redland house, bristol - public consultation exhibition

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1 Preliminary proposals for a new office building on Simplyhealth Stoford Redland Hill Simplyhealth propose to build a new office building on Redland Hill to expand the company and its existing links with Bristol. The new building will be a high quality design to complement the setting. It will provide a modern working environment for 0 Simplyhealth employees who are already based in Bristol and help to create up to 00 new jobs in the future. These roles will provide job opportunities for local people. The building contains,000 ft of office space and a,000ft mobility shop to provide mobility products and daily living aids to customers in Bristol and the surrounding area. The proposed new building will be ready by 0. Simplyhealth is a healthcare provider that believes health is the most important thing of all. It started helping people to access healthcare almost 0 years ago. It offers a range of health plans, including cash plans, dental plans, and private health insurance for individuals, families and businesses. It provides people with affordable healthcare, whatever the financial climate, and currently has over. million customers, helping. million people and,000 businesses. Location Simplyhealth has office locations in Andover, Manchester, Leeds and Bristol. Its current Bristol employees are based at James Tudor House in Victoria Street, but will move across to the new building. Simplyhealth also has two mobility stores in Andover and Leeds and wishes to open a third in Bristol. Values Simplyhealth follows mutual values, and without any shareholders, puts everything into giving its clients, customers and communities a personal and caring service. Its profits can only be reinvested into the business for the benefit of customers or given away to healthcare related charities. In the last four years Simplyhealth has donated around 6m to UK charities. Despite a difficult economic environment, over m was allotted to charities and community projects last year. Recipients are decided by either a board level group or regional committees located at each of its offices. Simplyhealth employees are proud of the strong links the company has with its local communities and often nominate good causes themselves. Many also make use of the 00 community days the company makes available each year. They use the time to support local schools, charities or community groups. So far they ve tackled projects as diverse as decorating hospice buildings, tidying gardens and assisting neighbourhood care groups. Environment Simplyhealth is committed to limiting the impact it has on the environment. In 00 it moved 0% of its car fleet to hybrid vehicles with 0% lower CO emissions. It has increased the use of telephone and video conferencing to cut down internal travel and encourages its staff to car share, walk or cycle to work. All employees are provided with desktop recycling bins to ensure they all recycle more plastic, paper, and cans. In line with its mutual values, Simplyhealth believes that by acting responsibly towards its environment, people, customers and local communities, it can make a positive difference. Its planned expansion in Bristol will help it to build stronger links with its communities and inspire more people towards better health. The proposals will also create up to 00 new jobs in the future. Stoford is a privately owned company established in 7 to specialise in occupier-led property solutions for business. Stoford is involved in a diverse range of developments and our innovative approach to site and contract procurement has ensured that the company remains highly competitive and is able to deliver a quality product on time and on budget. Stoford s green policy is based firmly on the grounds of delivering buildings with intrinsically low energy requirements in the most efficient manner possible. Stoford s approach to sustainability is to understand the needs of a particular project, the context it sits within and then to procure a sustainable solution. At present Stoford have 00,000 sqft of eco-friendly, sustainable pre-let/sold office space under construction including projects for Severn Trent Water Plc, Staffordshire County Council, BT Plc and EFG Private Bank Ltd. Current projects by Stoford Left: Severn Trent Headquarters, Coventry-,000 sqft GIA, BREEAM Excellent Construction value 6m. Below: Staffordshire County Hall, Stafford - 7,000 sqft GIA, BREEAM Excellent Construction value 0m. Below/left: BT Plc, West Bromwich -,0 sqft GIA, BREEAM Excellent Construction value 7.m.

2 the brief the site Simplyhealth require a high quality sustainable office building with clear open flexible floor space and a comfortable, well serviced interior environment. Simplyhealth value the prime location that this site brings and recognise that this demands a building of high architectural merit that responds to this special gateway location. Planning permission was granted in 00 for a new office building on this site with designs prepared by Stride Treglown (see images below). This partly re-used the existing structure and provided,6 m (60,00 ft) approx of office space (IA). However, this scheme does not provide the quality of internal office environment that Simplyhealth require, was designed as two separate buildings, is not open plan and does not incorporate the Mobility Shop - an important part of the brief. A new scheme is therefore required. These new proposals are to provide: A high quality design befitting the location. A self-contained office building of circa,000 ft (IA) including a mobility shop at ground level and allocated on-site car parking. Modern, flexible office space with clear floor plates and floor heights of.m. A BREEAM rating of Excellent and an EPC rating of B. Aerial view of the existing building The site is located facing The Downs on the corner of Redland Hill and Westbury Road. An unoccupied storey building, atwest House, currently occupies the site. ational Westminster House (or atwest House) is storeys high including a two storey below ground car park and a roof level plant room. The roof plant storey, whilst set back, is particularly visible from across The Downs. The orthogonal plan sits slightly uneasily on this corner site. Permission was granted in 00 for the partial demolition of the building. Key to Existing Site Plan (right) Site boundary in red at West House (the site) Harper House Redland Hill Westbury Road The Downs Artist s impressions of the 00 scheme Aerial view of the existing building and it s surroundings atwest House - The existing building seen from Upper Belgrave Road Location, Context and Existing Site Plan

3 the design approach SITE & COTEXT AALYSIS The drawing (left) illustrates the key site issues that have, in turn, influenced the design proposals. In addition, a) The site marks the beginning of Bristol s urban fabric (moving south) and the corner of The Downs (moving north) - a true gateway. b) The site is visible from a considerable distance, set against a number of mature trees. c) The site relates as much to the taller buildings that line the edge of the park as it does the buildings that front Westbury Road/ Whiteladies Road. d) Building facades in the immediate vacinity of the site are made from a variety of materials - render, stone and brick. The scheme creates a suitable gateway to respond to the site s prime location at the edge of Bristol s urban fabric. These proposals: Breaks up the massing (of the new building) into three clearly defined and expressed parts in order to maintain a finer grain to the building/elevations. Steps the massing across these three parts - the lowest adjacent to Harper House and the tallest on to Redland Hill, and in so doing responds to the topography - see diagram top/right. Respects the distant views across and along The Downs by introducing a varied roofscape including a vertical tower element that echos in scale the taller buildings that line the east side of The Downs and provides a full stop. Urban Design Strategy - massing Addresses the corner by means of a gently curving facade, echoing the curve of the buildings to the west. Urban Design Strategy - massing Site Analysis Plan Key views of the site Site entrance/exit for vehicles Privacy issues Mature trees frame building/ bank Key views from the building Gateway buildings to Westbury Road Storey heights (boxed) Road rises Sunlight/ orientation Introduces an arcade at ground level that contains the main building entrance and gives the building facade real depth. At the fifth floor and over the arcade, sets the facade back to provide an external terrace with views over The Downs. Keeps generally within the footprint of the 00 Approved Scheme. Keeps the same number of office storeys (ie 6 storeys above ground level plus roof plant) as the 00 Approved Scheme. Maintains/improves the relationship to Harper House. The building facade, principally in brick, echoes the materials of the surround buildings, to be complemented by other Key to Urban Design Strategy Plan (right) Site boundary in red Tower element to new building Corner element to new building Shop element to new building Harper House Possible future development by others extending street frontage Urban Design Strategy - facades

4 the scheme so far... These sketch plans, elevations and D views represent the development of the scheme so far - very much work in progress. Materials are good quality red facing brickwork to facades generally, stone arcade and shop facade, painted metal windows with insulated panels, and rendered fifth floor to rear of loggia. B A A B Main entrance (Offices) Main entrance (Mobility Shop) Car park entrance/exit Lift lobby Office space 6 Meeting rooms 7 Kitchen Mobility shop (lower level) Mobility shop (upper level) 0 Stores etc Car park Cycle store Refuse store Electricity substation Disabled car parking 6 Outline of existing at West House orth Elevation South Elevation Redland Hill 6 Westbury Road Westbury Road Lower Ground Floor Plan Ground Floor Plan First-Third Floor Plan (Fourth Floor Plan similar) Fifth Floor Plan

5 ferguson mann architects Tower Loggia Sketch View - the entrance arcade and foyer West Elevation to Westbury Road Sketch View from Westbury Road Arcade/entrance Section BB Section AA Proposed Cross-Section Outline of new building Harper House Context Elevation - Westbury Road (Building West Elevation) Sketch View from Upper Belgrave Road