A £1m transformation of a Blackburn primary school has been unveiled with a balloon race.
Griffin Park Primary has been re-modelled as part of a £15m programme of school improvement works across the region. To celebrate, the school hosted an open day for all staff, past and present, children, parents and governors.
A team from our Blackburn office (Su Sealby, Catherine Cramsie, Duncan Clement, Gavin Lang and Ryan Skehan) was responsible for the overall design, project, program and contract management of the construction works which involved remodelling the interior of the school with a new extension housing an improved entrance, reception, offices, circulation, staff and pupil facilities.
The celebrations started with a balloon race, with a prize for the furthest travelling one, followed by a buffet and tour for visitors.
Head teacher Catherine Grady-Clayton said: "The improvement to the buildings has made an amazing impact on the feel of our school. The staff, the children, the parents all comment on how wonderful it looks, and what a fantastic place it now is to work. It has given us a real buzz to work in such a lovely environment, and we all feel very special and very lucky for being part of GriffinParkSchool."
Councillor Chris Thayne, executive member for children's services, added: "I am delighted to see the work has now been completed. The buildings now do justice to the quality of learning that takes place within. This investment will have a huge impact on helping children to achieve their potential and have a happy, healthy and safe childhood."
Duncan Clement, building surveying manager from Capita Symonds, who led the design team, said: "We understand the importance of creating exciting spaces in which young people can learn and it is a pleasure to know that we are truly benefiting young people in the area."
Work has been completed as part of Blackburn with Darwen's capital programme for 2009/2010, which includes a range of large and smaller projects to improve and develop schools and other buildings.
The Casualty Reduction team from our Blackburn Partnership office have joined forces with Road Safety GB and Think! to keep local young people safe this winter.
Road Safety Officers from Capita Symonds will be delivering ‘Be bright, be seen’ presentations in schools, community centres and mosques across the borough in a bid to reduce the number of injuries on our roads. Posters will also be distributed and displayed at various venues across the region.
Graham Campbell, Casualty Reduction Team Leader, said: “We have seen a 61% reduction in killed or seriously injured road casualties across the borough since 2007. This is great news but there are still pedestrians who are putting themselves in unnecessary danger. Just a few key things can help reduce the risk of being injured, particularly as the evenings become darker and we are working with children to make sure they are fully equipped to use roads safely. “
Councillor Alan Cottam, executive member for regeneration and environment, added: "As the nights get darker you have to be especially careful about where and when you cross the road. Look for well lit places, so drivers can spot you more easily. This is about keeping the borough's young people safe so I would urge everyone to heed the advice and 'be bright, be seen.' "
IET Faraday (from The Institute of Engineering and Technology) is an exciting year-long programme of resources, activities, competitions and events designed to inspire young people about science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM).
'Urban Evolution' - this year's theme looks at some of the most innovative structures we live amongst today, as well as what we might have in the future. As part of this theme they have showcased the work undertaken by CapitaSymonds' Acoustics team on the O2 in Dublin.
"The Acoustic Engineering team were faced with a daunting challenge – turning the historic Point Theatre in Dublin into a 14,000-seat modern concert venue. The whole site had to be transformed and completely redeveloped from the existing warehouse space into a world-class venue with unparalleled acoustics. The challenge? The building is right in the centre of a residential area – requiring the acoustic team to come up with a solution that means the noise from the newly named O2 Dublin did not exceed its planning licensing limits." Find out more and watch the video on the IET Faraday website
CapitaBobrowski (our structural engineering brand) provided structural engineering design services for the spectacular central sculpture at last weekend’s Goodwood Festival of Speed.
This year's innovative display was sponsored by Audi in its centenary year, and was designed especially for the event by renowned sculptor Gerry Judah. Celebrating Audi’s achievements in motorsports, the sculpture features the legendary 1937 Auto Union Streamliner and the recently launched R8 V10 sports car at either end of a dramatic 'swoosh' of tyre tracks, as if they are driving off into the sky.
Although the 44 tonne, 32metre high structure is entirely fabricated from steel, CapitaBobrowski utilised in-house software that was originally written for tensile fabric to provide the complex cutting patterns needed for the steel plates that are welded to the central core tube.
Birmingham City Council has unveiled plans for a £1.5 million public square in the city’s Jewellery Quarter. Capita Lovejoy's designed were picked from a shortlist of 6. Read the coverage: Property Week on PlanningResource.co.uk The Birmingham Post
Mark Cronin’s, an Architectural Technician in Capita Symonds’ Carlisle office, has impressed top international software company Autodesk with a 3D animation of an eco-friendly house so much that they are now showcasing his work to students throughout Europe and the United States.
Mark's been using Autodesk’s 3D modelling software to illustrate the construction process of an eco-friendly urban dwelling as part of his part-time BSc (Hons) in Architectural Technology programme at Northumbria University.
Mark says: “Architectural animations are a fantastic way of conveying information, as the movement in animation helps put what is being seen into perspective. They transform the architectural drawing and portray the designer’s concept in a way that is much clearer and more understandable for the client. Some of the techniques used in cutting edge architectural animations are borrowed from the film industry and the same software packages are now standard in both industries which means clients are continuously expecting more exciting and realistic animations.”
Mark used Autodesk 3ds Studio Max for his animation and enjoyed working with a film industry standard tool to communicate fast track construction. His building is based on his own conceptual design of an eco friendly urban dwelling. The simple design uses fast track construction materials such as a steel frame and precast concrete floor beams, as well as secondary cold rolled steel framing with timber and render cladding systems.
He adds: “The concrete roof and floor are designed to help the building retain thermal mass, assisting in the heating and cooling of the building. Its under floor heating would ideally connect to a district heating system powered by a bio-mass boiler and it would feature the latest generation black silicon photovoltaic panels to harness renewable energy. There would also be rain water harvesting and a green roofing system – all of which can be clearly visualised and understood by a client through the 3d animation of the construction process.”
Margaret Horne is a Principal Lecturer and Director of the Built Environment Visualisation Centre at Northumbria University’s School of the Built Environment. She said: “Clients are increasingly seeking energy efficient, durable, low maintenance and cost effective buildings that incorporate new materials and innovative construction techniques. The role of the Architectural Technologist is to resolve detailed design issues within an increasingly multidisciplinary context and computer visualisation skills are essential to support this.”
“Mark has produced an outstanding animation which has captured the attention of one of the world’s leading companies in this increasingly important, and specialised, field and we are especially pleased that his exemplary piece of work is being showcased to other students in a drive to raise the understanding, knowledge and ability of a new generation of construction specialists,” she adds.
Building magazine have recently posted a video about the award winning Liverpool 1 development on Paradise Street - where 25 architects designed over 30 new buildings for Gosvenor. Grosvenor's Rod Holmes gives a tour: Watch the video
Teams from Capita Symonds’ London, Liverpool, Altrincham, Colwyn Bay, Carlisle and East Grinstead offices provided Transport Planning, Health & Safety, CDM, and Highway and Public Realm Design services on the scheme which covers 42 acres in the heart of Liverpool city centre.
Inhabitat.com (a weblog devoted to sustainable design and Architecture) has posted an article about the Wimbledon roof and some of it's sustainable aspects e.g. did you know the roofing farbric is fully recycleable?
You've probably seen all the coverage of Wimbledon's new retractable roof in the media today - but did you know CapitaSymonds provided Structural Engineering services on the project? (Well now you do!)
The retractable roof will bring an end to washed-out games – and potentially Cliff Richard's singalongs! (Cliff famously entertained the crowd when rain stopped play in 1996).
CapitaSymonds will be providing Event Safety consultation for the Relentless Boardmasters Festival - a surf, skate and music festival in Newquay, Cornwall - 5th - 9th August.
As part of Capita Symonds’ commitment to promoting and delivering a Sustainable and Responsible Business, a team from the Procter Street office is currently supporting the Over the Wall charity by undertaking a preliminary cost review, environmental assessment and design development on a pro bono basis to assess the feasibility of a permanent camp for the charity in the UK.
Over The Wall is a UK charity providing residential activity camps for children and young people affected by serious and terminal illness. It is the only residential camp provider in the UK and is modelled on Paul Newman's renowned ‘Hole in the Wall Gang Camp’ that operates in North America.
The Oscar-winning star of films such as ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’ and ‘The Sting’, Newman created the camps as places where kids could escape the fear, pain and isolation of their daily lives and, according to the man himself, “….kick back and raise a little hell.”
Over The Wall provides a facility for children aged 8-17 to use during Easter and Summer Holidays. The children are all at different stages of their illness and the charity aims to give them a chance to have fun among others with similar experiences. The Charity aims to provide places for as many children as possible and already runs a number of camps each year at venues in Dorset, Shropshire and Perthshire.
The charity is now entering its tenth year of operation in the UK and has been renting facilities for its week-long camps, mainly via public schools during non-term times. However, as the demands for its services continue to grow, the charity has decided that it’s time to look at building their own base camp, similar to the ‘Hole in the Wall’ camps built in North America.
Capita Symonds’ Managing Director, Jonathan Goring, has also recently become a trustee for the charity.
Capita Lovejoy has been named as one of the 6 finalists for the Golden Square project in Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter. See the full release on BD's website.
Capita Symonds’ acoustics team – led by Associate Director Daryl Prasad – provided acoustic engineering services on the project which involved the redevelopment, refurbishment and renaming of the historic Point Theatre.
The new 14,000-seat venue was completed by owners Live Nation and Irish property developer Harry Crosbie as part of a deal with Telefonica O2 Ireland, and will host shows by acts such as Coldplay, Bob Dylan and Boyzone within the first six months of opening.
The Capita Symonds team has ensured that the roof of The O2 has the most up to date acoustics design in Europe. Daryl Prasad explains: “The challenge was to transform an existing warehouse-like space into a world class venue with unparalleled acoustics. To ensure good sightlines long spans were required. As such the external shell needed to be relatively lightweight, contradicting traditional auditoria design which would have been far too heavy! What’s more, as the refurbishment took place amongst new residential developments, we had to make a significant effort to ensure that the sound insulation of the auditorium is sufficient for the neighbours.”
The new venue has a spectacular effect on the Dublin skyline with its translucent polycarbonate cladding extending two storeys upwards above the original building. It features a built-in lighting system programmed for all the colours of the rainbow to gives an effect that contrasts with the stone and brick of the original railway depot that was built on the site in 1878.
The original Point Rail Depot was eventually converted into a theatre a century later. Work then began in 2006 on redeveloping the building in its entirety, creating a concert venue which would attract premier acts to Ireland’s capital.
All but the existing kelp stone perimeter wall was demolished, doubling capacity as well as greatly enhancing both front and back of house facilities, including a 50 tonne rigging capacity and a VIP and sponsors’ lounge. The excellent sightlines have been achieved with the aid of complex geometry modelling to provide a unique, amphitheatre-style, column-free auditorium despite a roof span of over 50 metres. The auditorium will therefore be flexible, able to alternate between concert and theatre modes, with adaptable seating configurations and a complex seating bowl geometry.
About the new O2:
One of the first acts to play live to a paying audience at the Point Depot in 1988 was The Pogues
U2 recorded the No. 1 hit single “Desire” in the Point in 1988.
Construction of the redevelopment of The O2 commenced on 1st Sept 2007
At the height of the renovation of The O2 500 people were employed on the site
The roof of The O2 has the most up to date acoustics design in Europe. Audiences will be treated to acoustics never before witnessed in an Irish venue
Shows that were previously not possible in the venue – such as Cirque Du Soleil - can now be staged.
A total of over 5,000 tons of steel, 13,000 meters of duct work, 7,000 meters of pipe work and 270 kilometers of cables were used to construct the new venue
There are 3,500 light fittings in the venue
The O2 will form the centre point of The Point Village, which currently under construction
