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Work starts on Special Needs School
May 2011
Work has started on a 35-place school for pupils who have behavioral, emotional and social difficulties and will complete in 2011. The developments make up a £12m project drawn up by South Gloucestershire Council. Sheila Cook, executive member for children and young people, said ”We have a duty to ensure all young people have the best start to life and this specially built school will offer fantastic learning.“
The site will meet an increased need for facilities with general and specialist areas inside and out. It has been designed to be ’open, light and calming‘, with a games court, pond and horticultural classroom, including areas for students to grow their own produce. With an emphasis on vocational education there will also be motor vehicle and construction workshops.
Redevelopment of Clevedon
Community Hospital
April 2011
DKA have recently assisted NHS North Somerset in being granted approval for the Outline Planning application on the existing hospital site which was submitted in December 2010.
The proposed development is for 14 residential houses and the two cottages (known as The Seasons) will be marketed as Office accommodation.
The original part of the building donated by the Elton family in the 19th Century will be retained and will accommodate two of the houses proposed in the Outline Planning application.
Energy Skills Centre now complete
January 2011
Formally opened on 24 January 2011, the building provides a variety of facilities including workshops, science labs and classrooms. The Realistic Working Environment allows for simulation exercises in a controlled environment and training for lifting with overhead cranes.
The building has been designed using the BREEAM Education 2008 scheme and is set to reach its target of 'Excellent'. The energy strategy includes acoustically attenuated natural stack ventilation, roof mounted photovoltaic cells and solar hot water heating, a 6kW wind turbine, rainwater harvesting and an area of sedum roof.
DKA have been lead designers engaging with the end users, the local authority and specialist consultants.
LABC Awards
October 2010
DKA and Kier Western have been recognised for their outstanding work on the new South Gloucestershire Council Headquarters Building in Yate at the LABC awards dinner in Bristol. The team were a finalist in the 'Best Partnership Award' category, Highly commended in the 'Best Sustainable Development Award' category and won the 'Best Large Commercial Development' award.
Further success has just been announced as DKA and Kier have also won the Insider Property, 'Best Office Development in South West England' Award.
Minehead Community Hospital
April 2010
This project has been developed through the NHS ProCure 21 process and will be the third community hospital that DKA have delivered with Laing O’Rourke for Somerset PCT.
The external envelope is due for completion by Easter 2010 and as this image shows, the building is gradually being unveiled. DKA have been working with Laing O’Rourke since 2007 to deliver this much needed new facility for Somerset PCT, which is the second of a series of new community healthcare facilities being provided under the NHS ProCure 21 procurement process. It will include a 20 bed inpatients department, MIU, outpatients, diagnostic, mental health, FM, day surgery, administration and therapies.
Fabien Coupat qualifies
January 2010
We are committed to developing design solutions to improve the built environment, in partnership with clients, consultants, contractors, local authorities and other participants in the development process. We endeavour to raise the sustainability awareness of our clients and design team, highlighting the benefits of development with a reduced impact on the environment and to encourage the adoption of the BRE Best Practice, BRE Technical Design Guide recommendations, and BREEAM assessments. Fabien is part of our dedicated Sustainability Group, gathering information from seminars and project experience to feedback to the wider office. Following in the footsteps of Alex Bell, our Sustainability Champion and qualified BREEAM Offices assessor, Fabien has completed BRE training to become a qualified BREEAM Education 2008 assessor.
Brislington Enterprise College
January 2010
DKA have been working closely with Skanska Construction on a BSF project for the past number of months. The scheme involved the refurbishment of an existing City Learning Centre, at Brislington Enterprise College in Bristol, to provide an Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) unit for approximately 24 pupils. Building and designing for children with special educational needs within the fabric of an existing building raised some interesting challenges for the team, all of which needed to be overcome within the demanding program. The recent completion of the project has resulted in the successful hand-over of the ASD Unit prior to the return of pupils after the Easter holiday break.
DKA grows again
2010
DKA have expanded their workforce by two and are delighted to confirm that Carly Simpson and Jill Power have joined the team.
Carly recently returned to working for DKA after travelling around Australia and joins us as a Chartered Architect. She qualified in 2009 having previously graduated from Brighton University. Her experience extends into the residential, commercial, healthcare and education sectors.
Jill comes from Cork, Ireland and came to the UK to study architecture at Dundee University. Jill graduated in 2003 and came to Bath 4 years ago, since then Jill has acquired good experience in the commercial, healthcare, urban design and educations sectors. When not working, Jill is something of a DIY enthusiast and is also busy planning for her wedding in June.
Bridge Learning Campus
November 2009
Colourful imaginations have been at work to produce the latest addition to a severe learning difficulty facility within the Bridge Learning Campus site. The new rainbow coloured walkway has been designed to allow sheltered transition between classrooms and play areas. The simplistic appearance of the walkway belies the complex environmental factors that had to be considered during the design phase. Free air movement to the naturally ventilated classrooms to which it adjoins was a major design factor as well as optimizing the amount of natural light that could be transferred through the walkway into both the transition zone and the adjoining classrooms. The scope of work extended to the refurbishment/alteration of a number of facilities spread over two teaching blocks.
Chelston Gardens
October 2009
Chelston Gardens is a new private 50 bed Elderly Mentally Infirm Nursing Unit, complete with ancillary spaces and catering facilities at Wellington in Somerset. The 2 storey building has been planned in a ‘U’ shape to enclose a landscaped secure garden. The new building was detailed in a modern way but sympathetic to the feel of the original building. The external walls are predominantly rendered with colour-coated aluminium ‘composite’ windows and doors which have a natural timber finish inside. Areas of timber boarding were used with a large oak-framed ‘loggia’ to soften the tone of the building. The construction was traditional load-bearing masonry with timber roof trusses.
Minehead Community Hospital
May 2009
The project has been developed through the NHS ProCure 21 process and will be the third community hospital that DKA have delivered with Laing O’Rourke for Somerset PCT.
Construction work has now started on the new Minehead Community Hospital. DKA have been working with Laing O’Rourke since 2007 to deliver this much needed new facility for Somerset PCT, which is the second of a series of new community healthcare facilities being provided under the NHS ProCure 21 procurement process. It will include a 20 bed inpatients department, MIU, outpatients, diagnostic, mental health, FM, day surgery, administration and therapies. The project forms part of the New Horizons master plan, which will eventually provide new homes, a leisure centre and new facilities for the West Somerset College.
Energy Skills Centre – Bridgwater College
2008
DKA have been working with Bridgwater College and Kier Western since early 2008 to design a new Energy Skills Centre for the main college campus. The building will provide unique training facilities to support the local energy industry as well as new workshops, science labs and engineering classrooms for existing college departments.
The building has just been granted planning consent and work started in Autumn 2009. The College have set high requirements for sustainability and the building is on target for an 'Excellent' rating under BREEAM Education 2008. The building utilises on-site renewable energy as a teaching resource for students and visiting training delegates. The Energy Skills Centre is programmed for completion in 2010.
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