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D5 Architects LLP - Press

01/10/2012

Waterfront Bus Station

Architecture Today - Handbook, Education & Transport

 

Project Ref; Chatham Waterfront Bus Station

 

The new Chatham Waterfront Bus Station (CWBS) is one of the key infrastructure projects within the £6billion Medway Regeneration plan and sits at the centre of the surface transport network for the Medway towns and wider environs.

The CWBS replaces a 1960's station located at first floor level within the adjacent Pentagon shopping centre that was locally known as 'The Dark Side' due to its largely internal nature with buses circulating around a circular track with passengers in the centre.

The creation of the new station offers a considerably improved passenger experience in line with 21st C expectations, connects the shopping core of Chatham town centre with the waterfront area, increases public transport capacity and provides a fully accessible and safe environment for passengers, pedestrians and operators...

27/11/2012

Architect says 'People won't hate new bus station'

Northampton Chronicle & Echo

 

Project Ref: Northampton Bus Interchange

 

The architect behind Northampton's new bus station believes it will not be hated in the future, "like the current Greyfriars building". Work to start the demolition of the Fishmarket in Sheep Street will start on Monday. Once the old market building is gone, a new bus station for the town will be built in its place.

Architect Ian Saunders designed the new building, which will feature a landmark glass roof. He said he fully believed the building would be beautiful and would not be a blot on the landscape like Greyfriars has since it was built in 1976. He said: "I think you can build a beautiful bus station and this one will be quite different to Greyfriars. It's starkly modern, which is what we wanted, but I don't think it will be hated in the future like Greyfriars. I certainly hope not."

The new bus station is being built so Greyfriars can be demolished to free-up the land it sits on for redevelopment...

22/09/2012

'Port picks up prize...'

The News (Portsmouth)

 

Project Ref: Portsmouth International Port 

 

PORTSMOUTH International Port's new passenger terminal has been hailed as the best new building in the city. Judges from the Portsmouth Society said the modern structure, which opened last year as the centrepiece of a £16.5m revamp, was a welcome addition to the city's landscape.

The society campaigns to promote and preserve the best of Portsmouth's historic environment and champion well-designed new buildings. The port's terminal, which was designed by Joel Kempsey-Fagg of D5 Architects, Birmingham, won praise from the judges at its annual design competition.

 

President of Portsmouth Society Celia Clark said: 'It's a lovely building. It feels like a light, airy airport. The sculptural anti-terrorism protection of giant anchors and concrete chain links enhance the perimeter and the judges were impressed by the innovative use of seawater for cooling and heating via a heat exchanger.' Judges inspected more than 20 buildings and sites in their quest to name the city's best buildings, restorations and landscaping.

11/07/2012

'New bus station for Northampton'

Northampton Chronicle & Echo

 

Project Ref: Northampton Bus Interchange

 

THE DEVELOPMENT of a new bus station for Northampton has been approved by councillors.

During a meeting on Tuesday night, Northampton Borough Council’s planning committee voted by a majority of seven to one to approve plans to build a new station on the site of the current Fishmarket building in Sheep Street.

The building will replace the 36-year-old Greyfriars bus station, which the council intends to demolish so new shops can be built on the land.

Following a public backlash to the plans, a large turnout was expected at the planning meeting, so the council moved the committee into the Guildhall's Great Hall and made sure the new bus station was the only item on the agenda.

But in the end, only 24 members of the public turned out to hear the debate.

02/01/2012

'Birmingham Airport's £5m hangar'

Express & Star

Project Ref: General Aviation Hangar Facility

 

A £5 million hangar at Birmingham Airport will be completed on January 26, it was announced today.

Around 50 jobs will be created when Eurojet Aviation, which offers aircraft management, charter and maintenance services, takes over the new 41,000 sq ft complex at the airport. The complex will feature an aircraft sales suite, commercial operations centre and maintenance.

Airport chief executive Paul Kehoe revealed when work would finish as he said the building would provide a boost in the number of corporate jets coming in and out of Birmingham. He said: "The people who use corporate jets are the people who make the decisions about where to invest. If we can supply a service where people on corporate jets are coming through a quality facility then hopefully they will be pre-disposed to invest in the West Midlands."

23/09/2011

'D5 completes MK rugby pavilion'

The Architects Journal

Project Ref: Emerson Valley Sports Pavilion

 

D5 completes £2.4m Milton Keynes rugby pavilion
[First look + plans] D5 Architects has opened the doors on this new home for the Milton Keynes Rugby Union
Football Club The £2.4million Emerson Valley Sports Pavilion proejct includes a new pavilion building, three full-sized rugby pitches and a training pitch. The Birmingham-based practice won planning approval for the scheme, which has been backed by Milton Keynes Council, in 2007.

 

Readers' comments (1)
Eddy Rhead | 21-Sep-2011 4:51 pm
Lovely stuff. Restrained and classy. Nice palette of materials.

15/06/2011

'Hello World'

Passenger Terminal World (June 2011)
Project Ref: One Terminal, Birmingham Airport

 

Birmingham Airport's new One Terminal [by D5 Architects] was officially opened on the 16 May 2011 to improve overall operational capabilities and customer experience at the UK airport.

 

The £13m redevelopment to merge Birmingham's two terminals into a single facility has lead to a larger centralised passenger security search area, an enlarged arrivals and onward travel facility, and a retail and catering offer that includes a spacious 1,858m2 walk through World Duty Free store.

 

Paul Kehoe, CEO of Birmingham Airport, said, "This investment places Birmingham Airport in a position to meet the anticipated growth in air travel and offers an alternative for those tired of taking long and stressful road journeys to reach other UK airports. Combining the two terminals into one has been a very challenging redevelopment, with many complicated activities taking place in a 24-hour live operation. A great deal of hard work by everyone involved has produced this first-class facility, on programme, on time, and with minimal passenger disruption." 

16/05/2011

'£100m Investment...'

The Business Desk

Project Ref: One Terminal Birmingham Airport

 

£100m investment heralds Birmingham Airport as key transport hub. Birmingham Airport is set to become one of the most important transport hubs in the country, spearheading the economic revival of the West Midlands. Transport Secretary Philip Hammond made the claim when he officially opened the latest phase of the £100m redevelopment of the airport. The multi-million project [by D5 Architects] has been taking place over a number of years culminating in the One Terminal strategy which has seen the airport's two former terminals combined into one entity. Mr Hammond said, "The airport is now not only a gateway to the West Midlands for the business community but is performing an increasingly important function as a crucial part of the UK national airport infrastructure," he said at the ceremony to officially mark the opening of the new terminal. Paul Kehoe, airport chief executive, said the £35m project to link the two terminals had been worthwhile and had delivered facilities unrivalled by any other UK regional airport. The scheme to link the terminals has seen an improved security area and passport control plus the creation of new retail and catering facilities such as the 50,000sq ft of retail space for WorldDutyFree.

16/05/2011

'Birmingham unveils new unified terminal'

Passenger Terminal World
Project Ref: One Terminal, Birmingham Airport

 

Birmingham Airport, has unveiled the latest phase in the airport's £100 million redevelopment with the official inauguration of its new unified and renovated terminal [by D5 Architects]. The centrepiece of the new facility is a 2,000m2 walk-through duty free store ..., through which all of the airport's 4.5 million departing passengers now pass. The £13 million 'One Terminal' development was designed to unify Birmingham's security checkpoints, creating a single passenger flow and considerably simplifying operations. The new duty free store is positioned immediately after security and features a numbers of travel retail firsts, including the first deployment of Chanel's new Espace boutique concept in a European airport. The new terminal was officially opened by UK Secretary of State for Transport Philip Hammond on 12 May at a ceremony attended by 300... Guests were welcomed by Birmingham Airport CEO Paul Kehoe, who unveiled the airport’s new branding and paid tribute to the efforts of its business partners in helping to shape 'Britain's newest global gateway'. "With this new development we've been able to create a fantastic regional airport. We set about changing 'average' into 'very good'. We now have the facilities to help relieve the overheated south-east [UK] market, and there is more to come. As growth in the south-east slows down, Birmingham can do it better."

10/05/2011

'D5 completes MK coach station'

The Architects Journal

Project Ref: Milton Keynes Park & Ride

 

[First look + project data] These are the first photographs of D5 Architects’ now completed coach and bus station in Milton Keynes. The £2.35 million scheme off junction 14 of the M1 includes a park and ride facility and was opened just before Christmas 2010.

 

Project data

Start on site date: June 2009, 30 weeks plus tenant fit out. Operational December 2010
Total cost: £2.35 millionGross internal floor area: 480m²

Form of contract and/or procurement: Design & Build, NEC3

Contract administrator - WSP

Structural Engineers: Andrew Howard and Partners (AHP) post contract, WSP pre-contract
M&E consultant: RF Blount & Sons (M), Wilson Electrical (E) post contract, WSP pre-contract
Quantity surveyor: Arcadis
Planning supervisor: WSP
Lighting consultant: Cooper Lighting
Main contractor: ROK

02/04/2011

'Smooth Sailing for Opening'

The News (Portsmouth)
Project Ref: Portsmouth International Port

THE first passengers to visit the new terminal have given it their seal of approval. First to check in were a group of schoolchildren from Somerset. Their French teacher, Nick Lecharpentier, said: 'I think it's brilliant. It's going to serve all the needs of the customers.'

And the first passenger through the arrivals door was Sarah Long. She was handed a bottle of champagne and a certificate. She said: 'I've used the ferry port so often it's nice to think I'm part of its history now.'

The glass and stone-clad building has been three years in development, a year in the building, and is part of a £16.5m project. The old ferry terminal, a prefab building designed only to last eight years, but which has survived for the past 30, will be demolished in the coming weeks. Ray Tutt, a retired building surveyor who helped build the old terminal, and who maintained it for the past 25 years, said: 'It's sad to see the old building go after so long looking after it, but it is overdue. I think the new terminal is absolutely fabulous, a magnificent building.' Neil Chapman, who works for a yacht brokers in Gosport and who was travelling to Guernsey, agreed. 'I think it's absolutely superb,' he said


04/05/2011

'Terminal gets positive feedback'

A Ferry .co.uk

Project Ref: Portsmouth International Port

 

The new Portsmouth ferry terminal is proving a hit with passengers and local business groups, who have been full of praise for the development according to the port's operating company.

 

Ex-pat Sarah Long, the first person to pass through the new terminal, was impressed with the new structure, having spent years crossing the Channel from her home in France. The facility was also used by 27 students from the Huish Episcopi Academy in Somerset, who boarded a Brittany Ferries service on their way to Le Mans for an exchange trip with French teacher Nick Lecharpentier. Mr Lecharpentier said: "I am amazed by the building - it is just what Portsmouth Port needed."

Maureen Frost from the Hampshire Chamber of Commerce described the opening of the terminal as "a really positive move". She added: "People remember their first impressions and if they remember something that's of quality with good facilities, it would certainly encourage them to come back to the city."

08/04/2011

'Extension gathers pace'

Bromsgrove Advertiser

Project Ref: Arts & Technology Facilities, NEW College, Bromsgrove

 

A MULTI-MILLION pound extension to the Bromsgrove campus of North East Worcestershire (NEW) College is taking shape.

Progress on the building of the £3.5 million pound extension to the award-winning Harley Davidson building (also by D5 Architects), off School Drive, has been rapid with the new buildings clearly visible.

NEW College principal John Callaghan said: "We're delighted with the speed of progress.

"There has been virtually no disturbance to the normal day-to-day work of students and staff and there's now a real sense of anticipation for the opening of these great new additions to our facilities."

The project is scheduled for completion in early August.

01/04/2011

'Portsmouth's new terminal opens'

BBC News Hampshire

Project Ref: Portsmouth International Port

 

Passengers have begun using a new £16.5m ferry and cruise terminal at Portsmouth International Port (by D5 Architects). The new 2,700sq m (29,000sq ft) complex opened at midnight, replacing one dating from the 1970s. Port Manager Martin Putham said: "It's a very modern and up-to-date terminal, meeting the requirements of modern travel."

More than two million passengers a year are expected to use the city council-owned terminal. The port said the new building is heated and cooled using thermal energy from seawater, using only 20% of the energy of a traditional boiler and chiller system. Mr Putham said the cruise market was increasingly important to Portsmouth, with a record 36 ships due in the port this year.

BBC reporter Dominic Blake described the facility as "more like an airport experience", with new restaurants, shops, check-in desks and a dedicated VIP area, if required.

Spokesperson for Brittany Ferries Steve Tucknell said: "It's an absolutely fabulous terminal which exceeds our expectations."

31/03/2011

'New home sweet home for rugby'

Milton Keynes Citizen

Project Ref: Emerson Valley Sports Pavilion

 

MILTON Keynes RUFC have now taken over the running of their new purpose built home ground at Emerson Valley, and were quick to get their feet under the table at the weekend.

City's 2nds and 3rds played games there on Saturday before the juniors had their chance to take to the field the next day. The official opening of their new £2.5 million facility is next Saturday when the first team play host to Beaconsfield in their final home match of the league season. Club president John Silk said: "It's quite incredible. We're all delighted to be here and it feels like home already."

Mr Silk is pictured with David Wilkinson (Deejack Builders), Mark McKinley (MK Council), Kevin Edgington (D5 Architects) and club representatives John Theobald and Chris Collins at their key hand over last week.

09/02/2011

'2 become 1 at Airport'

TheBusinessDesk.com

Project Ref: One Terminal, Birmingham Airport

 

BIRMINGHAM AIRPORT is now a one terminal facility, following the completion of the first phase in a £13m development which will also see new shopping facilities on the site within a few months.

All departing passengers will now go through a new combined security search area and inbound passengers will arrive into a single meeting and greeting area. Further work will see the opening of a new duty free shopping area and fashion house in the next few months.
Operations director Will Heynes said the changes improve the airport's capability and provide a platform for future growth. He said: "The £13m investment puts the airport in a stronger position to attract new customers and showcase the airport as the region's global gateway. Our goal for 2011 is to improve the passenger experience and this project will create a smoother journey through the terminal and improve our overall efficiency. Although the scheme will not be fully completed until July this year, the transition into a single terminal facility is a major milestone for the company. It has been a very challenging project with many complicated activities taking place in a 24-hour environment. A great deal of hard work by everyone involved has produced a great new facility, on programme, on time, and with minimal passenger disruption."                                                      

08/02/2011

'Airport becomes One Terminal'

BBC News Birmingham

Project Ref: One Terminal, Birmingham Airport 

 

Birmingham Airport has become a One Terminal facility (by D5 Architects), with managers claiming it will give passengers a better journey. Terminals One and Two have merged to form one terminal for all Arrivals and Departures. All departing passengers will now use a new enlarged combined security search area with self-service and manned check-in desks. Inbound passengers will arrive into a single meeting and greeting area. Further work will see the opening of a new duty free shopping area and fashion house in the next few months.

Will Heynes, the airport's operations director, said:"The £13m investment puts the airport in a stronger position to attract new customers and showcase the airport as the region's global gateway. "Our goal for 2011 is to improve the passenger experience and this project will create a smoother journey through the terminal and improve our overall efficiency. "Over the next 10 years we will invest a further £100 million in our facilities, which will help us achieve our vision of doubling our passenger numbers by 2018." He added: "Although the scheme will not be fully completed until July this year, the transition into a single terminal facility is a major milestone for the company."

18/07/2010

D5 creates new bus station

19/08/2010

Green Light For New Hotel

Skyscrapernews.com

Project Ref: Suffolk Street Hotels, Birmingham

D5 Architects has worked up this new scheme in Birmingham to stand on 121 Suffolk Street Queensway for property company New Manor Developments who have substantial ongoing interests in the constantly evolving Jewellery Quarter of the city.

The £75 million scheme features a 25-storey tower with a height of approximately 82 metres that will directly overlook Suffolk Street Queensway with a three star hotel of 257 bedrooms.

The design includes a projecting pod above ground level that aligns with the rest of the street line and will house a conference area, whilst the building itself is set back stopping the narrow pavement from being overshadowed.

Overlooking an entrance courtyard on the other side of the development will be a 9-storey building bounding Severn Street that contains an aparthotel with 144 rooms that has already got Staycity signed up to it.

Decorating the facades of the building will be coloured glass, laminate panels, and zinc cladding, with it having banded façade treatments of largely two floors high playing with the scale of the building.

20/12/2010

Multi-million pound college

Bromsgrove Advertiser 16/12/10

Project Ref: N.E.W College Bromsgrove Arts & Technology Extension

 

"New multi-million pound extension for Bromsgrove's NEW college campus"
Bromsgrove campus has been given the green light to build a new £3.2 million, state-of-the-art extension.
Bromsgrove planners unanimously supported a proposal to extend North East Worcestershire (NEW) College at the last meeting of the district council's planning committee. Plans involve extending both the Harley-Davidson centre and much of the college's frontal elevation to provide two new automotive workshops, media and music studios and a new reception area.
The building has been created by Birmingham-based architects D5 Architects, responsible for the innovative design of NEW College campuses. The money for the extension continues the reinvestment in better facilities, and brings the overall total investment in the last 10 years to more than £40 million. NEW College principal, John Callaghan, said: "Whilst our partnerships with Harley-Davidson and with Bromsgrove District Council through Artrix have already helped create possibly some of the best facilities in the country, we're keen to press home that there really is no better provision for these subjects anywhere in the region." It has been revealed work could begin in January, with the new build ready to open as early as next September.

03/08/2009

A 'bus station in a park'

Medway 1, Issue 2, Summer 2009 (www.medway1.com)
Project Ref:    Chatham Dynamic Bus Station

"The vision for Chatham is to create a recognisable destination; a city with a lively, active and liveable reputation".  Sara Purvis, [Chatam project manager at regeneration unit Medway Renaissance] explains Chatham's relevance to Medway's future: "Medway's regeneration framework sees Chatham as being effectively the city centre.  The regeneration priority is to improve all the town centres, but with Chatham acting as the central focus for culture, leisure and shopping.  This is why Chatham is so pivotal."...

...The next change people will see in Chatham will be a new bus station, for which the planning application has been submitted in the hope of work staring in January 2010.  Designed by Birmingham architect D5, the station "is important in its own right but also as a piece of public realm:, according to Purvis.  "It's a prominent site close to the waterfront and the Pentagon shopping centre.  It's also adjacent to two open spaces so it needs to provide a connection between them.  The design is very open - a sort of 'bus station in a park'.

14/10/2008

'Port unveils a ferry bright future'

The Portsmouth News
Project Ref: Portsmouth Continental Ferry Terminal

Portsmouth's ferry port is to undergo a £15m revamp to entice more passengers to pass through.

The aging terminal building - long seen as an embarassment for the city - will be turned into an airport-style lounge. With a modern glass facade and open-plan interior, its also hoped to attract more cruise liners to Portsmouth. This year, 11 liners stopped in the city, while 21 have so far booked for 2009.

Ferry port manager Phil Gadd said: 'It's going to help in the cruise market because it's a very much bigger terminal, and we can put facilities in there that we don't allready have. We're trying to build what these kind of customers want and have come to expect. The cruise ships are of great value to the city as well, because its also the custom their visitors give to restaurants and tourist attractions. So it's something that's not just good for the port, it's god for Portsmouth overall.'

Built in 1976, the current pre-fab style building is the point of entry for hundreds of thousands of foot passengers comming to the UK each year... The new building will feature a newsagents, shop, coffee outlet, bureau de change and an upstairs bar...

10/11/2005

Design at heart of community

Building for Education
Project Ref: The Bordesley Centre, Muath Welfare Trust

Creating an outstanding environment for learning can be challenging, particularly when faced with shrinking budgets and a heightened concern for security, safety and the environment. But providing efficient, economical facilities, that enhance the quality of education and deliver community services with pride, have now become the hallmarks of a Birmingham based team of architects. High expectations of convenience and comfort, combined with innovation, are a common theme behind designs by D5 Architects within the education sector. Their focus, in particular, hones in on efficiencies in facility operation and flexibility in terms of space utilisation. These areas were certainly at the forefront of the team's plans for the refurbishment of the 1850's Bordesley Centre, a grade two listed former Victorian school building and one of Birmingham's most historic educational and community centres. The £3.5 million project was commissioned by the Muath Welfare Trust (MWT) and funded by AWM and the Government Office for the West Midlands.

08/12/2006

'Pioneering inflatable roof'

Birmingham Post Business
Project Ref: Heathrow Airport Central Bus Station

A pioneering inflatable roof is now a feature at Heathrow Airport's bus station. Conceived by Birmingham - based D5 Architects and engineered in conjunction with balloonist Per Lindstrand, it has enabled the creation of a column free, triple storey concourse. Eight million passengers use the station annually. National Express and BAA have worked together on the £2.5 million redevelopment. The roof is translucent and durable. The coach station redevelopment will be completed later this month.





13/01/2006

'Up, up but not away'

Building
Project Ref: Heathrow Airport Cental Coach Station

The latest attraction at Heathrow Airport isn't another mega-terminal but a giant inflatable armadillo. It could prove to be a welcome diversion for nervous or fractious children coming in to land because its ribbed surface looks just like an inviting bouncy castle. But the kids will be disappointed once they discover that it is in fact the roof of the National Express coach station. Construction professionals, on the other hand, are likely to be delighted. This is the world's first permanent inflatable roof and its advantages mean we could see many similar eye-catching structures. The team took a risk with this untested technology because they believed it to be the ideal solution for a difficult site. Coach operator National Express wanted to create a 1100m2 column free, covered departures lounge from an existing, open space. Just to make the job more tricky, there was nowhere to put the foundations for a conventional structure because one of the airport's Tube stations is underneath the site.



02/02/2006

'Sounds like a fresh start'

Evening Mail 

Project Ref:Deaf Cultural Centre, Birmingham Institute for the Deaf

Work is under way to build a cultural centre for deaf people in Birmingham. The Birmingham Institute for the Deaf will be moving to a new £2.5 million centre which will replace it's existing building in Ladywood. The centre will be staffed by more than 100 paid works and volunteers and will stage theatre performances, art exhibitions, social events and conferences for the public. Chief executive Bryan Sheppard said the centre would provide deaf people with valuable place to learn about their culture and history. He said: "The development of the deaf centre represents the progression of deaf culture and the diversity it incorporates. The old centre limited this progression through its design, but we will be sad to se it go because it has a huge heritage and holds some very good memories for lots of wonderful people."

05/05/2005

Olympian Sir Matthew Pinsent

The Birmingham Post
Project Ref: N.E.W. College Bromsgrove

Olympic gold medallist Sir Matthew Pinsent CBE swaps his rowing boat for a motorcycle at the opening of a £9 million Bromsgrove college yesterday. After arriving on a Harley-Davidson, leather-clad Sir Matthew officially opened the new North East Worcestershire (NEW) College site and unveiled its Motorcycle Industry Training Academy. Representatives from Advantage West Midlands and the Learning and Skills Council also attended the opening ceremony. The new college site, which will feature a new school, took five years to build after a fire at the college's Redditch site in 2000. The motorcycle academy was built with the support of a new £1.7 million Advantage West Midlands grant and has been extensively equipped by Harley Davidson. It is the only centre of its kind outside the United States. Neil Bromley, principal of NEW College said, "NEW College now has a significant role both within the local community and the skills strategy for the West Midlands. We have built a college which is the envy of the sector."

14/02/2008

'A great place to be an Architect'

Birmingham Mail
Project Ref: Deaf Cultural Centre, Birmingham Institute for the Deaf

Birmingham is a great place to be an architect - so says Hannah Jowitt, who has been living in the city for nearly four years since she finished her lengthy qualifications for the job. Anyone looking to embark on a career in architecture should be warned that it's not for the faint hearted. Before you even get to lay eyes on a drawing board, you have to spend three years at university just learning the history of the job and the basics of design. And anyone who thinks it's just a case of sitting with a pencil in your hand and a head full of ideas can think again, as Hannah, aged 27, who works for Birmingham firm D5 explained.

17/07/2006

Japanese sculptor Hideo Furuta

The Birmingham Post
Project Ref: Afro Caribbean Millennium Centre

When the Japanese sculptor Hideo Furuta first came to Britain in 1985, he was a single parent with a two year-old son, living more or less literally on the road. "At that time I hadn't got a studio, so I made all the sculptures on site," he explains. "So me and my son were both living in a transit van." They travelled from one commission to another, beginning at Builth Wells Comprehensive School in mid-Wales, an area where Furuta says he still has good friends - there are also pieces by him at Powis Castle and Newtown. Meanwhile Furuta, now based in Dumfries, has built a solid reputation in Britain for his carved abstract stone sculptures, themselves influenced by an interest in physics and mathematics. Last week he was in Birmingham to install his latest commission, Spinning Cubes, in the courtyard of the Afro-Caribbean Millennium Centre.