Projects
Bootham Park – York
Enterprise Retirement Living
York
Bowman Riley has been providing masterplanning and architecture on the re-purposing of Bootham Park, a series of historic listed buildings with extensive open grounds in York into a new retirement community.
Our brief was to create a cohesive development of 120 homes across the site. During the design process, it became apparent that we needed additional apartments for the scheme’s financial viability. We worked closely with Historic England to produce the masterplan with the sympathetic renovation of the heritage buildings to create engaging and appropriate designs for the new build elements resulting in a 172-unit residential care community with substantial public benefits.
Central to the project’s success in conservation terms is the renovation of the 18th-century Grade I listed landmark designed by acclaimed architect John Carr. The site also includes four Grade II listed heritage assets built in the 19th and early 20th centuries, which will be repurposed to host the communal facilities of the new community. Four complementary new wings will accommodate the new homes.
Built as a lunatic asylum in 1777, Bootham Park became a psychiatric hospital in 1904 before closing in 2015. In addition to the site’s iconic architecture, its historic significance is that Bootham Park has provided continuous care since its construction, recognising its contribution to society. The redevelopment of the site into a retirement community was granted planning consent in 2023 and classed as C2 use class, the provision of care in a residential setting, which is a first for City of York Council.
The public benefits of the redeveloped site weigh in favour of the scheme, as does the enhancement of the existing landscape regarding its recreational value and provision of public access, including sports facilities to Bootham School and a hospital helipad.
The redevelopment will bring this critical York brownfield site back into viable reuse as a beautiful and functional retirement community, with onsite care 24/hours a day and extensive grounds accessible to the public.
Kerry Babbington, Historic England, praised our “thoughtful approach” and lauded our “retention of the open nature of the site and creation of formalised rights of public access”.
See our other project for Enterprise Retirement Living, The Red House.
See our other Heritage projects.
See more of our retirement communities.
Providence Quarter Residential Development – North Yorkshire
Candelisa Ltd
Skipton, North Yorkshire
Bowman Riley was commissioned by award-winning developer Candelisa to design Providence Quarter, the conversion of a former 1970s office building in the centre of Skipton into private residential apartments.
Formerly the home of HML, a division of Skipton Building Society, the four storey 5500m² residential development helps meet the shortage of homes in this desirable market town with the provision of 39 one and two bedroom apartments.
Permitted development approval was obtained from Craven District Council under new legislation introduced to facilitate the re-use of under-utilised office spaces in urban environments. This allowed the development to bypass a potentially lengthy and costly planning approval process resulting in a rapid construction period.
Bowman Riley prepared technical drawings suitable for Building Control approval and construction, liaised with the client’s nominated consultants and produced 3D visuals for marketing purposes. Our design involves replacement windows throughout and the addition of double balconies to the east and west elevations and Juliet balconies to the south elevation. A feature living wall system above the secondary entrance and a communal roof terrace with spectacular views across the district of Craven.
The amenities provided at the development for the residents include a gym, planned roof garden and one hobby room per apartment on the basement level, under-croft car parking and separate car parking.
Providence Quarter reached the finals at the LABC Building Excellence Awards 2015.
Images courtesy of Candelsa. To register your interest in the development please email: sales@candelisa.com.
Newsome Vale Independent Living – South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire Housing Association
Barnsley, South Yorkshire
Bowman Riley supported the delivery of Newsome Vale, a new apartment complex specifically designed to provide independent living for older people.
Supported by a £1.87 million grant from the Homes and Communities Agency, Newsome Vale comprises 50 one and two bedroom apartments on three floors with communal gardens and lounge areas.
Following the closure of South Yorkshire Housing’s in-house architects department, Bowman Riley was commissioned to facilitate the completion of the development. At this stage, the project was significantly behind programme and there was an ongoing dispute with the contractor.
Providing a contract administrator role as the client’s agent, we worked closely with the housing association and contractor to resolve the dispute and support the completion of the development. We also undertook the role of principal designer to ensure the completion of the health and safety file prepared by the contractor.
Newsome Vale now offers high-quality apartments for older people that eliminate the usual housing problems like stairs and bathtubs and provides spacious living areas, corridors and bathrooms for easy accessibility. Residents take part in the daily activities ranging from knitting and chair aerobics, to bingo, line dancing and quiz nights.
“The best decision we have made to move into Newsome Vale apartment, it is superb… Newsome vale is a very secure place, which gives the residents peace of mind.”
John (resident 2016)
View more of our retirement living experience
Greenroyd Mill Residential Development – North Yorkshire
Yorkshire Housing, Jephson North, Barnfield Homes
Sutton in Craven, North Yorkshire
Bowman Riley designed the transformation of a 150-year-old derelict textile mill site into a mixture of 94 new homes comprising affordable homes, extra care houses/apartments and private homes.
Work on the scheme was originally started by a private developer, but the project stalled in 2008 due to the economic downturn. Working with the developer Barnfield Homes and two housing associations, Yorkshire Housing and Jephson Homes, we attracted an investment of £3.7 million from the Homes and Communities Agency to enable the development to complete.
The four-storey development retains the existing structure of the mill. Many of the mill’s original features were sympathetically incorporated into the design. The building achieved BREEAM Very Good.
The Greenroyd Mill development received a number of accolades including:
- Outstanding Achievement in Collaborative and Partnership Working – Making the Difference in Yorkshire and Humber Awards 2011
- High Commendation – RICS Pro-Yorkshire Awards 2012 for Residential
- Special Commendation – Yorkshire Business Insider Property Awards 2012 in the category of Restoration.
The Red House Luxury Retirement Village – Ripon
Ripon, North Yorkshire (Ripon Conservation Area)
Bowman Riley provided architecture and the role of principal designer on the redevelopment of The Red House, an Edwardian property set within a conservation area and a protected landscape in Ripon.
Derelict for many years, the Red House was built in 1905 as a private residence before it became a Barnardo’s children’s home in the 1940s. The scheme comprised the refurbishment of the historic building and new build elements. The significant alterations to the original building had to remain in keeping with the character and sympathetic to the history of the site.
In consultation with the local community, we helped secure planning consent to transform the site into a retirement community of 59 properties. Delivered in two phases, the development provides one and two-bedroom private homes comprising apartments, cottages and two-storey houses. The Red House building was refurbished and extended to accommodate a range of communal facilities, including lounges, a bar, a library, a restaurant, consulting suite, a hair salon and a gym. The existing lodge, stable block and cottage were refurbished and extended to form apartments and cottage accommodation.
Working with an arboriculturist, we decided which trees remained on site, and this dictated the masterplan for the site layout and levels and new build elements. The landscaping preserved the protected trees and woodland zones, and further planting complemented and supplemented the mature landscape. A particular challenge was to design and install footings that could adequately contend with the rare local gypsum geology.
“Bowman Riley achieved an extremely successful outcome for a detailed planning submission… against a very difficult background both politically and in planning terms… They achieved maximum density to maintain the viability of the scheme and undertook extensive public and officer consultation to gain support for the scheme.”
Jim Pegg, Barnardo’s Developments Ltd.
Images credit RN Wooler and The Red House.
For further information, visit the website here
View more of our retirement living experience here
Roughaw Close Residential Development – North Yorkshire
Skipton, North Yorkshire
Bowman Riley designed a new building comprising eight two-bedroom apartments at Roughaw Close to provide supported living accommodation for older people in a picturesque location the banks of the Leeds to Liverpool canal in the market town of Skipton.
The new development offers high-quality homes for local people in the Craven area, which has a shortage of affordable homes.
The development at Roughaw Close saw the demolition of an existing building that was inadequate to meet the needs of older residents and the raising of the site level as a flood risk prevention measure.
The new timber frame building retained the stone characteristics typical throughout Skipton but also incorporated modern features including rain screen cladding and rendered elevations. Situated in a desirable canal-side location, the development provides garden space for the residents of the property to enjoy in relative privacy.
Adjacent to a larger complex that satisfies a wide range of accommodation requirements for older people, the new building was designed to be fully accessible with internal spaces accommodating users with limited mobility and wheelchair users.
A subsequent development of 12 two-bedroom apartments to mirror the first phase building providing supported living accommodation was completed. The new building provides residents with two mobility scooters.
Southlands Retirement Apartments – Roundhay, Leeds
Bowman Riley was appointed to design the reconfiguration of 19 nursing bedrooms within Southlands, an existing residential community for older people into eight luxury independent living apartments in the Leeds’ suburb of Roundhay.
Located in a conservation area, Southlands is a substantial period property that was built between 1893 and 1908. It was purchased by William Hemingway of Hemingway Brewery in 1912. From 1936 Hemingway’s daughter Ivy resided in the property with her husband Captain Hugh Bowman, who was in the Yorkshire Regiment and was awarded the military cross during the 1st World War.
Southlands is a collection of self-contained retirement apartments that allow older people to lead an independent life and run their own home without the worries of maintaining it. They also have the reassurance of round-the-clock care and support on-site. The one and two-bedroom homes have been created in direct response to demand for additional self-contained apartments on the site that already contained 23 apartments.
Our work included redesigning the interior of the building to remove the staircase to additional areas to the apartments. This led to the need for a new sprinkler system.
The apartments were carefully designed to reflect the resident’s needs and mobility demands, enabling them to live independently. Each apartment was designed to showcase a unique character, with many featuring large windows offering views of the landscaped gardens. Due to the poor condition of the existing windows, 61 windows were replaced.
Laurel Croft Sheltered Housing – North Yorkshire
Yorkshire Housing
Embsay, North Yorkshire
Built in the 1970s, Laurel Croft was category 2 sheltered housing located in the North Yorkshire village of Embsay. After 40 years, the property was no longer a desirable place to live and under occupied. The building had an inefficient layout and did not provide the level of facilities expected by today’s living standards such as en-suites and communal areas.
Yorkshire Housing needed to transform the existing building into modern independent living accommodation for older people. Unfortunately, the funding to demolish and rebuild a new purpose-built development was not available. Yorkshire Housing could, however, use their maintenance budget to substantially refurbish the property.
Bowman Riley designed the complete remodelling of Laurel Croft . We led a consultation process with existing tenants, their families, housing provider, local community and parish council to determine the design brief and make the most of the limited budget.
We created 21 self-contained one and two bedroom apartments specifically designed to meet the independent living needs of older people. Each apartment provides a compact and easy to maintain home benefiting from a living room, bedroom, wet room, WC and fitted kitchen.
The development now provides a communal lounge in which to meet neighbours, friends and family and a beautiful conservatory.
The project involved the initial design and formal planning submission through to the completion of the works on site. The existing building was brought in line with current housing codes and standards.
The Chocolate Works Mixed Use Development – York
York, North Yorkshire
The Chocolate Works won the Game Changer award at the Yorkshire Property Awards 2016.
Bowman Riley provided masterplanning and the role of principal designer on The Chocolate Works, a 14 acre development site adjacent to York racecourse.
The site was formerly Terry’s Chocolate Factory, which ceased operating in 2005 with the buildings remaining vacant until the site was purchased by Henry Boot Developments in 2013.
Bowman Riley supported Henry Boot Developments in the creation of a new sustainable and vibrant mixed use neighbourhood as an integral part of York.
The development includes the sensitive and active reuse and renovation of 250,000 ft² of Grade II 1920s Art Deco buildings: the Clock Tower and Boiler House, Fruit and Nut store, office headquarters building, Time Office and main factory building. The Grade II-listed factory building will be converted into 173 high quality apartments. Many of these luxury new homes overlook York Racecourse and the river Ouse. Springfield Healthcare Group is transforming the 4,000ft2 former headquarters building into a care village. The plans include 82 care bedrooms and eight luxury care apartments for residents.
Bowman Riley has undertaken feasibility studies for further developments on the site including a hotel, offices, convenience store and medical centre. In 2016, a public realm network was established including streets, squares, courtyards and green spaces to connect the site to adjacent urban districts.
View more of our masterplanning experience
Deansfield Court Extra Care Facility – North Yorkshire
Yorkshire Housing
Malton, North Yorkshire
Bowman Riley designed Deansfield Court for Yorkshire Housing, a modern extra care residential facility that replaced a long-standing care home designed to respond to older people’s changing needs.
Aimed at those with health issues that make independent living more difficult but who do not need full residential care, this was a new concept for Yorkshire Housing to offer more support than sheltered housing but still allow residents to live independently.
Yorkshire Housing took over the residential care facility and adjacent housing stock from North Yorkshire County Council. Bowman Riley liaised with both parties to facilitate the transaction and to ensure that the new residential facility met the aspirations of the housing provider and its residents.
Deansfield Court provides 50 self-contained apartments with a communal lounge, restaurant, internet café, hair salon, therapy room, library and shop. The accommodation improved the levels of care and self-sufficiency for the residents. Five of the units were designed for wheelchair users and the building can accommodate power-assisted wheelchairs and buggies on all three floors.
Yorkshire Housing was keen to explore the alternative methods of design and construction on this development. As a result, the building was designed using timber-framed panel systems.
Ten years after completion and Deansfield Court has a waiting list proving the success and popularity of this extra care scheme. Danny Watson, Scheme manager, Yorkshire Housing said:
“It’s a popular scheme and we’re sending out applications forms every day to people who are interested. And I try to ensure that anybody who rings up can come and have a look around because it’s a selling point for them to see how lovely the building is.”
See more of our retirement communities.
Roughaw Close Phase 2 Residential Development – North Yorkshire
Yorkshire Housing
Skipton, North Yorkshire
Bowman Riley designed a new residential development of 12 two-bedroom apartments for older people ion the site of a former sheltered housing scheme in a picturesque location overlooking the canal in Skipton.
This development follows the successful first phase comprising eight two bedroom apartments in a new building on the site.
We successfully managed the planning process to include consultation with the local ward councillors, the community and residents of the existing housing scheme.
The design maximises the site’s potential by orientating the living areas within the apartments to take advantage of the beautiful aspect overlooking the canal.
The attractive development is scaled to be in keeping with the surrounding context and is extremely sympathetic to the local setting.
The much needed affordable homes are designed to have a flexible internal room layout, which allows each home to adapt to the resident’s needs.
Designed with sustainability and security as key factors; Roughaw Close achieved Code for Sustainable Homes Level 3 and Secured by Design Part 2 accreditation.