Planning consent has been granted for Abingdon & Witney College’s new engineering facility at their Wootton Road site. The building will provide a further motor vehicle training workshop and a CADCAM teaching room extending their existing provision on the site. Work is due to begin in March with the demolition of the existing temporary teaching rooms and the relocation of services. The appointed contractor is Stepnell, and the project will be managed from their Wantage Office.
Erdington Road – Aldridge
Planning consent has been granted by Walsall Council for a new care home for the Restful Homes Group.
The development will provide 70 spacious rooms with a range of activities for residents including a cinema room, cafe and roof garden. The building is set in landscaped grounds making excellent use of the existing trees to form a sensory garden to the rear and a green buffer to the adjacent roads. The external appearance is contemporary using a palette of traditional materials to appeal to the changing tastes of those seeking high quality residential care. A start on site is anticipated later in 2013.
Sidney Stringer Academy Opened
Representatives of the practice attended the official opening of Sidney Stringer Academy. The proceedings included music and dance performances from the students, speeches and a formal opening by HRH Duke of York.
We worked with Sheppard Robson Architects to deliver the academy across two sites in Hillfields, Coventry.
Growth in Residential Care Home Market
2011 and 2012 have seen a significant increase in the number of commissions from the Care Home market.
Since completion of Homewood in Leamington in 2009 for Methodist Homes for the Aged and Earlplace this sector has grown into an important specialist area for the practice. The challenge of designing attractive residential and social space for the elderly and catering for those with various forms dementia, has played to our strengths, including careful design and attention to detail.
Above, Avon Court in Stratford Upon Avon’s town centre.
Having completed Avon Court earlier in 2012, construction work has been progressing on Avalon Court in Coventry and Darwin Court in Lichfield, residential care homes for the Restful Homes Group, a family run organisation with sites across the south of England and the Midlands. These schemes in addition to providing comfortable, spacious individual rooms have also placed a focus on communal spaces which cater for a range of residents and care needs.
Above, Avalon Court in Coventry due for completion in 2013.
Prime Minister Opens Witney Campus
David Cameron MP opens the new campus designed by Robothams Architects for Abingdon & Witney College. After a tour of the new campus he met students and staff before officially opening the new facilities which have rejuvenated the site in Witney’s town centre.
His opening speech is captured on You Tube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nu3ODYVVY3Q.
New Teaching Building, Myton School
Work is almost complete on this new teaching building being constructed at Myton School in Warwick. The new facility forms part of a wider campus regeneration for this specialist science and training school, and is the second scheme completed by the practice at the site.
Engineering Building, Abingdon
The Skills Funding Agency and Abingdon and Witney College have agreed to fund a new facility for engineering training at the College’s Abingdon campus.
The building will enhance the College’s existing engineering provision, adding workshop space, theory teaching rooms and IT spaces. The scheme is due for completion by September 2013.
New theatre in Kenilworth
Robothams have been appointed to design Kenilworth’s new public service centre on Smalley Place.
The building will link Jubilee House and the town’s library, and create a new home for the Talisman Theatre. The practice submitted a multi-disciplinary proposal to Warwick District Council which included Charcoal Blue http://www.charcoalblue.com/ theatre designers on the projects such as the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford upon Avon. Andrew Haines, of Robothams, said: “The practice in conjunction with the client and the rest of the design team are looking forward to producing an exciting building on this most prestigious of sites.”
Witney Campus Development
Work on Abingdon and Witney College’s redeveloped campus in Witney is fast approaching completion for the final buildings and landscaping works. Earlier phases of the scheme were handed over in September 2011 and shortly after Christmas by Morgan Sindall the main contractor, and Mace, project manager.
The project has been jointly funded by the College and the Skills Funding Agency both of whom are excitedly awaiting the scheme’s final completion when teaching can begin across the whole site. John Hayes MP, Minister of State for Further Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning has recently toured the site with the College’s Principal, Teresa Kelly. Project architect for Robothams, Steve Jackson, commented “this has been an extremely worthwhile project, we have felt like we are making a real difference to the experience of staff and students at the College.”
The Project has received good coverage in the local press, The Witney Gazette (28th March 2012). http://www.witneygazette.co.uk/news/9615558.College_gets_a_makeover/
Diglis Water, Worcester
Since the 1990’s the practice have been working for Taylor Wimpey to transform a brownfield site at the junction of the River Severn and the Worcester to Birmingham canal. Earlier phases have been praised by local civic groups and the planning authority for the sensitive way the scheme dealt with existing buildings in the conservation area, and the quality of the public open space.
2012 will see an increased level of activity as production information is prepared for the next phases of the development.