ARCHITECTURE
A high quality and contemporary international Headquarters for market leader, Romo Fabrics
The scheme consolidates the Romo business, which previously was spread across four sites, and brings together the separate elements of office, process and storage space, into one, stunning, headquarters building allowing the business greater efficiency and removing the prior need to transport fabrics and other products between each of their sites.
Totalling 33,000m2, the building houses in excess of 350 staff, and is designed to allow for further expansion. The layout of the building consists of three main elements: atrium, offices and warehouse. The main objective was to bring these elements together by siting them on a masonry plinth, below the principal elevations. The forms above the plinth have a consistency of treatment and height, while the elements of the warehouse, atrium and offices have different details to reflect their internal uses.
I guess this all started around the time I started school, predicatably the primary school teacher stands in front of the class and asks the age old question, "so what would everybody like to be when they grow up?"
I'm not sure exactly what my response was but I knew the answer related to architecture although nuanced job titles were probably beyond my four year old mind. Anyway that's where it all began, everything after that was always directed at achieving that goal.
I was also fortunate enough to have supportive parents who went out of their way to ensure I had all I needed.
university life...
After gaining my GCSEs and A-Levels, I left the Wirral to start my architectural education at the University of Portsmouth completing both my RIBA Part I and Part II.
From the end of the first year, whilst studying at university I worked through summers and part time at architectural practices to support myself and fund my education.
then 2008...
After being made redundant during the recession I finished my university education and moved to Nottingham to begin my life as an Architectural Assistant
life in Nottingham...
With a varied skillset I started out as a freelance consultant, working on a variety of opportunities including web design, graphic design, technical drawing and visual design.
I got the opportunity to join maber architects in 2011 and after meeting with two of the directors I knew it would be a good fit for myself and my career. I have been working for maber ever since and completed my RIBA Part III course in 2013.
Below are some of the most notable projects I've worked on in my career, or just some of the ones I enjoyed the most.
Offering a new space and opportunites for the school to expand into new markets
An expansion of the Infant & Junior School to offer an increased pupil capacity, with extensive landscaping and external work improvements.
To achieve an increased capacity, six additional classrooms were provided as well as a new Art & DT room and a modern multi-purpose hall. There is also be a bright atrium and exhibition space.
An increased number of different playground spaces, suitable for a variety of age groups, provides extra facilities for the increased pupil numbers. An amphitheatre for creative outdoor lessons and play forms part of the design. Improvements to the visitor and staff parking facilities and vehicular access were a priority to the project. Changes included demolition of part of the existing buildings.
Creating a shared collaborative environment between Engineers and Designers for a cross fertilisation of ideas
The 280,000 sqft bespoke building has the capacity to house up to 1600 employees and is located on Birmingham Business Park, replacing Rolls-Royce’s two existing plants. The high tech facility incorporates innovative solutions to create a fully integrated office, manufacturing and engineering facility with offices, laboratories and test areas and brings together the formerly separate functions.
Cleanliness, openness, flexibility and a high level of daylight were key requirements of Rolls-Royce’s brief as well as a facility that will reflect the high tech nature of their business, showcase their products and help recruit and retain the highest calibre of staff.
Westfield Academy is the largest project of the HLR Batch (Herts, Reading, Luton) of 7 PF2 schools and was built to accommodate up to 1600 pupils in a new single building to replace the outdated and inefficient existing school built in the early 60’s.
The new building was designed to exceed the energy efficiency targets of the current Building Regulations with a “fabric first” approach targeting increased insulation values and airtightness along with efficient heating and ventilation. Along with the other schools in the batch Westfield has used a toolbox of standard details to enable an efficient and standardised design process to be achieved.
Due to the challenges presented by the levels of the existing site, Westfield is unique in the batch by featuring an entrance bridge to the main pedestrian entrance which provides an exciting and dramatic approach to the building.
The highly compact design features a connecting glazed bridge between the north and south wings. The openness of the corridors and spaces allows for easy passive monitoring by staff members to provide a safer atmosphere for students. The building is fully sprinklered and has been fire engineered to a higher standard than required under the Building Regulations.