Commercial Property Awards 2009
Winners were announced at a Gala Dinner on 11 May 2010
Project Under £3m Award
Winner
Winter Rule Headquarters Building, Truro
Vickery Holman
Winter Rule has been in Tregolls Road, Truro since the 1970s. Having identified a need to expand, the firm appointed Vickery Holmans' Development Services Team to undertake a review of the existing and proposed buildings in the city, which rapidly came to the conclusion of providing a replacement building in Tregolls Road.
This solution posed several challenges - including planning approval due to its prominent position, various site constraints and time pressure, with Winter Rule needing to limit downtime for the business.
The design was prepared by Lacey Hickie Caley, creating an individual landmark building. This design enlivened what is a functional building with the use of interesting fenestration, profiled roof and glazed gables creating a modern and expansive area with excellent gross-to-net floor area of 85%. Close attention has been paid to the attractive views of the Cathedral with use of breakout balconies.
The building has sought to fulfil the city's economic aspirations and has been a beacon to the Cornish economy to weather the recession.
Runners up:
- Bishop Cornish Education Centre
- Dry Dock Building, Falmouth
Heritage Project of the Year
Winner
Carew House, Bodmin
Porthia Limited
The original Carew Building was part of the now closed St Lawrence's Hospital site in Bodmin. It was opened in 1867 for the occupancy of private patients and was named after the Rt Honourable Reginald Carew. The project to restore Carew House was undertaken by Porthia with the support of the regional development agency, SWRDA, which supplied a grant to the developer as part of the financing to convert the building into high quality commercial offices. The remaining funding was private capital.
The building is grade II listed and has undergone a sympathetic conversion combined with leading edge technology. There are no light switches in the building and the internal lighting is sensitive to movement within the building where the movement itself activates the lighting. The insulation of the building has been installed to a very high specification rendering the building supremely energy efficient. The development includes cycle and shower facilities and terraced landscaped gardens.
Before the work to the building was started, there had to be a process to preserve the bat habitat and environment from a conservation standpoint. Tunnels were dug under the existing building itself to allow the bats free movement to their roosts and protect their ability to hibernate.
The project to convert the Carew Building has successfully delivered an ecologically and environmentally efficient structure while preserving the character and stature of the original building.
Runners up:
- 5-6 High Cross, Truro
- Mills Bakery, Royal William Yard
Project Manager of the Year
Winner
Mike Leach (Devon & Cornwall Constabulary)
Bodmin Police Station - Operational Strategic Hub
A serving Police Officer from 1973, Mike Leach retired as Inspector in 2005 to commence his career as Project Manager, assigned to work on major building projects for the Operational Estates Strategy. With no previous building experience and armed with a Prince2TM Practitioner qualification, his project portfolio contained five major building projects.
An operational policing hub at Bodmin was the largest single Police Authority building project undertaken in the Devon and Cornwall region for over 30 years; at circa £11 million this project was seen as the catalyst that would propel Force accommodation into the twenty-first century. There were huge expectations to provide a building that would set new boundaries in innovation at a prescriptive cost.
The project was successfully completed six weeks ahead of schedule in November 2009, with early migration of users achieved with minimum disruption to business as usual. The financial forecast is currently anticipated at 3% below the budget allocation enabling the financing of other estate projects. All the deliverables have been accomplished to a high standard displaying a clear understanding of the corporate and operational needs.
Runners up
- Andy Cook (Ease Development Services Ltd)
- Malcolm Tresidder (Midas Construction)
Eco Building of the Year
Winner
Otter Brewery, Eco Cellar
Otter Brewery
Otter Brewery was established in 1990 and has since grown into an exemplar of sustainable production. In 2009, the brewery opened the first underground, modern 'eco cellar' to be built in the UK.
The building itself sits underground and cleverly uses the earth's core temperature to naturally cool the lower level of the cellar to 12°C - the ideal temperature for storing cask ale. A set of fail-safe inner and outer doors at the front of the cellar prevents any human activity from affecting this. Six large solar panels continue the energy saving theme and channel natural light from ground level through a series of refracting prisms and lenses to help illuminate the lower levels.
The whole cathedral like structure has been crowned with a massive living grass (sedum) roof. As well as absorbing CO2 from the atmosphere, the roof also captures rainwater that is then used for domestic maintenance and washing vehicles. Wooden cladding around the lower level helps to further minimise the visual impact.
The intelligent design will save over 6½ tonnes of CO2 emissions per annum - the equivalent of removing 8 chillers and compressors (which would otherwise be running 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year). In a very short time this will zero rate the new cellar and save the business more than £27,000 worth of electricity a year. The living roof not only provides a haven for wildlife but also helps to blend the building into the natural habitat of the surrounding Blackdown Hills - an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Runners up
- Fairglen Low Energy Homes, Hayle
- Scarlet Hotel, North Cornwall
The John Laurence Award for Professional Firm of the Year
Winner
Stride Treglown
Stride Treglown is an AJ 'Top 20' practice of architects with a network of offices throughout the UK and Abu Dhabi which include offices in Plymouth and Truro.
With over 280 members of staff, teams work alongside major retailers, public sector organisations, developers, universities and local authorities, delivering design and a comprehensive range of complementary services.
The business has three core objectives:
- To be the architectural practice of first choice for clients, contractors and employees
- To use any influence to work towards a more sustainable future
- To treat people as individuals and work towards shared goals, encouraging continuous progression
Stride Treglown has featured in the Top 50 Good Employers Guide for the construction industry for the last three years. All staff are encouraged to be involved in community projects and charitable organisations and the Bristol office is currently working alongside a major developer in support of disadvantaged young people who are looking for a career in construction.
Building of the Year Award
Winner
The Scarlet Hotel, North Cornwall
Harrison Sutton Partnership
The brief for The Scarlet hotel was ambitious: a new sumptuous individual boutique hotel reflecting its location on the cliffs over looking the Atlantic; a special atmosphere, simple philosophy (local, seasonal and high quality); and exemplary 'eco' credentials to set the bench mark not only for green Cornish tourism, but as a marker nationally, and most importantly to 'think outside the box'.
Nestling into the landscape, minimising its external impact within the natural cliff setting, The Scarlet is a crafted assembly of curves and natural materials. The anticipation of 'holiday' is celebrated with the arrival at reception and the view of the bay framed by the infinity pool. From this point, guests are treated to a discovery of flowing public spaces.
Responding to the topography, aspect and views the bedrooms are positioned to relate to the landscape, some with private south facing gardens, with sea views and a great sense of individuality. A striking copper clad wall physically anchors the building into the landscape and acts as a metaphorical divide between public and private spaces.
The design provides a strong 'back edge' against the road with a clear built form emphasised by simple materials beneath a metal seamed roof. This structured form is complemented with a less formal front edge facing the sea where the development envelope stops and the coastal landscape takes over. Here the character of the cliff top is 'wrapped' up and over the lower bedrooms onto the roof making them feel more integral with the landscape under a green roof carpeted with an indigenous mix of sea thrift.
Runners up
- Bodmin Police Station - Operational Strategic Hub
- Winter Rule Headquarters Building, Truro
Project of the Year over £3M
Winner
New Factory for British Ceramic Tile Ltd
Pearn & Procter Chartered Architects
Eleven years ago tile manufacturing company British Ceramic Tile was established on the old Candy Tile site in Heathfield near Bovey Tracey, Devon. Since then it has been a British manufacturing success story, the latest phase of which has seen the completion of the huge new £40million factory.
Preliminary planning discussions indicated that special consideration should be given to the design of the silo tower due to its prominent location adjacent to the A38. Pearn & Procter worked closely with British Ceramic Tile and Teignbridge District Council Planning Department to design a solution to the production requirement for a 25 metre high tower adjacent to the A38 and a manufacturing plant covering some 9 acres. The tower was colour coded to reduce its impact onto the A38 and blend with the Dartmoor colours of the distant hills. The factory and the tower have now become a prominent landmark in their own right and, in a way, a reminder of a great British success story.
The completed manufacturing complex sets new standards for the industry. Funded entirely by private investment the production facility is now:
- The most efficient in Europe
- The largest tile making plant on one site in Europe
- The plant can produce at full capacity 30,000 sq metres (equivalent to 5 football pitches) of finished tiles per day, every day of the year
Runners up
- Bodmin Police Station - Operational Strategic Hub
- Scarlet Hotel, North Cornwall
