University of Huddersfield) and STEM (University of Bradford) along with a practice entry for the Partnership Award. 

We are delighted to report that Student Central picked up the award in the Education category with the practice also taking the Partnership Award which recognises our commitment  to team work, the development of long-standing relationships and our co-operative approach to problem solving during the development process.

A big thank you to everyone who contributed towards the success at the awards. The winning entries will now be put forward for the national awards to be held in London on the 11th November 2014.