Vanguard Self-Storage A new self-store facility for business and individuals
Close to the centre of Bath, this new facility is intended to serve the needs of local businesses and residents with flexible storage space in a range of unit sizes over 4 floors. In common with other stores operated by Vanguard, this building features a vintage artifact – in this case a restored De Havilland Vampire Jet, hanging within the entrance atrium. The high-performance frameless curtain wall will allow this to be visible from the street, avoiding unwanted glare and reflection. The project replaces a former laundry building, the roof form of which is reflected in the new design. New landscape planting, including 50 new trees and a re-naturalised watercourse provides an improved habitat for wildlife.
Keynsham Recycling HubA new combined recycling, vehicle servicing and office facility
We have provided architectural services during the detail design and construction phase of this modern recycling centre, working with multi-disciplinary consultants Sweco UK for Design and Build contractors Farrans Construction. The site includes: Household waste recycling centre, a reuse shop for people to donate items for reuse and resale, large Materials Recovery and Waste Transfer Station building, Salt store, vehicle workshop and offices.
In line with the council’s Climate and Ecological Emergency declarations and policy aims, the Keynsham Recycling Hub integrates many sustainability measures including on-site renewable energy generation.
Upper FarmAn artist’s studio in South Gloucestershire
The new studio for its artist owner is a replacement for a timber stable building on the edge of a Cotswold village with a typical context of stone buildings with stone tiled roofs. The Client is an artist and printmaker requiring a series of daylit spaces to carry out a variety of wet and dry processes ranging from design to sewing and etching / printing.
The building typology adopted is clearly legible as a simple barn form, appropriate for the setting at the interface between the domestic gardens of the village and the open agricultural landscape. The form also works well for the studio use, with an abundance of controlled daylight from the roof, and inspirational views out over the meadow to the North-west. A single window in the South East facing gable picks out a more focussed view.
The structure is a simple series of expressed portal frames made from LVL timber. The external materials palette continues with the aspiration of simplicity. A fibre cement roof on top of larch boarded walls speak of simple vernacular barns, but with the careful detailing of a less agricultural finish. The glazing is a repetitive module, but with an enlarged section of glazing in the central bay – referencing the barn tradition of a large central opening. An inset entrance door is the only element with a non native material accent colour clearly indicating the entrance.
Internally the Client’s brief called for white surfaces, which is given some relief and a suggestion of materiality by the expressed portal frames. The main volume is semi divided by a series of smaller servant spaces hosting the WC, plant and kitchenette as well as a small fume cupboard room.
The building is heated by an airsource heat pump and underfloor heating within the power floated concrete floor.
Park Grounds 2030 Masterplan
This work has followed on from the development of the Resource Recovery Park at Park Grounds, Wotton Bassett. Designscape, working with Format Engineers have helped our Client to develop a far reaching vision for using the waste heat and CO2 produced by the Waste to Energy plant which is currently under construction: The waste CO2 and heat will be used in inflatable greenhouses located on top of landfill to grow food for the local economy. The thin shell concrete commercial buildings will be able to house new businesses which can benefit from the heat and power from the waste recovery operation, with the existing farmland replaced on top of the buildings. The concrete shells will be capable of supporting very heavy loads such as cattle and tractors. The ETFE foil greenhouses – which can flex with the movement of the land on which they stand – benefit from the positive internal pressure which supports the structure, but also keeping insects and pollen out of the greenhouses.
Planning permission has been secured for both prototypes, and work is now underway to test the technology and construction techniques.
Airspace Pod A comfortable individual workspace pod
This “workpod” is a response to the new working at home phenomenon, brought about by Covid 19. It does not require planning consent, has no foundations, (and minimal wind resistance) and can be carried by hand through a terraced house ( in pieces) and assembled by two people in an hour. The idea is that it can be installed in a very small space and will provide a quiet, ergonomic, comfortable concentrating individual workspace for someone who simply does not have a spare room at home but needs to work at home. An employer can provide these pods for staff, and they can be returned to the employer or move house with the user.
The technology adopted is inspired by the bicycle helmet – made from 12 panels of injection moulded polystyrene (uses steam to fuse the polystyrene beads together), with a vacuum wrapped acrylic shell. The floor and furniture are made from a highly sustainable board material made from recycled waste products, and the whole unit can be fully recycled at the end of life. The unit sits on adjustable stainless steel feet – ( no groundworks required, and can be moved around on the site) and is ballasted with kiln-dried sand.
Resource Recovery park A new waste to energy facility
The proposed Resource Recovery Park at Park Grounds, near Royal Wootton Bassett, has been designed to celebrate the process of creating energy from waste. The design creates a masterplan with key buildings focused on site movement and safety. Crapper & Sons Landfill Ltd. have been based on the site for nearly 35 years having contributed to the wider community through the Landfill community fund. This next step in the development of the business presents a positive step towards a significant reduction in landfill waste and an increase in recyclables. The waste handling building will produce energy through its combustion plant which feeds back into the grid. The translucent polycarbonate facade of the building in shades of green, allows high levels of daylight into the building to improve the internal working environment for employees, a high priority for the client. The timber roof structure has been design using parametric modelling and was selected over steel for reasons of cost and longevity.
Avonbridge House A Headquarters in a Listed factory building
Avonbridge House is a Listed building, formerly a Milk Condensery, the first such building in the country; operated by Nestle until the 1960’s. Converted to offices in the 1980’s the building is now wholly occupied by Alliance Pharmaceuticals as their Global HQ. Working with long term interior design and space planning collaborators Wylde IA, Designscape have obtained a number of Listed Building Consents to replace elements of the 1980’s conversion and extend office accommodation for this growing business in a series of phases. This includes converting un-used attic into office space; new reception area, replacement curtain walling and windows, external breakout terrace, the replacement of roof slates and installation of roof lights and PV Solar panels.
Interior design and space planning Wylde IA.
The Project was awarded a Chippenham Civic Society Conservation and Environment Award in 2022.
Exactaform Striking new HQ and Production facility
Exactaform Cutting Tools Ltd are a family owned engineering business, specialising in diamond tipped cutting tools, used internationally, for a wide range of applications including the aerospace and automotive industries. Operating from a series of small industrial units nearby, the Company’s scope for business development had become limited by the size, arrangement and quality of their premises. They concluded that a new building was needed to better accommodate the existing office, production and storage facilities, while also optimising the flow of production and providing scope for future expansion. The growing business also needed an environment and facility capable of attracting top engineering talent and demonstrating their commitment and confidence to a new and existing customer base. Rather than purchasing a generic developer specified building, Exactaform opted to purchase land at Prologis Business Park and procure the building directly. Designscape developed the design of the building from concept, through technical detail, tender and construction to completion in September 2017.
The striking building interior was designed by Wylde IA.
Science Studios Art gallery, production and storage building.
Designscape has developed a 9,000sqm art production studio and gallery for Damien Hirst. The project reuses an existing steel portal frame structure originally built for the manufacture of plastics. The brief involved a high level of design, detail and finish, including exceptionally high structural loading requirements and innovative cladding and glazing. The building is split into three bays: reception and gallery, art production and storage facilities, with each area defined externally through cladding panels of contrasting colours. The artist’s production of large-scale art work requires highly specialised accommodation, including freezer storage and a fire protected art store. The western riverside boundary has become a sculpture garden.
In addition to the principal Science gallery and production space, a smaller independent formaldehyde studio has been built. The formaldehyde studio requires unique accommodation and dedicated services, including specialist ventilation equipment to filter out the formaldehyde fumes. As well as large-scale freezer storage, specialist cranage equipment has been incorporated for handling large and delicate art works. The steel frame structure is clad with white glazed bricks and small mortar joints to create a sculptural monolithic appearance.
In association with MRJ Rundell + Associates
Hill Farm Dairy Goat farm and cheese factory
Designscape was commissioned to design a barn and dairy production facility for a new cheese making company. The design aims to reflect both the ethos of the client company and the site: a quality handmade product, using natural materials and low energy solutions, created with respect for its surroundings. Despite their size the buildings do not dominate, as they take advantage of the natural topography and step down the hill, enabling the barn and the milking parlour to sit above the dairy. The cold storage and maturing areas are pushed back into the hillside under the parlour. The result is a low impact design that naturally enhances the cheese making process, as the milk can flow by gravity from parlour to dairy, avoiding pumping and thus preserving the quality of the milk. Named by a leading French expert as one of the top 5 cheese making facilities in the world, Designscape had never previously designed a dairy.
