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Work in Progress.......Achieving, Reviewing, Sustaining

Our Clients Tell UsDecember 2008 27

Two negatives can make a positive!

At the beginning of the 1990’s DLG, following responses to their research on shopping centres, promoted the concept of ‘subtractive refurbishment’, i.e. stripping away the superfluous features which distracted attention in many centres from the actual shops. Tower Ramparts was one of the first centres where DLG succeeded in putting this principle into practice and now, nearly twenty years later, we have the opportunity to take this further. Some properties which have been added to the site have unlocked the footprint, making it possible to realise the opportunities originally identified for upper level catering.

“Everyone loves the excitement of creating something new. With a cleared site it is much easier to create a building which meets today’s and, as far as we can predict, tomorrow’s needs.With a retained structure one has to accommodate the influence of what is already there. Compromise in at least some areas is almost inevitable but the skill is in minimising the impact of this on the overall use and value of the building.Whilst it is harder work and requires a higher level of skill from the professional team, the profits from refurbishment works tend to be lower for the investor/developer than creating new buildings. This is due in part to much of the work being devoted to sustaining the value rather than improving it”.

John Peacock of Warner Estates

“Every new development quickly becomes an existing asset and maintaining asset value is about constant nurture of the project, keeping an eye open for the opportunities and being in a position to exploit these as and when they arise. Even routine maintenance can provide the opportunity to create improvements especially if these have been taken into account at the outset. Having a flexible overall concept provides a framework in which this can take place and the benefits of having a consultant team available, as and when needed, who are familiar with both the building and the objectives is an enormous benefit. Regular engagement in discussion about the opportunities can reveal both new possibilities and options previously discarded or ignored for reasons which no longer apply”.

Ian Moorcroft Director of Ashcroft Estate Management

Not all our clients build new buildings but they do all own existing ones. We asked a selection of them for their comments on what these mean to them.

“DLG are surprisingly good listeners who are prepared to adapt their thoughts and solutions as they learn more about the objectives of each aspect of a project…. ‘Given that many landlords and tenants feel overly constrained by listed buildings and therefore end up with a ‘compromised’ solution …..DLG offer a different solution that is more in tune with the type of product that the occupier wants to acquire.DLG have achieved results in terms of listed buildings, planning and fire control that most of your competitors could not match”.

Martin Wallace of Montagu Evans

Existing

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Front Cover Photo: The Atrium, Camberley

27Understanding The ContextDecember 2008

Working in Partnership

The Atrium at Camberley is really taking shape: new shops and the cinema and a bowling hall are now integrated within the town centre. It could have been very different. Earlier projects which did not materialise had the aim to create a self-contained, stand-alone centre but DLG, working with Crest Developments, recognised that the key to success was to create a flow of people along Park Street towards the new multi-storey car park, creating a new focal point for the town and regenerating the street. The new development also provides a valuable interface between the commercial centre and the surrounding residential areas and has turned what was a busy and risky main road into a quiet haven for the existing residents to one side of the site.

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Working with the Community

The Ridings in Wakefield was one of the early multi-level centres much praised for its imaginative arrangement. It was conceived at a time when centres tended to be seen as self sufficient, standing apart from their surroundings. Indeed in many towns entrances were seen only as potential leakage points and the prime objective was to attract the shoppers by car and keep them inside! DLG first advocated closer integration some thirty years ago and are happy that today expectations have changed and centres are seen as a vital part of the town, both supporting and being supported by it. At the Ridings the entrances are being made more inviting, with improvements to the public realm and extending the interaction betweeni town and centre.

Capitalising on Context.

In Chichester, DLG has an opportunity to develop a small walkway of shops which will be the catalyst for a new quarter. As part of the design development we have been researching the retail opportunities and the architectural heritage both in the immediate vicinity of the development and further afield. Views of the cathedral from the upper level terraces will unite the development with the heart of the town and provide a unique setting for what promises to be one of its most desirable meeting places.

Making Buildings WorkDecember 2008 27

Reviewing your Asset

A quinquennial review on Sandys Row Synagogue is now due and, because these reviews are an important part of the management of buildings, they require that it be prepared by an Architect Accredited in Building Conservation (AABC). DLG Architects were appointed with just five weeks to go before an application for Heritage funding was to be made for urgent repairs to the external fabric. Originally built as a French Huguenot Chapel, the building went through several reincarnations before being converted to a synagogue with an extension at the western end in themid 1800’s. We look forward not only to carrying out the repairs, but also to restoring the interior and making use of the basement to providea valuable space to display some of the history of the Jewish people who came to theEast End during the nineteenth century.

Taking the longer view.

In some centres we have continued our involvement throughout a series of changes in ownership. Knowledge of the building and an understanding of the constraints is a valuable asset to the architects in residence, even with relatively small alterations. It is also clear that there is no single answer to a centre’s success and that responding positively to change even in a small way is essential. The latest works at the Fishergate centre in Preston have provided some excellent upgraded loos, not something which most of us set out to design when we started in architecture but an essential amenity for the shoppers!

Back of House

In looking only at shop fronts one could miss so much. Behind the facades are the ‘back-of-house’ areas which are of special interest and which provide the opportunity to enlarge the units. By looking at things ‘in the round’ in Buxton, DLG came up with a number of potential benefits including new frontages, a new public square and a novel approach to the centre, all of which enhance the profiles of both the centre and the town.

Looking outside the box

Events sometimes conspire to create opportunities. With the benefit of clear objectives and a strategic plan shared with the whole team what may at first appear a setback can be turned to advantage. At the Cornmill Centre Darlington DLG had developed proposals for restructuring the interior and creating inviting entrances and are now focused on turning disastrous fire damage to the adjoining, listed, Kings Head Hotel into an opportunity. A balanced study of historic interest and commercial viability is being undertaken, which will inform our proposals for the buildings.

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A Practice ViewDecember 2008

Although we all enjoy creating new buildings, iconic or not, they will quickly become existing assets which need to be carefully nurtured in order to retain and enhance their value.

To do this requires a particular skill: to regard a building as work in progress at all stages of its life from conception through completion and use to regeneration until its ultimate demise. Thinking about how a building will be used is as important a part of its conception as understanding the flexibility which will allow it to evolve during use. This requires good teamwork and interaction.

Experience derived from dealing with listed buildings is useful over a wide range of properties. The concept of a quinquennial inspection to review your asset and provide a long term working tool can apply not just to the fabric of the building but also to the long term enhancement of that which it offers. Sometimes protecting a listed building may be about achieving immunity from listed building constraints by comprehending the special architectural or historic interest of the building so that it can be allowed to respond to the changing needs of its occupiers.

Making use of the positive aspects of a building’s character can provide ‘instant atmosphere’ as DLG proved with The Light in Leeds, winner of both commercial and local community awards. Taking into account the role of the building within the wider context of the town or countryside can make a very great difference. Achieving full integration with the surroundings rather than allowing it to stand apart can effectively close gaps in the town core.

These projects illustrate a number of the issues which need to be taken into account in dealing with an existing building, whether it is to make a minor adaptation, to take into account the projected maintenance, or to perform more major change to achieve regeneration. A combination of experience and research is essential, as is a passion not just to make a mark on the landscape but to ensure that buildings work to the benefit of people: their owners, those who use them and the community in which they lie.

Lots Ait

Teamwork is vitally important in finding a solution for this small island in the Thames just off Ferry Quays in Brentford. We have an opportunity to regenerate an obsolete boatyard and, apart from the usual team of building advisers, we are working with marine engineers, navigation specialists, floodplain engineers, and ecological experts specialising in birds, trees and some comparatively rare two-lipped snails! Consultees include the local residents who universally approved the development with substantial support for the mixed use proposals which are to be tabled with the planning authority. This is what real teamwork is all about: a wide range of expertise and the close involvement of owners users and neighbours.

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BCO Technical Tour

During November, DLG hosted a successful BCO tour of 14 Cornhill the 170,000 sq ft former Lloys Bank headquarters building in the city of London. A unique and inovative design solution has given new life to the building with the office floors now achieving some of the highest rents in the city.

Achieving Immunity

Cable House in New Broad Street is listed grade II because parts of the interior were designed by CA Voysey. As one of his very few commercial interiors this was undoubtedly of conservation interest but it is clear that the building is no longer as it was when Voysey produced his designs. Because DLG has skills in both commercial property and specialist conservation, we were able to obtain agreement from the City Planners that the majority of the building was not at a level of ‘special architectural or historic interest’ which would warrant listed building consent. Both client and tenants now have greater certainty in use and can avoid costly and unnecessary listed building applications.

Achieving, Reviewing, SustainingDecember 2008

London Office 11-29 Fashion StreetLondon E1 6PZ

t +44 (0)20 7426 3630f +44 (0)20 7426 3631london@dlgarchitects.com

dlgarchitects.com

Leeds Office Marshall Mill, Marshall StreetLeeds LS11 9YJ

t +44 (0)113 394 6900f +44 (0)113 394 6901leeds@dlgarchitects.com

‘ Voysey windows in a contemporary setting’

A new generation of sustainable buildings

DLG have been invited by a major food manufacturer to produce studies for a new generation of sustainable buildings. As in most industries, new government legislation concerning carbon reduction has been driving change in food manufacturing. One of the main targets is to make the processes more efficient but DLG believes that there are greater gains to be won by taking a holistic view. Traditional ‘industrial shed’ technology can be improved and the carbon footprint reduced by careful consideration of volume, orientation, fenestration, thermal mass and ventilation. A lean construction, recycling and the specification of materials with low-embodied energy can all help to reduce the buildings’ carbon content and will have a significant effect on costs.

PLEASANT OUTLOOK

POSSIBLEOFFICE

NATURAL VIEW

OFFICE AND SERVICE BLOCKSRADIATION LOADS FROM SUN

LONG SPAN STRUCTURE WHERE FLEXIBILITY REQUIRED

WARM AIR OUT

COLD AIR IN

PRODUCTIONSERVICE AREA

COLD AIR IN

COLD STORE

COLD EVENTUALLY TRANSFORS TO OFFICES