Grantley Hall Hotel and Wellness Retreat in Ripon walked away with two awards at The Guild of Architectural Ironmongers 2022 Specification Awards on the 5 of May 2022.
At a glittering ceremony on the 42nd floor of the Leadenhall Building in London (aka The Cheesegrater), Bowman Riley in conjunction with Em-B Solutions came first in the ‘Commercial & Hospitality Award’ for ironmongery specification and also took away the prestigious ‘Winner of Winners’ award.
In conjunction with the Royal Institute of British Architects, the national The Guild of Architectural Ironmongers 2022 Specification Awards awards are held annually and consider projects across the country for excellence in the specification of ironmongery. The judges’ notes for Grantley Hall included the extraordinary level of care to ensure the seamless integration of old and new.
Senior Architect, Ruth Bush represented our team, who worked on the comprehensive restoration and extension of the Grade II* 17th Century Grantley Hall into one of the most luxurious hotels and retreats in the UK.
Read more about the awards here: https://specificationonline.co.uk/articles/2022-05-17/geze-uk-ltd/grade-ii-grantley-hall-wins-specification-award
A real success story is our venture into offering a full range of heritage consultancy services to the property market.
Over the past two years, we have won prestigious new projects working on historic assets and have built a team of experts to deliver the workstreams.
In 2019, we identified an opportunity to expand our services into specialist heritage consultancy.
We appointed Senior Conservation Architect Helen Walker in a strategic move to cement their position in the market. The team has been bolstered by the recruitment of Joanne Harrison, Architect & Heritage Consultant and Robert Sharples, Architect, who joins Colin Briggs on the RIBA Conservation Registry.
Bowman Riley is currently working on landmark buildings comprising the redevelopment of the impressive Grade I Bootham Park site in York for Enterprise Retirement Living and the refurbishment of the iconic Grade II* George Hotel and the Grade II Estates Buildings in Huddersfield for Kirklees Council.
These significant projects are alongside the inspection, surveying, refurbishment, restoration, repair and repurposing of listed churches, pubs, banks, mills, and a whole range of buildings within conservation areas.
In recognition of her achievements, we promoted Helen Walker to Head of Heritage. This role will empower Helen to lead the team into further success as the workload increases in the months and years ahead.
Helen Walker commented:
“I’m proud of our team’s achievements in really establishing Bowman Riley as a leading provider of specialist heritage consultancy. A big thank you to everyone at Bowman Riley from senior management to the business support team for their continued support in the development of our heritage services”.
Michael Feather, Managing Director, said:
“It has been a positive move to establish conservation architecture and heritage consultancy as core services to enhance what we can offer to our clients. I am excited to see what the coming months and years bring.”
Bowman Riley has been appointed by Kirklees Council to provide conservation architecture on the Huddersfield Station Gateway Heritage Project working on the George Hotel and Estates Building, two listed Victorian landmarks in the town centre.
Part of a major investment in Huddersfield, the George and the Estates Building form part of Huddersfield Blueprint’s most significant projects. The Huddersfield Blueprint, which was unveiled in June 2019, will see significant regeneration across the town centre and aims to create a thriving, modern-day centre that is a vibrant cultural destination and a great place to live with enhanced public spaces.
The Station Gateway High Street Heritage Action Zone (HAZ), that these buildings sit within, is a grant scheme funded by partnership working between Historic England and the Council. It aims to regenerate the high street through the reuse and repair of historic buildings. The scheme will fund the repair and revitalisation of the George Hotel and the former Estates Building with work due to be completed by 2024.
Over the next three years, we will carry out all aspects of architectural work required to bring these iconic Huddersfield buildings back to life, taking care to preserve their heritage so that they can play a big role in the vision for the town.
David Shepherd, Strategic Director for Growth and Regeneration said:
“Recruiting the architects to work on these projects is an important step towards achieving our blueprint vision for Huddersfield. Regeneration projects of this scale take time to get off the ground, but that doesn’t mean the legal and technical work isn’t happening in the background.
The renovation of the George Hotel and Estates Building will help to bring more independent and local businesses to the town, increasing the town’s cultural and leisure offerings. Once completed, I’m sure that they will attract shoppers and visitors from across the region to the town centre.”
Chris Collett from Historic England said:
“The appointment of Bowman Riley represents a significant stage in the redevelopment of two of Huddersfield’s most important historic buildings and the wider rejuvenation of St George’s Square. By bringing these underused buildings back into use, the High Street Heritage Action Zone will breathe new life into St George’s Square and encourage local people and visitors to spend more time in Huddersfield’s town centre.”
Read more about the project in the media with articles in Yorkshire Live and Huddersfield Unlimited.
The Motor Vehicle Workshop Extension at York College has now been completed ready for students to return after half term.
The £600,000 project has created much needed additional space to train the mechanics, engineers and vehicle technicians of the future in a state-of-the-art workshop facility.
We provided architecture, project management, building surveying, contract administration and the role of principal designer in-house working alongside Adept Consulting Engineers Ltd, RPS and harris cm limited.
The project started on site in late Spring during lockdown 2020. Fortunately, handover to the client has coincided with reading week at the College in November 2020, which will allow the tutors time and space to start getting set up before the students return for the next half term. The additional space will support social distancing measures at the College, as education environments remain open during the second lockdown of 2020.
The Motor Vehicle Workshop extension was delivered under our ongoing framework agreement with York College delivering multi-discipline services to support the College’s growth plans.
A sustainable new business and industrial park has been submitted for outline planning consent.
Bowman Riley designed and master-planned West Moor Park East, a new business park in Doncaster owned by Blue Anchor Leisure.
The new development will be an extension to the existing West Moor Park commercial development that currently accommodates Ikea, Next, Fellowes Manufacturing, Anglo Beef Processors and other businesses.
The proposals will deliver much-needed jobs to the area quickly, which will be important for the economic recovery from the impact of COVID-19 pandemic. Development of the site will also complement public investment in local infrastructure offering excellent transport links.
Working alongside Peacock and Smith, our masterplan includes flexibility for a range of employment units both industrial and commercial to allow existing local businesses to grow and attract major inward investment into Doncaster. The masterplan also features extensive landscaping and planting, trails for exercise and outside seating areas.
Jonathan Moses, a Director of Blue Anchor Leisure, said:
“West Moor Park East will provide a major boost to the local economy, especially in the current uncertain times the whole country faces. Over recent months there has been a big take up of other commercial space that has resulted in an under-supply of space in the Doncaster area.”
Following public consultation with encouraging feedback from the local community, the development has been submitted for an outline planning application.
Read more about the development in this press article.
In her latest blog, April Marsden reflects on the increasing isolation of the older generation as 2020 continues to be a period of uncertainly and anxiety and how the learning from COVID-19 can shape elderly communities to combat loneliness.
All this homeworking has been very lonely!
We, humans, are social creatures, so being alone generally goes against the fabric of our essence.
However, these past five months have given us insight into what it must be like for elderly and vulnerable people, who may live alone and have few friends or family visiting regularly.
There is a swathe of older people who confine and restrict their activity. Perhaps because they feel out of touch, perhaps because they do not have reason to or perhaps because they are afraid.
Fear has been ruling our lives and ultimately for good reason. But fear should not have been preventing our older people from living happy and fulfilled lives before the lockdown.
With the current pandemic, further restrictions were implemented in housing with care for our most vulnerable. The pandemic has also highlighted the disparities in services and provision between facilities and between communities. Whilst retirement living and extra-care developments appear to have fared well, residents in traditional style care homes have felt the brunt of the pandemic.
This strengthens the need for a higher standard of the design and provision of spaces, culture, management and operations of our care homes.
Aside from the fact that care home residents are often much more vulnerable than those in some sort of independent living quarters; it has been shown that widespread issues around staffing resources, sick pay and the like, have directly impacted the spread of the virus.
In any case, independent living and extra-care generally allow the provision of much more personal space for residents and are generally set in newer, purpose-built facilities.
Many care homes have been crafted out of older properties and are simply not fit for purpose anymore. The flow around the properties is often not ideal when it comes to minimising the spread of viruses. Older properties often have older surfaces that are more difficult to clean and take care of; fresh air is often a problem and a lack of funds has resulted in fixtures and fittings that often need replacing and upgrading.
As we enter our new normal, it is worth remembering this group of people. The people who will not be venturing out not for fear of contagion but because they are simply alone.
More needs to be done to improve the continued quality of life for our older generation. Improved care and management, absolutely, but architecture and design play an integral part in wellbeing.
Consideration of movement in and around the home, the layout of the developments and the provision of additional, smaller communal spaces; not only to allow for ‘bubbles’ but also allow for more intimate, more supportive communities to evolve.
Our care homes need to be better integrated into our communities, communities in which our older people can feel a part of and where they feel safe and not forgotten.
The Housing Lin’s in-depth analysis and recommendations on how to combat loneliness and isolation can be found here.
Will Gains’ design concepts have been featured in the latest edition of Dezeen magazine showcasing his design flair and creativity amongst concepts from London’s South Bank University’s architecture students.
Architectural Assistant at Bowman Riley and first-year MArch apprentice at London’s South Bank University, Will has produced beautiful design concepts for a farm in West Sussex.
Will has been working for Bowman Riley as part of our Academy scheme since 2013. He graduated from Leeds Beckett University with a First-class degree in Architecture in 2019 and has transferred to our London office to continue his career. In 2019, Will enrolled as a RIBA Architectural Apprentice and is now working towards a Master of Architecture.
The Dezeen article features 19 concepts created by students across the architecture school, spanning graduates and undergraduates part- and full-time students as well as apprentices. According to the programmes’ tutors, the unifying aim across the projects, as with all architecture, is “not only to serve society but to improve it for the better”.
Will commented on his concept, Flax Farm:
“Since the 1930s, the UK has lost a large portion of its wildflower meadows. This loss of habitat has had a detrimental impact on biodiversity and natural crop productivity. Flax Farm seeks to pioneer the re-wilding programme at Knepp Castle Estate in West Sussex, while also setting a precedent for sustainable agricultural methods further afield.
“By applying research into textile farming, the farm will create a network of sustainably-grown, handwoven bio-textiles, interlaced within the existing landscape. Grass fields will be re-wilded with ribbons of wildflowers and the architectural fabric of the building will seamlessly transition into the surrounding context.”
This accolade follows a series of commendations over the past year. Will was awarded the West Yorkshire Society of Architects Academic Award for Highest Achieving third Year student on completion of his degree. He was also nominated for the RIBA North Student Prize 2019 and the AJ Student Prize 2019.
The transformation of the Grantley Hall Hotel and Wellness Retreat wins at the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Social Impact awards 2020 in the category of Heritage.
The magnificent Grantley Hall opened in the summer of 2019 as one of the UK’s most luxurious hotels and spas in the UK. This five-star country retreat is the only member of Relais & Châteaux in Yorkshire, was named ‘Best Newcomer 2020’ by Conde Nast and labelled the second-best new luxury hotel in the world by Luxury Travel Intelligence.
Bowman Riley helped transform the elegant Grade II* listed Grantley Hall into one of the UK’s finest country hotels surrounded by 30 acres of beautiful Yorkshire countryside in Ripon. Our team of architects and our principal designer worked alongside Lucas Lee, GHD, JMDA, two main contractors RN Wooler & Co and HACS and numerous other consultants and subcontractors to make the Grantley Hall vision a reality.
RICS Head Judge Mark Rugg said:
“Grantley Hall oozes historic character and quality. After decades of inappropriate uses and vacancy the multi-phase Grade II* listed mansion dating back to the 17th century, has been lovingly transformed into a five-star hotel and wellness retreat. The painstaking restoration programme included extensions and new buildings designed to enhance the character and use of the site. The Japanese Garden is a jewel in the crown and was designated a Grade II Registered Park and Garden during the course of the project.”
The RICS Yorkshire and the Humber award ceremony was scheduled to take place today on 5 June 2020 at the Centenary Pavilion at Elland Road in Leeds, however, due to the ongoing situation with COVID-19, the ceremony took place digitally.
A national grand final will be held later in September for those successfully nominated from each region – with property expert David Brooks Wilson leading a panel of guest judges to select those projects worthy of the top award.
Read our case study for Grantley Hall.
Read more about the RICS Awards.
Bowman Riley has provided multi-discipline consultancy services to extend York College’s specialist motor vehicle and engineering campus. The project has now started on site due for completion this summer in time for the new academic year in September 2020.
The £600,000 project will create a state-of-the-art workshop facility for students learning mechanics, engineering and vehicle technology in a modern, purpose-built environment. This building will further enhance the College’s ability to provide a wide range of vocational courses in motor vehicle maintenance and engineering.
Providing architecture, project management, building surveying, contract administration and the role of principal designer in-house, we are working alongside structural engineers Adept, mechanical and electrical engineers RPS and the contractor Harris CM.
Louise Doswell Deputy Chief Executive and Principal at from York College, said:
“It’s great to see work underway on what is an exciting development for York College. This new facility and the additional workshop space will further enhance the learning environment for students from across York and North Yorkshire. There is no doubt it will be a valuable addition to our offer in motor vehicle maintenance and engineering at York College.”
York College opened its doors in 2007 to more than 13,000 students on the south-western gateway to the City and at the time, the landmark £60 million campus was one of the largest building projects of its kind in the country.
We have been working with York College since 2018 when the company successfully bid to provide multi-discipline consultancy services under a framework agreement. Since that time, we have worked on several schemes including the repair to the central atrium roof, the remodelling of the library, circulation areas, the plumbing teaching spaces and the media make-up spaces.
Additionally, we supported the College’s successful application to become one of only 12 Institutes of Technology in England, which secures Government funding for the viability of several refurbishment and remodelling schemes across the campus under the Institute of Technology banner.
See our case studies for York College – Motor Vehicle Extension, Institute of Technology Projects and the Atrium Roof Repair.
Harrogate Town Football Club has moved forward in the construction work on their stadium as the club look to bring their ground up to Football League standard.
Bowman Riley provided the roles of architect, contract administrator and principal designer on the new stand to enable 880 spectators to sit undercover while watching matches to replace the existing 350-seat structure. This investment helps future proof the club’s home ready for when football can be played again and to support their ambition to rise in the football leagues.
The improvements will increase the stadium’s capacity to above the 5,000-mark and mean that there will be more than 1,000 seats in the ground; the minimum requirements for entry into League Two, should the team realise their ambition of promotion from the National League.
The new stand will provide significantly more seating so that the club can accommodate more families and supporters that would prefer to sit than stand to watch their football and will feature a concourse with a food outlet and bar area as well as male and female toilet blocks.
This project forms part of a phased redevelopment of the club’s stadium to upgrade it’s player and spectator facilities to aid the club’s continued success and growth. Working alongside local companies Evora Construction and Harrogate Steel, the work is expected to be completed in Summer.
Harrogate Town was second in the National League standings when the 2019/20 campaign was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.
See press articles from the Harrogate Advertiser, Stray FM and Football Directory for more news about this project.