After a summer break, we welcomed the Shape My City group
back for a site visit session. To celebrate the start of the Bristol Open Doors festival weekend, instead of hosting the session at Architecture Centre, the
evening gave the participants the chance to get behind the scenes of a historic building, which has undergone a contemporary redesign: The Bristol Wing. The young people were treated to a talk and tour of the recently remodelled building project by David and Lewis from
Ferguson Mann Architects.
Part one: inspirers
Sat in the attractive communal area of the hostel known as the ‘Snug’,
participants heard from the architects about their routes into their careers,
before a presentation about the project itself.
Lewis, a Part II Architectural Assistant, began. He explained
that, inspired by his carpenter father, he had been fascinated with building
things from childhood. With Art, Product Design and Maths A Levels, he applied
to university, admitting that he didn’t do mucKingston University London, where he accepted a place for his
undergraduate degree, had a context-based design approach that suited him well.
He then studied his MArch at UWE, where he enjoyed the social and
community focus of the department. A recent graduate, he joined Ferguson
Mann in 2018, where he will become a fully qualified architect. His advice was
to “get organised" and begin researching and proactively seeking work experience.
h research when applying for
schools – though he recommended that the participants be more diligent! He said
he was lucky that
David, one of the Directors of Ferguson Mann Architects, contributed a more experienced professional voice. He shared that he decided to follow his architect father’s footsteps from the age of nine. Leaving his
hometown of Edinburgh to study at Newcastle University, he moved to London for a year in
practice before achieving his diploma at Oxford Brookes University. He advised the
participants that, even if they are unsure whether they will complete the
second part of an architecture degree, the BA is in itself a really useful route into a diverse range of careers. His advice to the young people was to get involved in the things you are passionate about,
and to dedicate time to exploring both these passions and the World.
David described the variety of his work, noting the wide
skill-set required for writing bids, design drawing, making calculations and
communicating ideas to others in meetings. He described the highs of the job as
seeing people using and enjoying buildings and spaces that he has worked on, such as The Bristol Wing or
Millennium Square.
Part two: the building
David, one of the architects who worked on the project, then
described the building process.The building that was converted, he explained, was built in the 1920s as the offices for the Bristol Police Force. Part of a group of municipal buildings that make up the Bridewell area, the newly-opened YMCA hostel building is now operating as a social enterprise, which uses profits from overnight stays of tourists to subsidise rooms for young people experiencing homelessness.
David talked about some of the technical and design challenges related to the project,
including the River Frome that flows underneath the building in a culvert, the underground Norman wall which bisects the site, the Grade II listing of the structure and the desire to preserve the building's unique character and the historical interiors.
He explained that the architects focused on re-purposing original materials and preserving historic features, including re-using the terrazzo cubicle partitions for kitchen work tops in the kitchen/social areas of the, keeping graffiti from when the building was squatted by an artist collective and preserving the beautiful Art Deco cage lift. Leading a tour of the building, he showed the young people the parquet floors, original doorways and quirks of the floor plan. The tour ended on the flat roof, where participants enjoyed a unique view of this area of the City Centre.
Part three: thank yous
Amy then wrapped up the session, thanking David and Lewis for a unique insight into the design process of a creative reuse project. She also encouraged the participants to go out and explore Bristol's diverse built environment that weekend by enjoying the Architecture Centre's architecture and design festival, Bristol Open Doors. Participants were given festival programmes (which included tours around the The Bristol Wing), as well as bespoke festival badges.
Useful links
Ferguson Mann Architects
YMCA Bristol
The Bristol Wing
Bristol Open Doors Festival
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