Advanced Skills Centre receives planning consent

Aug 26 2016

Planning consent has been granted by Vale of the White Horse District Council for the Advanced Skills Centre at Abingdon & Witney College. The addition to the College’s Abingdon campus will provide high specification engineering teaching spaces and a base for the higher education courses.

The design continues the themes established by earlier phases at the campus whilst reflecting the site’s adjacency to the perimeter and neighbouring properties. It will be delivered to BIM Level 2 using an integrated Revit 3D model allowing high levels of visualisation and collaboration between disciplines.

It is due to be completed for the start of 2018.

Above, images of the ASC from the Northcourt Road.

Above, site layout by the Richards Partnership showing integration of parking and boundary treatments.

Sixth form boarding house created at Old Swinford Hospital

Jan 21 2016

Work has begun on site to create a dedicated sixth form boarding house at Old Swinford Hospital, a secondary boarding school near Stourbridge.

The project will see an existing boarding house modernised to create single and twin occupancy rooms with en-suite shower rooms for 60 pupils. An internal courtyard is covered with a lightweight glass structure to create a central common room, with routes to link through the building and connections to a new study area, library and kitchen.

Stepnell have been appointed to begin the construction work with completion due in summer 2016 for occupation by pupils at the beginning of the academic year. The design team includes DBK as cost consultant, E3 designing the M&E services and Nolan Associates developing the structural design.

Planning submitted for Aston Student Union

Dec 07 2015

A planning application has now been submitted for Aston Students’ Union in the heart of the University’s Birmingham campus. The design combines catering outlets, social study space, a music venue, prayer facilities and a base for the Union’s staff and support services in sleek new building.

The design has been developed during 2015 after extensive research into the type of facility students need now and in the future and visits to similar Union’s across the country. The project is due for completion later in 2017.

Concept images of the building’s exterior, combining bold colours, extensive glazing and contemporary detailing.

Academic work space at Aston University

Oct 08 2015

Work has been completed on academic work space for the School of Health & Life Science at Aston University ready for the beginning of the new academic year. Individual offices and open plan areas were designed to cluster around informal break-out spaces designed within the University’s main building. Colourful themes for furniture, walls and floors define space for research teams and lecturers, whilst large glazed screens project light into the interior. Robothams worked with Overbury, Method Consulting, Gleeds and Turner & Townsend to deliver the scheme for the University.

Download our new Education Profile

Aug 18 2015

To celebrate twenty years working for educational organisations across the country the practice has published a brochure that gives an overview of Robothams’ current education portfolio. View or download the Education Profile by clicking here

Above, the brochure’s front page, an image of Sidney Stringer Academy.

Above, a sample page from the brochure.

Commission to create the Discovery Academy in Nuneaton

Jun 15 2015

Robothams have been commissioned by Warwickshire County Council and Wates Construction to create a SEN school in Nuneaton for the MacIntyre Academy Trust. The school will accommodate pupils with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) and behaviour, emotional and social difficulties (BESD). This is required to meet demand for high quality specialist provision for pupils who are otherwise placed outside of the County with independent providers.

MacIntyre Academies is a multi-academy trust for special schools and specialist alternative provision. Sponsored by the national charity MacIntyre, their schools benefit from 48 year’s experience of innovative approaches to supporting children with special educational needs and their families.

The School will initially offer 26 places upon opening, rising to a provision of 80 full day places for children aged 9-18 years. It is envisaged that class sizes will be around eight to ten pupils.

The scheme reuses a former secondary school made redundant by the creation of the Nuneaton Academy in 2011. The existing courtyards and twentieth century brick facades have created a foil against which to set contemporary insertions to augment and extend the existing space. Closely connected landscape and spatial strategies combine to deliver a successful setting for this type of school.

Above, the existing buildings provide an intimate scale and private courtyards create a range of opportunities for outdoor activities.

Above, concept sketch of internal courtyard space.

The project is being led by Andrew Haines and Dawn Spicer, drawing on their experience delivering North Leamington School, and two free schools in Birmingham.

Dawn says of the scheme, ‘it is an inherently sustainable project, the scale and character of the existing buildings will create a delightful school for the pupils with minimum impact on local residents’.

Planning consent was granted in April for the project, with Wates Construction due to complete the school in early 2016 for occupation by the first pupils in September.

Sidney Stringer Primary School, Coventry

Jun 10 2015

The practice have been appointed by Thomas Vale, part of the Bouygues group to design a new primary school in Coventry. To be delivered under the EFA Regional Framework as a free school, the client is the Sidney Stringer Multi Academy Framework established by the ‘Outstanding’ academy of the same name, and advised by Mace.

The first academic year will begin in September with temporary accommodation provided within the EIC, one of the practice’s earlier pieces of work for the school. The new school will be ready for its second year of operation in 2016.

Designed to accommodate 420 pupils from 4 – 11 years the school completes the Learning Quarter concept begun in 2004 with the construction of City College Coventry with the aim of acting as catalyst for the redevelopment of Swanswell and Hillfields.

Above, an aerial view of the site

Project architect, Justin Metcalfe said “we are very proud to be involved with this project as it continues our involvement with the regeneration of this part of the city, and allows us to work again with Thomas Vale and the school.”

A planning application has been submitted with a start on site anticipated in autumn 2015.

Above, images of the building in context.

Second phase of Sherbourne Residences submitted for planning consent

Apr 13 2015

Planning permission is being sought from Warwick District Council for the next phase of the University of Warwick’s Sherbourne Residences. The application seeks consent for a second phase of 273 study bedrooms to extend the campus of 550 bedrooms completed in 2012 by Shepherd Construction.

The application also includes accommodation for staff and a Management & Energy Centre building set in landscaped grounds.

The project is targeted to achieve BREEAM Excellent and be open to students for the academic year beginning in 2016.

Robothams instructed on the detailed design of the MCBB extension

Mar 25 2015

We have been instructed to develop the detailed design by Deeley Construction of an extension to the award winning MCBB building at the University of Warwick. The building has been designed by BMJ Architects and is being delivered on a design and build basis.

The extension will contain additional laboratories, write up space, storage and plant areas and is due for completion in 2016.

David Sercombe of Robothams said, ‘this is a prestigious project for us to be involved with, building on our existing relationships with Deeleys and the University’.

Images by BMJ Architects

Over cladding revitalises College buildings

Feb 20 2015

Last year saw Robothams complete a major refurbishment at Warwickshire College, including the internal and external refurbishment of its six storey teaching block. The scheme involved wrapping the building in a rain-screen cladding system, installing new windows and sun-shading to control solar gains. The project has transformed the external appearance and significantly improved internal comfort and energy use.

Before and After, at Warwickshire College

In parallel we have been working on a similar scheme for Abingdon & Witney College where a 1960’s system built teaching block has been upgraded at their Abingdon campus. A lightweight insulated render and blue brick shell hangs from the building’s concrete frame creating a crisp new facade and image for the College. The scheme is due for completion in 2015 with funding from the Skills Funding Agency.

Before and After, at Abingdon & Witney College

The key benefits of over-cladding are:

Refurbishment and reuse is an inherently environmentally friendly approach.
By opting to over-clad both Colleges kept on teaching during the work minimising disruption and avoiding expensive temporary accommodation.
New windows have allowed the majority of rooms to be naturally ventilated, solar control glass preventing over heating whilst creating bright teaching rooms.
Insulated panels have reduced heat losses and minimised energy use.

We are currently working on similar projects for a number of other Colleges and Universities including the re-cladding of a twenty two storey tower in Coventry.

For more information contact our education team.