These are exciting times for PRO Structures. We’re growing fast, with one new graduate engineer and another more senior engineer set to join us soon. We are thrilled with the scope and extent of our new schemes – which range from a wholly sustainable dwelling being designed with straw bales and rammed earth, to state of the art structural glazing design for a prestigious new development on London’s Caledonian Road.
Structural glazing design for Ridgeway on Caledonian Road
One of our most exciting current projects is the structural glazing design for a prestigious new mixed-use development on London’s Caledonian Road.
The 2.21 acre site comprises three main elements, all of which are poor quality, unattractive buildings: 431-435 Caledonian Road, the Balmoral Industrial Estate behind it, and the British Transport Police building to the south. Several of the buildings are unoccupied, and the commercial elements currently only sustain around 40 jobs.
The development consortium, made up of London Square, Family Mosaic, PKS Architects and Hawkins\Brown Architects, aim to create a modern, mixed-use, high quality development including 253 new homes, business and retail space which will generate up to 300 jobs, car share and cycle parking provision, and new landscaping and lighting.
We are proud to be working with Ridgeway Glazing to provide the mullion, transom and bracketry design for the glazing on the retail and commercial areas.
Office conversion for Briarlands Business Park out to tender
Our commercial work is ramping up, with the conversion of a 5,000 sqr foot steel frame agricultural barn about to go out to tender for contractors to create either one large or two smaller office units. Structurally we had to justify the existing steelwork for revised cladding loads, usage and changed external layout, to allow for multiple doors, windows and access points for office use.
Straw bales and rammed earth in Castle Carey
At the other end of the spectrum, we are working with DZ Architecture providing the structural design for a straw bale, rammed earth home. This totally sustainable, naturally insulated dwelling, being built on a sloping site, will look just like any other once built. Our team are hugely enjoying the design challenges of this innovative project.
Speedflex Thornbury
We’re also expanding into exercise space design, working with Speedflex to make internal alterations to Thornbury Leisure Centre, to enable the installation of a Speedflex dynamic exercise suite (billed as the perfect high-intensity yet low-impact workout). Speedflex have gyms in exotic locations from Dubai to Dallas, and are now rolling out their installations in the UK.
Residential News
We’re continuing to work closely with Hall Bros Builders in Coventry, on a new piled 3-storey apartment block called Lismore Croft; as well as on new bespoke residential schemes with GSH Architects and Nicholas Morley Architects.
Meanwhile, a change of use scheme to create 10 new apartments for Alliance Property Care, plus a new build, is about to start on site in Shirehampton.
Our client, social housing provider Alliance Property Care, who own and manage around 6,500 homes in the South West, proposes to modify an existing 3-storey commercial building to provide an additional lightweight 2nd floor while changing the 1st and 2nd floors, currently made up of offices and a break-out area, into 10 residential apartments. The ground floor will remain in use as a Job Centre, which Alliance currently leases out. Meanwhile, a new 3-storey apartment building will be situated on adjacent land.
We’d like to thank all our clients, colleagues and suppliers for their ongoing trust and support, and to wish you all a wonderful summer.
