Purcell Pulse

Library Extension, Queen Mary University of London

PURCELL PARTNERS WITH LONDON SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE

Purcell has officially partnered with the London School of Architecture (LSA), led by Senior Architect Kit Stiby-Harris from our London studio.

This collaboration is a fantastic opportunity for Purcell to engage with the next generation of architects and designers, helping shape their careers while bringing fresh perspectives into our practice. This partnership aligns with Purcell’s commitment to nurturing talent, encouraging innovation, and fostering an inclusive and supportive professional community.

The partnership will provide several exciting development opportunities for both LSA students and our practice staff, including mentoring and volunteering opportunities, culminating in the placement of a Part II student from the school with Purcell.

“We are delighted to partner with the London School of Architecture. This new generation of architects, designers, and built environment professionals is more attuned than ever to the importance of reusing and preserving our historic building stock. By integrating heritage-led design into their education, we are forging stronger connections between our existing built heritage and the future of design.”

Liz Smith, Chairman

Kit Stiby-Harris, Senior Architect based in our London studio, has been a teacher at the faculty and will resume teaching this year with a series of workshops.

Neal Shashore, Head of School at the London School of Architecture, said

“Adaptive reuse, resilience, a deeper sense of place: these are the abiding concerns of cohort after cohort of our Part 2 students. We are all conservation architects now. For that reason, we’re thrilled to form a partnership with Purcell, among the leaders in their field. The practice’s impact on heritage buildings in London is profound, but it is their regional and national scope which makes the prospect of our engagement with them so exciting - particularly as we grow our post-qualification digital learning programme.”

Learning from

Learning Spaces

To celebrate the completion of the Queen Mary University of London Library, Purcell joined up with CPW and Turner and Townsend to host a special opening event and panel discussion, Learning from Learning Spaces.

The event featured talks and guided tours that delved into the climate-sensitive extension and adaptation of the library, followed by a lively networking session.

We sat down with Regional Partner in the East and Head of Higher Education, Peter Buist, for five minutes to chat through Purcell’s offer in the sector...

Q :

Hi Pete! Thanks for taking the time to chat to us today - can you share a few thoughts on what you think is unique about what Purcell offers within the education sector?

Hello! Well, every project at Purcell tends to have a thread running through it that relates to heritage and conservation, and that’s very much part of our offer within the education sector. So, specifically within education, that tends to be working with clients to understand how they can make best use of their heritage assets and their historic buildings. As well as preserving the legacy and identity of these buildings, we’re thinking about how they can be adapted or re-used, and made overall more sustainable for use in the 21st Century.

Q :

Great, thank you. And as with any type of project dealing with an existing or historic building, this comes with its challenges. Can you tell us a little more about challenges you’ve found working with historic buildings in the education sector?

Well, before proposing any adaptions to a historic building for educational use, particularly if its listed, we will undertake a substantial amount of time looking at understanding the building, what makes it significant, and how it might have evolved over time. Education facilities can often be highly serviced – particularly if they’re lab or teaching spaces – and so, one of the challenges is how we can integrate new services, adding ventilation, lighting, sustainable heating, and environmental control within historic buildings.

Another challenge, one we find arising more and more, is how we can assist education clients in achieving their decarbonisation targets through upgrading fabric and infrastructure in their historic buildings. We take a forensic approach to understanding how these historic buildings work in terms of environment control; insulation; air tightness; and so on, ultimately aiming to sensitively improve that fabric to help reduce energy use and carbon production.

LEARNING ABOUT LIMECRETE IN THE BRECON BEACONS

By Kristie McAreavey

Architect Kristie McAreavey from our Manchester office recently headed down to Wales’ Brecon Beacons to take part in local farm Ty-Mawr Lime’s ‘Limecrete Floor Day’. The listed farm is known for its sustainable building practices and promotes ecofriendly materials like limecrete, foam glass, cork, and hemp, which help historic buildings ‘breathe’ - reducing mould and dampness, creating healthier living spaces as a result.

During her short time on the farm, which is undergoing renovation, Kirstie stepped in to help with the construction of the new floor. This process began with the sub-base layer made of bio-foam glass - a closed-cell insulation material - to provide structural stability and protection against rising moisture, while minimising heat loss. This layer was then wrapped in a geo-textile to prevent unwanted particles filling the voids, while the upper layer screed was cast in situ using an NHL 5 mix, a type of natural hydraulic lime. This versatile material is used for both traditional and modern construction, offering strength, durability, and breathability, making it particularly suitable for flooring applications.

As well as finding her time on the farm fun, she took away lots of practical experience, and said “For designers in particular, the practicality of insights gained were invaluable in improving our understanding of the materials, processes, and overall feasibility of what we specify in our designs.”

Salford Cathedral

Following extensive design development and agreement upon samples, the Chancel ceiling decorations are well underway at Salford Cathedral. Stencilling depicting a starry night between the bold red ribbed vaults and golden gilded bosses are now in place providing an exciting glimpse towards Salford Cathedral’s restoration.

Cuerdon Hall hits a milestone

Cuerdon Hall has received planning and LBC consent to upgrade all the existing window sash frames and glass to the Grade II* Georgian country house. This achievement was done by documenting the condition and age of every pane of glass, as well as the age and condition of the frames, along with various permutations for new glazing, providing improved safety, security and thermal comfort.

Site visit on two wheels!

The team in Cambridge have started working on the Ickworth Estate spatial masterplan, and have been conducting their visits on two wheels! The 1,800 acre estate is located just outside of Bury St Edmonds in Suffolk and includes a Grade I-listed mansion and Grade II*-registered park and garden. The masterplan is setting out a way for the National Trust to better understand the Ickworth Estate and its future.

The Halls

Progress is being made at The Halls, Norwich. Occupying what is said to be the most complete standing monastic remains in England, the Grade I-listed halls are now owned by the City of Norwich and play host to several events in the city. A new bar is being installed, while new buttresses will prevent the historic wall from collapse.

QMUL ITL Building

Works have started on site at the Queen Mary University of London ITL Building. These pictures from a site visit earlier in October show the newly dug and cast piles, the existing roof structure being cut and cooled with water, and a view of the Shard from what will be the building’s third floor. Our retrofit and transformation of the existing building will create a new, high-performance, inclusive Informatics Teaching Laboratory (ITL).

Macquarie Point Multipurpose Stadium, Hobart, Tasmania

The Australian team have recently provided Heritage Consultancy services to the Tasmanian State Government in in relation the proposed Multipurpose Stadium for the Macquarie Point site, prominently located on Hobart’s historic waterfront. The project, which has garnered much media and public scrutiny, is only the second project to be assessed under the State’s Major Projects Assessment Framework.

As lead heritage consultant, collaborating with our Melbourne associates GJM, we considered the potential direct and indirect impacts to 25 individual sites and precincts, and the relative magnitude of those impacts. Our assessment found that there would be a range of impacts from imperceptible to very high across the Study Area. We identified that mitigating measures would not fully ameliorate these impacts the to cultural heritage significance of the affected sites.

The client has been appreciative of the comprehensive reporting and definition of the strong methodology for assessment, describing our advice as ‘fearless’.

Cheyney Court in Winchester is complete!

We recently completed the refurbishment of the Grade I-listed historic townhouse at the entrance to Winchester Cathedral Close. The project required a detailed condition survey to identify defects in order to carefully formulate repair proposals and design new interventions. The project introduced sympathetic sustainability upgrades where possible, such as secondary glazing, and addressed a number of complex conservation issues, such as substantial water ingress. As a prominent landmark at the entrance to Cathedral Close, the repair and reuse of the building was an important aspect of the Winchester Cathedral masterplan.

Merton College Chapel

Works at Merton College Chapel are moving along nicely...

The glazing and roof by IQ glass are almost complete, with plastering and rendering to follow shortly. Final decorations are TBA but the project looks on track to be finished by November.

BRIDGE LABS

We recently secured planning for Bridge Labs, a new five-storey Life Sciences building in Oxford. The building will create a modern, timeless addition to the historic surroundings in Oxford and will help to activate the street with new public realm, café and community roof garden.

As one of Purcell’s first ever life sciences projects, this is an especially exciting win.

WELLINGTON SQ

We are also working the refurbishment of 43-48 Wellington Square at the University of Oxford. The project will provide a new lecture space, increased desk space for hybrid working and improved accessibility throughout at University’s Department of Social Policy and Intervention in central Oxford.

Project lead Josh Grieg said ‘We are delighted that the redevelopment of Beaver House in Oxford, was unanimously approved at Planning Committee following a year of design development and close collaboration with NBBJ as Laboratory specialists, and the client team at Forge KN. The project will deliver modern, contextual architecture, which is sympathetic to the historic setting and activates the street scene on this principal route into Oxford city centre’.

Spalding

Gentlemen’s Society

We have been appointed as the architect-led design team for the society’s Grade II-listed building. Based in the town of Spalding, between Peterborough and Lincolnshire, the society is one of the oldest ‘learned societies’ in the UK.

City of London School for Girls

Architectural and building fabric surveying for 2024-2027 refurbishment masterplan works at the City of London School for Girls, situated within the iconic Barbican estate.

UCL Framework, Maple House

A study is required to establish space strategy and solutions by reviewing occupation within 90 TCR and Maple House.

V&A South Asia Galleries

We are working with Gibson Thornley on a refurbishment of the South Asia Galleries, building on our previous work at the gallery (including the Photography Centre) and other ongoing work.

Glasgow School of Art

We are working with Reiach and Hall Architects to deliver an addendum to the strategic outline business case, testing existing rebuild plans and to identifying potential routes to deliver a faithful reinstatement of the fire ravaged Rennie Mackintosh building.

Chatsworth Framework Conservation Management Plan

A very exciting new partnership to develop a strategic conservation plan for Chatsworth House and estate, helping the client team to prioritise ongoing maintenance needs, conservation approach as well as capital projects.

Hanover Lodge

We are working with a private client to deliver internal refurbishments, plus a new conservatory and morning room to the Grade II*-listed Hanover Lodge. Designed by John Nash, with later editions by Edwin Lutyens, the mansion overlooks Regent’s Park. The project also includes relandscaping and a new sunken garden.

NEW PROJECT WINS

Portico

Library

Purcell is leading the Multi-Disciplinary Design Team to transform the Grade II*-listed historic Portico Library into an accessible, sustainable, and dynamic arts and learning hub for all of Manchester’s residents and visitors. Our winning presentation included an interactive workshop and models to illustrate the creative potential of the Purcell and Portico collaboration.

Marske

CAAMP

Tom Street, our new Senior HC in York, is leading the Marske CAAMP project. A conservation area appraisal and management plan in the Marske village will identify the qualities which should be preserved and enhanced, highlight potential detractors and threats to these qualities, and identify opportunities for enhancement.

It starts now...

Awards ceremonies are in full swing, but even though it feels like things should be drawing to a close (and giving everyone a break) it’s starting up again!

The 2025 RIBA Awards opened for submissions on 17th October and CLOSE on the 12th of December – very festive, I’m sure you’ll all agree!

You can find a regularly updated calendar of all awards be clicking here:

CALENDAR OF CURRENT AWARDS AND THEIR DEADLINES

Please note that sustainability metrics are required more often than not.

The Marketing Team recommend looking at the standard RIBA sustainability questions before considering any projects for awards:

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE RIBA UK AWARDS FORM SUSTAINABILITY GUIDE >>>>>

Stirling Prize

It was a privilege to celebrate all the shortlisted projects at the RIBA Stirling Prize ceremony last night.

Being named on the shortlist for the reworking of the National Portrait Gallery alongside Jamie Fobert and the wider project team has been an incredible achievement, and one that everyone at Purcell is extremely proud of.

First and foremost, we are delighted to have played a part in helping to open up this cultural institution to create an inviting, sustainable, and inclusive public space. Since its reopening, the National Portrait Gallery has welcomed two million people through its Tracey Emin designed doors, many for the first time, and disabled visitors to the gallery have increased by 700%.

A big thank you and congratulations to the whole project team – the National Portrait Gallery, Jamie Fobert Architects, Max Fordham, Nissen Richards, and Price and Myers.

National Portrait Gallery Visit

The London studio had the unique opportunity to visit the Stirling Prize nominated National Portrait Gallery after hours in September. Led by Purcell project architects Liz Smith and Nick Chantarasak, there was a huge turnout for the tour, which was elevated by tidbits and tales from our NPG guide Daniel Hausherr.

Walking through the transformed space as seen through the team’s eyes was a real privilege, especially getting to hear about Liz and Nick’s personal favourite spaces.

The evening was topped off with a round of cocktails at the very sumptuous Larry’s Bar, in the basement of the gallery and well worth a visit!

Decarbonisation of Heritage Buildings

Our very own Laura Baron, Sally Humpries, and Zoe Skelding were joined by MCW Associate Director Paula Mejia-Wright and TGA Associate Project Engineer Stephen Olley for a panel discussion on the Decarbonisation of Heritage Buildings at the Pitt Building in Cambridge.

The discussion focused on best practice for the retrofit and decarbonisation of listed buildings.

The talk follows on from the launch of our Heritage Buildings Retrofit Toolkit. Co-authored with the City of London Corporation, the toolkit explores how we can reduce carbon and build climate resilience in heritage buildings, drawing on the historic environment of London’s Square Mile. You can revisit the toolkit here

Purcell Pauses

Annual Hospitality Conference:

This year, over a thousand delegates gathered at the Manchester Convention Centre for three jam-packed days of events and networking at the Annual Hospitality Conference. We may be biased, but our highlight was a lively dinner party hosted by Purcell’s very own Nick de Klerk and Josh Grieg, well attended by new business prospects from across the country!

As well as keeping busy with project work, our London studio made some worthwhile time to ‘pause’ in September. A big thanks to Claire, Katie, and the London Pals for inviting us to take a moment to relax with short massage sessions, provided by three onsite practitioners!

Some glowing reviews from the lucky team...

“I enjoyed mine, I’m not a big massage person but it was an overall good experience. Part of which is, I suspect, just the being taken away from my desk to do something properly distracting.”

“Best Wednesday ever, and it’s only 11am! Thank you for organising this”

“Thank you for organising the massages! I think they were well received by all – it was nice to unwind and relax, albeit for 15 mins! The masseuse was friendly and advised on how to improve blood flow, posture, other remedies for ailments, which was a bonus. Only negative was it was too short!”

London Sanders London first of London’s government, communities discussions

AJ Retrofit Awards:

London Real Estate Forum (LREF):

Kate Sanders and Bruno Bernardo from our London studio attended the LREF for the first time this year. Taking place at the City London’s Guildhall, leaders from across government, investment, and development communities gathered for events and panel discussions under the theme ‘Reimagine’.

This year, the Architects’ Journal combined the Retrofit and Reuse Awards and Retrofit Live for a single day event at The Brewery in London. Social butterfly Nick de Klerk accompanied project architect Sylwia Mazurek to represent the V&A Photography Centre, a joint venture with Gibson Thornley Architects, which was up for the Fit-Out Category.

Good Causes

Well done to Jessica Ryder, Sam Riley, Lucie Clark, James Murray, Kirsty Jermak, and Mike Carr, who braved the pouring rain to complete the annual Chariots of Fire relay. Raising money for Magpas Air Ambulance, the annual six person relay takes place in the centre of Cambridge. We hope you’ve all managed to dry off now!

Jess Flower also took on a watery approach to charity fundraising, swimming 10km down the river Dart – an actual swimming marathon – in aid of LevelWater, who provide one-to-one swimming lessons for children with disabilities. She described the experience as ‘cold but very fun’.

Panel at Christ Church

Purcell’s Oxford studio hosted an insightful live panel discussion at Christ Church College. Our Head of Sustainability, Laura Baron, chaired the thought-provoking talk on unlocking social value through collaboration.

Life Drawing

Thanks to Matt L for organising the first in a series of life drawing sessions! We all enjoyed the laid back, friendly, and relaxing activity – see the outcomes of the first session below.

Robinson College’s

50th Anniversary

The Cambridge office and HC East have been working with Robinson College for the last two years following its Grade II*-listing. The College was designed by Gillespie, Kidd and Coia, and completed in 1980, making it the newest of all the Cambridge Colleges. We have prepared a Conservation Management Plan to help the College understand why the architecture is significant and to identify where there are opportunities for change. We have also prepared several listed building consent applications for repairs to the building to combat persistent water ingress issues, refurbish the MCR and provide accessibility improvements.

In advance of the 50th Anniversary of the College’s founding in 2027, Purcell have been asked to contribute towards a programme of events, including lectures and tours, to highlight the importance of the building as a modernist evolution of the college court model.

To kick things off, HC East team leader Sally Humphries filmed a piece on the history of the building and issues with its condition. The film will be released for Robinson’s Giving Day in December, where alumni are kindly asked to provide donations towards key projects, such as the water ingress repairs and sustainability enhancements – keep your eyes peeled for more!

Congratulations to the following people on their promotions within Purcell.

Kate Thawley to Senior Marketing Coordinator Aleks Hayward to Senior Architect

Michelle Fitzpatrick to Senior Digital Coordinator

QUALIFICATIONS

Congratulations to the following people

Qualified as Architects:

Joelle Tung | Oxford, Qualified as Architect Declan Allison, | London, Qualified as Architect

Catilin Davies | London, Qualified as Architect

Clement Laurencio | London, Qualified as Architect

Stpehanie Wilson | York, Qualified as Architect

Welcome to Purcell

Madeline Saunders Canterbury | Architect

Jessica Grey London | Business Development Manager

Phoebe Stevens Manchester | Part II Architectural Assistant

Ellie Pearce Oxford | Part I Architectural Assistant

Jennie Searle Norwich | Senior Architect

Holly Watkins Manchester | Part II Architectural Assistant

Julie Wilson London | Senior CDM Advisor

Amanda Matuleviciute London | Senior People Coordinator

Matthew Wittrick Cambridge | Associate Partner

Georgina Cameron Bristol | Part II Architectural Assistant

Paul Harewood London | Senior CDM Advisor

Laura Bellamy Oxford | Conservation Architect

London

Cambridge

Canterbury

London

Norwich

Cambridge

Sacha Bennet-Ford

London | Architect

Kieran Sullivan

London | Part I Architectural Assistant

Evie Kyprianou London | People Manager

Paola Murguia

| Part I Architectural Assistant

Stephen Richards

| Part 2 Architectural Assistant

Tom Street York | Senior Heritage Consultant

Daire Hearne

| Head of Marketing & Communications

Lauren Harle

| Part I Architectural Assistant

Isabel Painter

| Part I Architectural Assistant

Eugenia Wong

| Part II Architectural Assistant

Tracy Erskin

| Sales Ledger and Credit Controller

Phoebe Blay

Norwich | Finance Assisstant

Auckland Castle, Tower, and Faith Museum

Winner of RIBA North East Project of the Year

OUR TRUSTEES

ALASDAIR JONES

Chair of Purcell EOT, Associate

RICHARD HENSON

Main Board Trustee, Statutory Director & Operations Partner

JOAO ESTEVES

London & South East Trustee, Associate

SUE LAWRENCE Non-Executive Trustee, Director of Independent Directors & Trustees Ltd

BURKE-SMITH Asia Pacific Trustee, Associate Partner

NICK DE KLERK

London & South East Trustee, Associate Partner

MULLARD West Region Trustee, Architect

KIRSTY JERMAK East Region Trustee, Regional Studio Manager

MORGAN North Region, Architect

CAITLIN

LUCY

RACHAEL

PURCELL PALS

Action for Happiness Calender

The theme “New Ways November” emphasises the importance of exploring innovative mental health and wellbeing approaches. Why not try stepping outside your comfort zone and adopt fresh strategies for managing stress, enhancing emotional resilience, and fostering connections with others? Maybe try a new form of exercise, engage in creative arts, or practice mindfulness techniques that you haven’t previously explored. By promoting a mindset of curiosity and openness, “New Ways November” aims to inspire people to discover what works best for them in maintaining their mental health. This month serves as a reminder that there are numerous pathways to achieving wellbeing, and embracing change can lead to personal growth and improved mental health outcomes.

MONDAY TUESDAY

ACTION FOR HAPPINESS

WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY

SATURDAY SUNDAY

PURCELL PALS

The Colder Months

Some of us look forward to the autumn, with the promise of cosy jumpers, hot drinks and spending more time indoors. For some people, the upcoming weeks are less appealing, with fewer daylight hours and colder temperatures. As the seasons change, you may notice a shift in your mental health. The summer months can be a hectic time with travelling, increased responsibilities (like childcare), and a packed calendar of social events. The autumn time can be a perfect opportunity to wind down and focus on the basics that embody good health and wellbeing including sleep, food and exercise. You may have more time on your hands which you can use whichever way benefits you. Whether it’s cooking a new nutritious recipe or getting back into a book series you like, or simply taking more time to be in the present and relax.

Talks and Media

Empowering Talks:

Kindness is about action, not words or identity. And far from being weak, kindness is a show of strength. Often a kind act takes bravery to be vulnerable or speak a difficult truth.

The Power of Kindness at Work | Action for Happiness

Interesting Read:

Optimism and Health - An extract from ‘The Science of Happiness: Seven Lessons for Living Well’, by Bruce Hood https://www.bps.org.uk/ psychologist/optimism-andhealth

YOUR PALS

Stephanie Wilson North

Lucy Mansfield East

Jordon Grimes East

Virginia Polignano East

Justin Morris West

Emily Pye West

Fiona Lauchlan West

Emilia Panova West

Hugh Jones Holbart

Rory Keenan London & SE

Neil King London & SE

Terri Moylan North

Charlotte NelmesVincent, London & SE

Yolande Steyn London & SE

Ola Urbanska London & SE

Josh Cordrey London & SE

Purcell Voice Have your say!

We are currently looking at the Voice in detail with a look to rebrand and relaunch in October. Being discussed is the name, our branding, a refreshed pitch process that shows transparency and promotes successes etc., with a refreshed Connect page promoting the EO message. We want to continue to build on the previous hard work of the Voice and ensure what we are doing is as good as it can be. Watch this space!!

INFORM SURVEY RESPONSES

We are looking forward to hearing the feedback from the recent Inform survey. Along with the business we will be reviewing the outcomes to see if there are any key themes across the practice.

JORDON GRIMES Chair / East

NANSI JONES Deputy Chair / London & SE

JUSTIN MORRIS West

SONIA BALLANCE West

CHARLOTTE ROBERTS Voice Secretary / East

ADY FUNG Asia Pacific

JOSEPH COX North

JAMES TIMMINS East

GET TO KNOW YOUR REPS!

Visit the Purcell Connect page and take the opportunity to get to know a little about the Voice Reps across the Studios. Your local rep is here to listen to your suggestions concerns or proposals for innovative change at Purcell. They are also your first port of call for submission of a Purcell Pitch.