BUILDING MAKEOVER TO CREATE HAPPY SHIP

Space Group associate director Nigel Pilkington (far right) shows the Sea Cadets the new design proposals.

YOUNG sea cadets across Bradford are riding on the crest of a wave after triumphing in a regional building makeover competition.

Earlier this year, Leeds-based _space architecture, part of Space Group, called for charity groups in need of a makeover to come forward to win a free renovation or refurbishment.

Bradford T.S Aurora Sea Cadets, a voluntary organisation for youngsters aged 12 to 18, has beaten off 20 other hopefuls and will now have its rundown premises overhauled.

Space Group has already visited the old school building and discovered the premises all at sea.

Now they are working on plans to redecorate the toilet and classroom areas, re-design the changing rooms and make the building shipshape.

Space Group’s Yorkshire office hopes to team up with local suppliers and contractors to help support the costs of the materials.

Space Group associate director Nigel Pilkington said: “We have visited the building and the main priorities are the classroom, toilets and changing rooms. As well as designing better storage zones, we will decorate the toilets with fresh paint, add more privacy screens in the changing rooms and add mirrors and shelving to make it a nicer and friendlier place to be.”

Alan Mandreit from the Sea Cadets said: “We have been trying to fix the building ourselves for years but it has proved to be an endless task. We have worked hard to improve things by painting as much as we can, but time constraints and lack of budget means it has been a slow process.

“We have also been trying to raise funds but the majority of this money is to fund a new minibus so I really am thrilled that Space Group has been our saving grace.”

Space Group opened up the competition in Yorkshire after successfully renovating a North-East children’s centre in the style of a TV 60-minute makeover.

Space Group CEO Rob Charlton said: “Working in communities is what our business is all about and we are particularly interested in supporting young people.

“The entire architecture team at the Yorkshire office has spent a lot of time whittling down the shortlist of entrants and we agreed that the sea cadets’ premises were most in need of a facelift.

“By applying our architectural and design skills, together with hands-on help such as painting and decorating, I’m sure we can make a real difference.

“Simple things, such as the clever use of colour and shape, can make a huge difference to how the area is perceived and used. I can’t wait to see the cadets benefitting from their new building.”

WORK UNDERWAY ON TRANSFORMING CARE AT LEEDS TEACHING HOSPITALS

THE transformation of hospital wards has begun as the first stage of a £34 million scheme to centralise children’s hospital services at Leeds General Infirmary and adult acute medicine and older people’s services at St James’s University Hospital.

Leeds architecture firm Space Group and Laing O’Rourke, Britain’s biggest privately owned construction company, has started the build for the Clinical Services Reconfiguration programme at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

The entire programme is due to be completed during 2011. The project team will bring together the existing paediatric services, currently based at both St James’s University Hospital and Leeds General Infirmary (LGI), by refurbishing and renovating areas in the Clarendon and Jubilee wings at LGI to provide much improved facilities for children on a single site. Space freed up at St James’s will allow the centralisation of older people’s wards and acute medicine on that site.


The main changes at LGI include additional specialist facilities for children suffering from cancer, cystic fibrosis and serious liver conditions.

New draft ‘air lock’ lobby areas between each of the single patient rooms for children suffering from cancer have been designed by Space to reduce cross infection. The draft lobby area will be a separate room that nursing staff will have to walk through first before they enter the patients’ room from the outside ward.

“It’s a really challenging and interesting project,” explains Gordon Fawcett, Project Manager for Laing O’Rourke.

“The paediatric accommodation is being constructed within the existing buildings, so the Design Team has had to accommodate clinical and spatial requirements on a confined works site. Plus, the new works are adjacent to many wards and departments which are still operational – a major logistics challenge for the construction team.”

The project team has proposed a range of sustainable measures to reduce the impact of the works that could affect patients and the environment.

Space Group CEO Rob Charlton said: “Reusing existing fabric and materials where feasible reduces the environmental impact and lessens the toll on patients and staff.

“Upon completion, the community will benefit from the feel of both brand new paediatric facilities as well as better facilities for acute medicine and older people; a wonderful example of sustainability where the best elements of the old are preserved and augmented with state-of-the-art materials and design techniques.

“The new site will aid the health and well being of the children and the new environment will make their stay more comfortable and pleasant.”

MECHANICAL ENGINEER MAKES HIS MARK AT SPACE

Space Group’s new recruit Mark Richards with space Facilities managing director Duncan Johnson.

_space Facilities – part of the Space Group – has appointed a mechanical and electrical engineer to enhance its offering to clients.

Mark Richards, from Spennymoor, County Durham, has joined the _space Facilities team, which provides a range of services for clients in both the public and private sectors.

Mark, who comes to Space Group with over 15 years’ experience in building services will complement the existing range of services on offer which include building surveying, DDA access consultancy, fire risk assessment and strategic integration FM advice.

Mark’s new role will see him assisting _space Facilities’ surveyors - one of the biggest building surveying teams in Newcastle - in all aspects of designing mechanical and electrical services.

Speaking of his new role Mark said: “The skills and knowledge that I bring to the facilities team means that we can now offer clients a mechanical and electrical design service in-house that we would have previously had to outsource. This shortens the communication chain and cuts costs for clients whilst offering them a higher level of service.

“With resources so precious there will be no building owner or occupier not currently giving cost consideration.”

Mark will work on projects from the initial brief, through to the design and development stage, project management and final completion. He will design and implement cost-effective equipment modifications to help improve safety, reliability resulting in a positive cost benefit.

Mark will also manage projects from a mechanical perspective, plan and design new production processes and use research, analytical, conceptual and planning skills, particularly mathematical modeling and computer-aided design.

_space Facilities managing director Duncan Johnson said: “Mark has joined _space Facilities to broaden and enhance the group’s offering to both existing and prospective client. His appointment will enable _space Facilities to swiftly meet clients’ needs on a one-to-one basis.

“By completing mechanical and engineering projects in-house _space is now able to offer clients a significantly streamlined and efficient service. This in turn provides cost savings, which we are sure will be very welcome in these difficult economical times and which once again demonstrate _space Facilities’ ethos of setting the pace in everything we do.

“_space Facilities is continually developing and looking for a range of different services that will benefit a wide client base; we ensure that the client is at the centre of what we do.”