INSPIRING ARCHITECTURE FROM HAMILTON ARCHITECTS SUMMER 2020
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Hamilton Architects win contract to develop £100m Masterplan for Queen’s Quay Ambitious waterfront project aims to connect the city and regenerate a prominent site close to iconic landmark developments.
Caption to be written for whatever pics we end up with
John Smith has been a senior architect with Hamiltons for the past 10 years and has been appointed as a partner as a result of his outstanding work in the field of restoration architecture.
David Jones has been a senior architect with Hamiltons for the past 10 years and has been appointed as a partner as a result of his outstanding work in the field of restoration architecture.
He is married with fifteen children and lives in Cherry Valley.
He is married with fifteen children and lives in Cherry Valley.
HAMILTON ARCHITECTS | ARCADIA 3
The Department for Communities has awarded Hamilton Architects the contract to develop an ambitious blueprint for the £100m redevelopment of a prominent waterfront site at Queen’s Quay in Belfast. The project would bring commercial space, including workspace and 'active' retail and leisure opportunities, to an area close to landmark developments such as the SSE Arena, Titanic Quarter and the Obel Tower.
Welcome to the latest edition of Arcadia
Hamilton Architects will lead the integrated consultant team to deliver a new vision for Queen’s Quay as a key element in the economic and social regeneration of Belfast’s riverfront. This includes reviewing the business case for the preferred development option to ensure best value for money, achieving outline planning permission and preparing a development brief for the site. A staged approach will be used to progress the site, with Hamilton Architects managing the Development Competition through to appointment, pending Ministerial approval. Paul Millar, Partner at Hamilton Architects, said: “Our team is experienced in urban regeneration and has a comprehensive understanding of the issues associated with planning, financial viability and commercial law. This is critical to enable the Department to bring forward this comprehensive development scheme. “Queen’s Quay is a very prestigious and exciting project which will usher in a new era for Belfast’s riverfront and connect different sections of the city as never before. We are delighted to be leading the consultant team that will deliver this historic scheme.” The aim is to set out a vision to create an animated riverside development that complements the developments on Donegall Quay, Lanyon Place, City Quays and Titanic Quarter. A prominent, but underutilised, site on the eastern bank of the River Lagan, it provides a key connection between the city centre with developments on the eastern side of the Lagan, including the SSE Arena, and Titanic Quarter, and proposed schemes at Sirocco Quay and Belfast Quays. Redevelopment of Queen’s Quay is considered to have an important role to play in helping to improve access for communities in east Belfast to the city centre and to become a high quality and shared space for all.
The fabulous projects on these pages testify to the determination and professionalism of our excellent staff team who, despite the difficulties of recent months, have risen to the challenge of providing clients with seamless continuity of service. We dedicate this edition to all those who, in the face of adversity, are literally building a better future for us all.
RICS NI | Awards
A new leaf for Coleraine Library takes Hamilton Architects to RICS NI finals A unique £2.3m project in Coleraine has won a place in the finals of the RICS Social Impact Awards 2020 at the end of May. Coleraine Library, a brutalist Grade B1 listed building erected in 1969, has been shortlisted in the Education category of the new-style awards. A total of 33 projects are vying for top honours across nine categories.
A new, fullyaccessible three storey extension augments the original listed fanned building.
Paul Millar, Partner at Hamilton Architects, said: “Coleraine Library was a very special project for us and we are delighted that the new facility has had such a positive social impact on the community it serves. As architects, it is not just our aim to design beautiful, innovative buildings, but also to create spaces which serve a local need by being functional and practical as well as inspirational.” The existing library, a fanned, threestorey concrete framed Grade B2 listed building, was a cold, draughty, uncomfortable building that was no longer fit for purpose. Wheelchair users couldn't get past the ground floor and stairlifts frequently broke down. There was only one public toilet, nowhere to put buggies and only one means of escape from the gallery floor. The library was so low tech that students refused to use it -
an absurdity in a university town. There was no insulation and all the windows were single-glazed metal frame, resulting in substantial energy bills. The roof leaked so badly staff had to put buckets out when it rained. As budgets were tight and need was high at a time when children, unemployed, disabled, families, students and special interest groups were crying out for a decent local library, both the challenges and the expectations were huge. The Hamilton Architects’ design for the facility provided a new entrance lobby, a three storey fully accessible extension, multi-use community meeting room, hi-tech study areas, exhibition space and dedicated Heritage Room. Today, the library is fully accessible to all disabilities and provides a range of health-related materials from professional support partners.
It can host talks and events on a range of topics, which would have been impossible in the old, cramped facility.
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South West College | Update
Project Partners Project Manager & Quantity Surveyor: ESC Construction Consultants Civil & Structural Engineer: White Young Green M & E Engineers: Bennett Freehill Design
Hamilton Architects delivers carbon zero South West College for the Class of 21 A new £29m South West College in Enniskillen, designed by Hamilton Architects, will become the first Passive House Premium public building in Ireland when it is completed later in the year. The 8,000sqm, state of the art education and community facility is situated on a prime site in the Co. Fermanagh town which was formerly occupied by the old Erne Hospital. Mark Haslett, Hamilton Architects Partner and lead designer, said: “This landmark building sets a new benchmark for educational buildings in Northern Ireland. “It is the largest and most environmentally friendly building of its type and will be the first educational building on the island, if not in Europe, to achieve Passive House Premium status.” PHP, the highest international standard in environmental construction, means that South West College will rank alongside prestigious buildings
such as the Apple Campus 2 in terms of sustainable innovation and design. Delivery of the project has also provided employment for over 200 people, including a number of apprenticeship opportunities, representing a major economic boost for the South West region. Beverley Harrison, Director of Further Education, Department for the Economy, said: “This new campus demonstrates the Department’s continuing commitment to further education and to delivering the skills needed to grow the local economy. “As well as the immediate boost to the local construction sector, the new building will showcase the potential role which further education can play in supporting and developing the local economy and marketing Northern Ireland on a world stage”.
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Project Architect Peter Carr said the team were getting closer to finishing the project, with the external envelope completed and internal fit out well underway. “It has been a challenging project simply because of its sheer size and complexity,” he said. “There were a lot of competing requirements in terms of providing the correct level of accommodation for the school body, satisfying the college’s sustainability aspirations, obtaining planning permissions and meeting building control regulations. “The building has required a large quantity of services – for example, extensive duct work had to be done before moving ahead with finishing the floors, walls and windows. From the outside, the project looks fairly well finished, but while some phases have been nearing completion, other phases are at first fix or M&E stage.” To achieve Passive House Premium status and become ‘Carbon Zero’ the building is required to achieve very high standards of insulation, including high levels of air tightness which have had to be monitored throughout the building process. The river facing facade
Ireland’s first Passive House public building is top of its class LEFT: The triple height Atrium BOTTOM RIGHT: External works are under way
“There is not much room for error,” said Peter. “Ultimately, however, it will mean that South West College will enjoy very low energy usage, particularly in heating costs, which will reduce to practically zero. That will represent a huge saving that can be used for other things.” The sustainability strategy includes photo voltaic panels on the roof, heat exchangers, bio fuel boiler, water collection and recycling, and electric car charging points in the car parks. While most of the internal space is dedicated to classrooms, there is an impressive atrium with areas for informal engagement. Needless to say, the very latest digital technology will be available to staff and students. The final phase of the design, external works and landscaping, is also underway – aiming for a finishing date by the end of the year. Then it will be full speed ahead to get ready for the new term and the Class of 2021/22!
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Unique £64.5m City Campus for Canterbury Christ Church nears completion The new £64.5m City Campus for Canterbury Christ Church University, delivered by Hamilton Architects, is due for completion this summer. Hamilton Architects carried out the design and enabling works for the 18,000 sqm state of the art STEM teaching facility - one of three new buildings on the old Prison Quarter site. Interior finishing and M&E installation is well underway in the four-storey building, along with exterior landscaping. Around 2,500 staff and students will be accommodated in Building 2, as it is currently called, when it comes into full use. Mark Haslett, Partner, is the Project Lead for Canterbury, with Michael Sloan in support as Project Manager. “It has been a very challenging project, simply because of the very diverse requirements for the future use of the building,” explained Michael. “To ensure smooth delivery of such a complex project, we had to work in close partnership with design team leaders and specialist consultants. “A lot of academic departments are involved, each one with unique and very specific needs, so we had to consider what was required not only in terms of classroom space, but also in regard to labs, workshops and bespoke facilities. For example, an entire area in the Sport Science department is dedicated to Health & Wellbeing, which meant we had to accommodate a mortuary and mock hospital wards, as well as facsimile custody suites and police cells. “We had to deliver heavy engineering and workshop facilities for the Engineering faculty, while the science labs, which are on the top floor, were particularly challenging as they needed very heavy servicing under strict protocols.”
The STEM building is just one element of the overall development of the university estate which will take up to 15 years to complete at an overall cost of more than £150m. For this project, Hamilton Architects forged a partnership with Canterbury architecture practice Hazle McCormack Young, with Gilbert-Ash as the main contractor and ESC Construction Consultants as Quantity Surveyor.
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Project News | Update
Lottery injection for Enniskillen Workhouse
Planning approval has been granted for the transformation of Enniskillen Workhouse, a Grade B2 listed building designed in 1844, into a £2.1m heritage centre and business hub. A ‘heritage route’ on the ground floor will provide access to rooms with the most historic character, while a glazed lobby at the rear will mark an entrance from South West College.
National Lottery Heritage Fund cash to the tune of £1.92m has been announced for an exciting project involving one of Enniskillen’s most historic buildings.
A new lift and staircase extension will provide access to a first-floor business hub, while original courtyards will be reinstated for use as a gallery and events space.
Welcome to Derry’s new £1m Visitor Centre
Transformative Designs The completed designs for Newry, Mourne and Down District Council’s transformational £20m city centre regeneration project will be going in front of planners in the early autumn for final approval. The proposed development will see the construction of a new theatre/conference facility and civic hub alongside public realm with outdoor performance space in Newry City. Subject to various statutory approvals and securing contractor teams, construction of the theatre/conference facility and civic hub projects is scheduled to commence in mid 2021.
Rowandale Integrated PS, Moira
Work is nearing completion on an ambitious new £1m Visitor Information Centre for Visit Derry, designed by Hamilton Architects. Visit Derry’s offices at Foyle Street will move to Waterloo Place, where the state-ofthe-art centre will service the needs of local and international visitors and act as an orientation hub in the heart of the city. Hamilton Architects are leading the project team, which includes an Interpretative Designer, to create an engaging immersive visitor experience which will provide a gateway for the exploration of the whole North West of Ireland. The Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Councillor Michaela Boyle, said: “The designs for this are really very impressive and when completed will be world class.” Image credit: Designmap
A fantastic new facility for Rowandale Integrated PS and the town of Moira is underway as part of a £500m capital investment in integrated and shared education. A new build on the current site will see the school extend to 2,800m2 to become a 14-classroom building accommodating almost 400 pupils expected to enrol by 2021. The project comprises a multi-purpose hall, main classroom block and entrance/administration. New classrooms will be situated along a curve in a singlestorey building of masonry construction and four separate entrances will give the children access via external soft play areas. The design will adhere to BREEAM requirements and seeks to ease traffic congestion by providing a two-lane drop-off/pick-up facility, along with an additional 40 parking spaces for staff.
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Arcadia | Practice News
Happy 25th ‘birthday’ to our newest Associate! Peter Carr, Hamilton Architects’ longest-serving employee, has celebrated 25 years with the practice – as well as being made an Associate! Peter joined us in 1994, after graduating from Queen’s University Belfast in 1993 and qualifying a year later. As a student he enjoyed art and science - and architecture, which was a fairly buoyant sector despite the Troubles, enabled him to combine his love of both. “I enjoy architecture even more now, probably because I feel more confident in, and comfortable with, my skills,” said
Peter. “I particularly enjoy passing on knowledge to younger members of staff because you never stop learning in architecture.” Two stand-out projects Peter has worked on include the DAERA HQ at Ballykelly and the NI National Football Stadium at Windsor Park, which dovetails with the impressive Olympia Sports Village. The former won the RICS 2019 Innovation in Building Award and the latter was a finalist in the Community Benefit Category. “There are compromises in every project, but I think that DAERA is about as perfectly realised as an architect can get and is probably my favourite project of all time in terms of functionality and visual appeal,” he said.
Why Jill is Blazing a Trail for Female Architectural Technologists Jill Alexander, architectural technologist, is blazing a trail for other women in her field. As a Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists (CIAT) she is one of only two women on the Northern Ireland Regional Committee Panel. Jill joined Hamilton Architects five years ago and has a solid background in the healthcare sector as well as three years’ experience working with Specsavers, overseeing the refurbishment of existing stores and the rollout of new ones.
“Architectural technology is a creative design discipline rooted in science and engineering,” Jill explained. “They are problem-solvers, making the design work to its fullest potential all the way through from the early concept to final certification. “Traditionally, the profession has mainly attracted male practitioners, but there are more and more young women entering this sector and there is no reason why more of them cannot become chartered technologists.
A walk on the wild side wins the Hamilton Architects Bronze Medal at the Royal Ulster Academy A walk on the wild side was the inspiration for Katherine Lockett-Clark, winner of the Bronze Medal in this year’s RUA Awards, sponsored by Hamilton Architects. Katherine’s entry, ‘A Bird in the Hand’ – one of 1,604 works in the annual exhibition at the Ulster Museum - was selected by Sean Rainbird, Director of the National Gallery of Ireland. Paul Millar, Partner at Hamilton Architects, said: “We are delighted to have made this award to Katherine and for the privileged access to her natural world. The RUA annual exhibition is a wonderful platform for all sorts of artists.” The work, a photo book, offers a contemplative reflection on escaping to a wild place. In Katherine’s case, this is the North Devon countryside, where she lives near the woods with her husband and children. As an artist, writer, photographer and designer, Katherine is fascinated by the weird and wonderful world of nature, as well, she says, of capturing “real life glimpses of fairy tales”.
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