Work is continuing apace at South Hereford Volkswagen where the brand’s new retail concept is being implemented for the first time in the UK.  The bold new concept, epitomised by the dramatic full-height glazed frontage, not only improves visibility of the vehicles, but clearly marks the pedestrian entrance and communicates a fresh, contemporary feel for the brand.

Excellent progress has been made in the first three months and the building envelope is now complete.  When the internal works are completed on the first phase, the retailer will take occupancy of this part of the facility whilst the remainder of the showroom is enhanced to realise the new retail concept.

Close working with both the retailer and the contractor has enabled Stubbs Rich to develop a phasing strategy which has allowed the showroom to remain operational throughout the entirety of the works.

The showroom is due for completion in early August.

 

Work is now well underway on Flourish Homes’ headquarters building in Wells.  The completed building will represent the culmination of several years’ work by the client and design team to create a new headquarters facility for the organisation to accommodate their staff and provide a centre for their tenants to visit.

The project goes beyond good practice in environmental terms.  The client’s aspiration was to reduce overall energy demands, whilst generating some of their energy requirement on site.  A combination of high thermal mass, natural ventilation and thermally tempered air from a ground source heat pump all assist in achieving this goal.

Work on the concrete superstructure which provides the thermal mass is starting this month, with final completion due in March 2011.

 

Stubbs Rich are pleased to have won the Constructing Excellence South West Heritage Award for our Komedia project in Bath.

We took a down-at-heel disused listed cinema and changed it into a new venue for live entertainment. We also provided a home for Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s River Cottage Canteen. Both have proved to be very successful.

The judges commended the way in which a redundant listed building, designed to fulfil a very specific demand as a cinema, had been found a new and valuable use.

 

We are delighted to announce that we have been successful in our OJEU bid to be appointed by the University of Bath to design the new Student Centre.

This exciting project will act as a major focus for the University campus and give the students much improved facilities.  It will also dramatically improve the approach to the parade level from the east.  The design of the building is to achieve BREEAM Excellent.

By working closely with this important client and an excellent design team on this challenging project, we believe that we will help the University begin to implement their long term masterplan for the campus.

We will be working with King Sturge, Gleeds and Mann Williams.

By fusing together a serious understanding of data centres, science and Town & Country planning law - admittedly an unlikely combination - Stubbs Rich have created and patented an idea that offers the possibility of low carbon, low energy data centres and much more.

Others have suggested very clever technology to improve the performance of the equipment.  Our idea turns on its head the traditional understanding of how a data centre works, heralding the green data centre.

John Rich, co-inventor, says, “This idea has the potential to future-proof data centres against rising fuel prices and to help such facilities respond to the challenge of climate change.”

Please contact John Rich or Nicholas Stubbs if you are interested in either becoming a development partner or applying this idea to a project.

 

Local MP Paul Keetch was the guest of honour at the opening of the campus on 12 March 2010, following its £32m redevelopment.

Paul explained the importance of this facility to Hereford and the region both in terms of providing training and employment.  Principal and Chief Executive Ian Peake thanked Stubbs Rich and said,

‘This is a truly outstanding new building. It is brilliantly designed with many innovative features, and constructed to a very high standard. The teaching rooms and workshops are spacious and well equipped, and the provision of new technology is superb. This huge project is a fantastic success. Our students and staff are delighted, and so am I!’

 

Stubbs Rich are proud to be winners of this year’s Design Quality Award for their Komedia project in Bath. The judges said, ‘Stubbs Rich have breathed new life into this worthy Art-Deco building, and created an excellent venue.’ John Rich is pictured with local MP Don Foster and other award winners at the Guildhall in Bath.

 

Lord Drayson, Minister of State for Science and Innovation, and founder of Powderject, officially opened Oxford Innovation’s new facility on 19 November 2009.

OI and MEPC hosted the event which attracted many of the region’s leading science entrepreneurs.  Lord Drayson spoke of the importance of science research to the UK and the conglomeration of high tech companies within the Oxford / Cambridge / London triangle.  His tour of the building included sampling the research work of some of the cutting edge companies who occupy the building.

Jo Willett of Oxford Innovation said,

‘The design and layout of the building provide an ideal Innovation Centre facility, with plenty of light and space to create opportunities for companies to interact.  Client companies particularly benefit from the flexibility of the space provided; it really provides a prestigious location for even the earliest stage company. Despite only being open since January 2009 there are already 31 companies in occupation or using the virtual offices and hot desk facilities.’

 

Nearly 70 people attended an early morning seminar at Komedia in Bath. Attracted by the venue, one of our projects, and the prospect of a River Cottage breakfast and entertainment from the Natural Theatre Company, they came to hear how Stubbs Rich had cut 40% off the cost of a new laboratory and offices project for Oxford University.  The project has just won a Value award and Project of the Year from Constructing Excellence.

This value-focused agenda is not some 2009 post-recession bandwagon, it is deeply embedded in the practice’s DNA.  Over the last 25 years, we have learnt how to cut costs and reduce risks and at the same time make buildings better and more client-focused.  We have done it for Oxford University, for developer MEPC, and retailer IKEA.  Having found out how to do it, we know we can do it again.

 Here are some of the comments from delegates…

“I think you have a good and honest business model which is evidently bearing fruit.”

“I am a convert to your brand of clever design made simple.”

“Very much enjoyed your talk, particularly the bit about the client brief at the outset.”

We are considering rerunning the seminar in early 2010, please let us know if you would like to receive an invitation. We would of course be delighted to work with you on any projects where a ‘cheap and clever’ design is needed.  We can also provide short-term consultancy advice to bring over-budget projects back into line.

This will not affect the high quality of our responsiveness and service in any way.  For all practical purposes, the change will have no noticeable effect.

The benefits of the change will become more tangible in the medium term, since the LLP structure is better suited to leadership growth and succession management within a professional firm, and this is the reason we have made the change.