With 2016 drawing to a close, and most people’s minds moving to the holidays, we just wanted to share a brief update and also take a moment to thank our clients and suppliers for their support this year. It has been a busy, change-driven year for us, seeing our staff numbers and capacity to take on larger, more complex jobs both increasing after a fairly challenging start – which makes the level of repeat business from many of our clients especially valued and a great endorsement of our work, and our desire to build long term relationships.
News just in… from the FA all the way to Barbados
We are thrilled to announce the winning of two exciting new jobs at PRO Structures – a new Gloucestershire FA football coaching facility, led by GSH Architects for which we will be providing the structural and civil engineering designs; and a headquarters for the Republic Bank Warrens, Barbados (images below).
The scope for the 2,475 sq ft Gloucestershire FA teaching/coaching and social facility includes new changing and social facilities, parking, landscaping, and associated works, and is led by project architects GSH.
Meanwhile the bank HQ is a 37,000 sq ft, six storey building with basement parking and a ground floor banking hall, and offices on the upper levels. With its Caribbean location, and it being a tall building, we will need to design for both hurricane wind loading and seismic activity, posing interesting challenges and further developing our knowledge base. With the higher level of software requirements for this job, including finite element analysis to assess the impact of a range of physical effects on a building, we now have the capacity to design for more complex and taller structures on any scheme, as well as non-standard shapes.
Georgian grandeur – a tale of two buildings
(and a fortuitous wine cellar)
We’re also delighted to be working once more with Clear Future Architects on 25 Upper Belgrave Road in Clifton, Bristol – this Georgian building has a listed front elevation and the client wishes to change all of the internal floor plans. This led to an interesting design brief, as we needed to work closely with both the architect and contractor to modify both the internal and external superstructure load paths in order to meet the client’s needs, while respecting the listed façade and historical nature of the building. As a result, PRO Structures has designed new steel frames, both internally and externally (for the rear elevation), to maintain the building’s stability and structural integrity without compromising the aesthetics. On site investigations also uncovered an original Georgian vaulted brickwork potable water storage tank under the building which is now going to be converted into a wine cellar for the client.
Glazed structures on the drawing board
We’re also working with structural glazing specialists Windowglass on another scheme; this time providing the component design and justification for Northamptonshire Police NAB (Northern Accommodation Building)’s main entrance, which will include a glazed façade.
Residential News
Our latest residential schemes to complete include a renewal of our relationship with Hawkfield Homes, following our work on their development on Okebourne Road in Brentry; this time we have carried out the structural design for two new 3-bedroom homes in Haw Lane, Olveston, which have now been built and sold (image below). PRO Structures has also carried out the civil and structural tender design for a new dwelling on the site of the former tennis courts on Southfield Road in Westbury-on-Trym for Spring Homes Ltd.
Meanwhile, a revised scheme design is underway on a new mixed use development on the junction of Wells Road with Redcatch Lane in Knowle, Bristol, to create a three-storey, 5,400 sq ft building with ground floor offices and six apartments on the 1st and 2nd floors. This work is for Curtis Wayne Affordable Homes and led by Foresight PM Ltd. Finally, the next phase of the Redrow development on the old Dings Crusaders RFC site will start in the New Year.
That’s it from us; it just remains for us to wish you a truly happy, healthy and peaceful Christmas, and all the very best for 2017, both at home and at work, and we look forward to being in touch in the New Year.
