Projects
Westcombe House Student Accommodation – Greenwich, London
Bowman Riley provided architecture and interior design on Westcombe House, a new student accommodation project in the Greenwich area of London for our existing client, Linden Hill in the Greenwich area of London.
When our team became involved, planning permission had already been obtained for a four-storey apartment building. Our brief was to ensure that the development achieved the best value for our client. We amended the designs to convert the scheme into a 61-bedroom premium student accommodation, maximising the building’s footprint.
We resubmitted the project for planning approval, and a student accommodation operator was brought on board.
After exploring traditional and modern construction methods, we proposed that the scheme be developed as a modular building to ensure speed of construction to enable it to be completed in time for the start of the new academic year. Our team was novated to the modular contractor, QB Technology to deliver the technical package.
Our interior designers created a home-away-from-home for the students providing welcoming, social and comfortable spaces. Student wellbeing was a key driver offering spaces out of their bedrooms to socialise, a meeting room for group work, a library zone and an area for quiet working.
We produced designs for the communal areas with spatial plans, high-quality CGIs and photo-realistic renders for a gym, gaming room, cinema, working area, living area and dining room. The spaces were designed to be practical and flexible and able to be reconfigured. We separated the main library and living area into two rooms with a retractable wall to allow the hiring of the two private spaces.
If you are interested in renting this property, visit the CRM Student Accommodation website.
New Hampton by Hilton – Ashford Kent
Rees Mellish
Ashford, Kent
Bowman Riley developed the design of a new Hampton by Hilton hotel in Ashford, Kent. The six-storey building forms part of the town’s key area of urban regeneration located in a central location close to the domestic and international railway stations.
We became involved in the project to amend the approved planning application following confirmation of Hampton by Hilton as the hotel operator. We have increased the overall building footprint, introduced an additional storey and redesigned the interiors to meet Hilton’s brand standards.
We considered using modern methods of construction for the building, which led to the decision to use volumetric modular units. Designed using BIM, the project team worked collaboratively to achieve efficient project delivery. The result is 140 modern and spacious bedrooms for a comfortable stay with lounges, a bar, a gym and a restaurant.
We designed the interior public spaces featuring a spacious six-storey entrance and atrium on a prominent corner of the building. We interpreted the Hilton brand whilst ensuring the hotel retained a local identity. We achieved this through the layout, materials, lighting and textures.
A crucial part of the interior design was introducing zoning to create separate areas within the open-plan public spaces. The reception and bar areas have luxe materials and soft furnishings to create a welcoming entrance. The living zone is a cosy corner screened off from the rest of the open-plan space with coffee tables and soft furnishings to create a relaxing environment. The breakfast area has a fresh colour palette and rich textures using lighting to create intimate dining spaces.
Now open, the three-star hotel brings a new landmark to the town and provides a great addition to the town’s visitor economy.
View more of our Hotel Experience
King George Hospital – Ilford, London
Ilford, London Borough of Redbridge
Bowman Riley has designed a new two-storey modular building at the King George Hospital in Ilford.
Clad in multi-depth panels in shades of stone and bronze, the new feature building will create a distinct sense of place and arrival at the main hospital entrance juncture. Designed to complement the existing built environment, the new building will add a fresh new layer of modernity to the backdrop of the slightly dated existing hospital buildings.
Located across from the main hospital, the new development will improve wayfinding from the existing car park and main entrance, which is currently confusing and impractical. The scheme includes a new covered walkway to shelter people as they move between the existing hospital and proposed gateway building. Simple and elegant in form, this new walkway will further emphasise the key entrance building and further promote wayfinding.
Providing a physical entrance-way towards the main hospital buildings, the new development will house retail facilities comprising an M&S and WH Smiths on the ground floor. Clerical accommodation will be relocated from the main hospital building to the first floor; releasing much-needed space within the existing hospital for clinical services.
Primary issues revolve around the building’s location and the disruption to ambulance services, drop-off and bus services during the construction period. Further issues centre around the existing horse chestnut tree that had to be retained, along with in-ground services that were unable to be re-routed and the incorporation of a new replacement bus stop.
Modular construction formed the basis of the brief and informed our design from the very start, establishing a design solution composed of efficient and practical module sizes. Constructed off-site to maximise quality and save time on site, the new precision-made steel-framed building will minimise air leakage for improved thermal efficiency, lower running costs, and reduced carbon emissions.
Milton Keynes University Hospital New Entrance and Retail Building
Catfoss
Milton Keynes
Bowman Riley designed and delivered a new hospital entrance and retail building at Milton Keynes University Hospital, a medium-sized district general hospital.
The building accommodates three retail units to be occupied by Amigo, Costa Coffee and Subway for patients, staff and visitors bringing much-needed revenue into the hospital.
As part of the hospital’s wider redevelopment programme to upgrade the infrastructure and facilities, the new entrance was designed on a former car park.
We worked in partnership with the NHS Trust, Compass Group, Catfoss, Kier Construction and the local authority to deliver the 987m² free-standing single-storey entrance building. The South Westerly facing building has brise soleil to provide shading and links building back into the existing Outpatients, Ear, Nose and Throat, Speech Therapy and Physiotherapy departments.
The modular building was constructed in an offsite controlled environment, which vastly reduced the time spent on-site resulting in less waste material. Constructed with a hot-rolled steel chassis, the fabric of the building offers an engineered solution featuring high levels of fire resistance and thermal efficiency.
Delivered to the site in 19 modular sections, the building was erected in just three days despite the challenge of transporting and installing a 15m long x 4m chassis.
Complex ground conditions included an existing live services tunnel beneath the development. The quick installation time meant that site works were kept to a minimum and air quality conditions were maintained – crucial for a healthcare environment. The final fit-out was conducted within 12 weeks keeping disruption to the hospital to an absolute minimum.
National Cycling Centre – Manchester
Bowman Riley was selected by a British professional cycling team to redesign the interior of their current head office at the National Cycling Centre in Manchester.
The client’s existing head office located within the Manchester Velodrome was constructed for the Commonwealth Games in 2002 and was in need of a refresh to reflect their stylish, dynamic brand and continued success in international cycling. Bowman Riley surveyed the existing office spaces and provided rapid 3D modelling followed by various options to reconfigure and refurbish the existing space.
Our design solution provided efficient and flexible workspaces with increased amounts of storage, independent office pods and unique features to increase the capacity and enhance the experience for our client’s staff and cyclists.
The project was programmed to take place in the winter of 2014 when the client vacated the office for their winter training camp in the Mediterranean. This enabled the team to move back in to their refurbished premises in 2015 without disruption to their operations.
The enhanced workspace provides our client with the high quality premises to continue to successfully operate in the international cycling circuit.
View more of our commercial case studies here
Kenwood Ladies Pond – Hampstead Heath, London
Hampstead Heath, North West London
Bowman Riley designed a new modular changing facility at Kenwood Ladies’ Pond. This open air swimming pond and secluded meadow is on Hampstead Heath in North London and run by the City of London.
Opened to the public in 1926, Kenwood Ladies’ Pond is used throughout the year and the new facility was needed to open in time for the particularly popular summer months. The existing building was located on dam and had to be demolished in order to undertake repair work to the dam. It was also run down and in need of replacement. The project was originally conceived to be traditional build; however, the facility could not be delivered in time.
Modular manufacturer Catfoss was brought in to provide a modular solution and Bowman Riley was commissioned to redesign the original concept in a modular format whilst maintaining the original specification required by the client. The facility comprises two buildings; the first accommodating internal and external changing rooms and showers and the second, a lifeguard observation room, an office and disabled facilities.
An innovative solution was designed to create a facility that would be fully accessible. A level threshold for the building was needed for accessible entrances and exits. A new concrete deck was laid by BAM Nuttall and concrete pockets were created to locate each module ensuring level thresholds.
The building was manufactured off site in large aircraft hangers in Driffield, North Yorkshire and erected on site in April 2016 in time for the busy summer season.
View more of our modular experience here
Consolidation of Laboratory Facilities – UK
This project involved consolidation of several laboratory sanitisation services on a large scale site to be in one centralised location. The accommodation was to include increased capacity for short and long term storage, the services of a new necropsy facility, central laundry and Autoclave.
Due to the large nature of the site, five options for this facility were possible. A detailed risk analysis was produced identifying all related risks from operational (including staff safety and welfare), to loss of lab allergen control.
The building is designed is to have the capability to be extended in the future with minimal disruption to the operations of the building.
Modular construction would enable the building to be almost entirely built off site to a high standard. This would be a quicker construction programme than a conventional build, enabling the facility to be operational earlier than expected.