2023 is set to be an exciting year for the practice, with a diverse range of schemes going in for planning, starting on site, and reaching completion. Here, we give a rundown of just some of the projects we’re looking forward to seeing progress over the next 12 months.
Rodney Street
Designed for This City, Manchester City Council’s new housing development arm, the Rodney Street development will deliver a mix of 128 apartments and townhouses – 30% of which will be available for affordable rent – to Manchester’s Ancoats.
Due to start on site this year, the scheme will contribute to Manchester’s 2038 Zero Carbon ambitions by providing well-insulated homes that will lower energy costs for residents. Each of the townhouses will include a parking space with electric vehicle charging points, and private gardens to the rear.
An extensive landscaping scheme and a significant number of new trees will also be planted as part of the placemaking public realm works, complementing a wider public realm strategy that looks to make Ancoats a low-carbon, sustainable neighbourhood with a focus on active travel, walking, and cycling routes.
Salford RSAP Sites
Towards the end of last year, planning permission was granted for the development of 24 modular move-on homes across three sites to support those in Salford facing homelessness. This year, we’ll be taking the projects forward to start on site.
Designed for Salford City Council, the apartments will act as a pathway to settled accommodation, providing a genuine home that will help to prepare occupants for full independent living. Sustainability is a key focus for the schemes and the apartments have been designed to be low-energy, low-carbon homes with high thermal efficiency levels to keep running costs low.
The developments are being backed by funding from the government’s Rough Sleepers Accommodation Programme (RSAP) and have been designed in consultation with members of Salford’s homeless population.
Eliza Yard
Due to start on site later this year, Eliza Yard is the latest development to contribute to the ongoing regeneration of Manchester’s Ancoats by delivering a unique new residential location.
Designed for Manchester Life Development Company on behalf of Manchester City Council, the scheme will deliver a diverse range of homes from one to three-bedroom apartments, which will cater for the needs of a broad demographic including families, young professionals, the elderly, and empty-nesters. At ground floor level, 5,800 sq. ft of commercial space will be created, helping to further establish a sense of place and community on the site.
The scheme forms part of a coordinated phase of development that Buttress is delivering across underused sites in the Poland Street area of Ancoats and New Islington, which aims to continue the successful regeneration of the area into a sustainable neighbourhood.
The Carlton
As part of Maryport’s Future High Street Fund scheme, we have been working with Allerdale Borough Council to develop plans to transform the historic Carlton Cinema into a new cultural hub.
Due to start on site this Spring, the proposals include plans to convert the ground floor of the existing building to house flexible performance and event spaces, whilst the first floor will be converted to house exhibition spaces, arts and crafts workshops, and a recording studio.
An adjacent building on Senhouse Street will also be replaced to create a new main entrance to the site, in addition to a new café, box office, and artists’ displays. The new addition has been designed to create a contemporary landmark destination for the cultural hub, drawing in visitors from across the seaside town.
Barrow Market Hall
Selected following a competitive tender process, we are working with Barrow Borough Council to complete the design element of a scheme to re-imagine Barrow Market Hall into a destination for shopping and experiences with independent traders and local food producers at its heart.
The project will also include a new exterior for The Market Hall and neighbouring arts and entertainment venue The Forum, a new community hub, as well as public realm improvements to Duke Street and the rear of the building to create better transport connections and spaces for events.
The scheme is being supported by £16M from the government’s Levelling Up Fund grant, incorporating elements of the £25M #BrilliantBarrow Town Deal.
Lincoln Medieval Bishops’ Palace
In 2020, we were appointed by English Heritage to carry out a major £2.5 million project to conserve the Grade I listed Lincoln Medieval Bishops’ Palace for future generations.
Due to reach completion later this year, the project will conserve and consolidate delicate and deteriorating stonework across the site, helping to safeguard what remains of the former home of the Bishops of Lincoln, which served as the centre of power for the largest diocese in medieval England for nearly five hundred years.
The project is being delivered as a flagship project under the banner of Sustainable Conservation, English Heritage’s new conservation strategy. A programme of community engagement is also being delivered alongside the project, including activities, talks and demonstrations to promote conservation skills and techniques.
Caernarfon Castle
Since 2019, we have been on site at Caernarfon Castle to deliver the redevelopment of the King’s Gate for Cadw, marking a new chapter in the World Heritage Site’s rich history. The project, due to reopen this year, has aimed to advance the visitor experience and enhance understanding of the site by improving the visitor offer, especially for those with limited ability to access certain areas.
This has involved the addition of a new layer of architecture to the medieval building in the form of a lightweight structure that sits on top of and within the triple-towered King's Gate. On the upper level, the structure crowns the King’s Gate to create a viewing deck with seating areas, access to which is provided via a new glazed lift, enabling visitors of all abilities to access this part of the castle for the first time in its history. We also understand this to be the first time that level access has been provided at any similar UK World Heritage Site.
Ancoats Dispensary
Last year, work began on the restoration and redevelopment of the Grade II listed Ancoats Dispensary. Built in 1874 to provide healthcare facilities for Manchester’s growing population, the local landmark remained in use until 1989 but has since remained vacant, causing the building to progressively deteriorate with scaffolding holding up what remained of the existing structure.
Due to reach completion in late 2023, the project – which has been designed for Great Places Housing Trust – will give the Dispensary a new lease of life whilst delivering a mixture of 39 one- and two-bedroom apartments, all of which will be available for affordable rent.
The restoration focuses on incorporating elements of the original building – including the Old Mill Street and Lampwick Lane facades – into the new design, ensuring that the architectural and heritage significance of the building is preserved.
Showtown – Blackpool Museum
Blackpool’s new museum, Showtown, celebrates the town as the UK’s most popular seaside destination and its role in the development of British popular culture. Located in the Sands Building on the Promenade, Showtown will be a hybrid between museum and visitor attraction, capturing the spirit of the famous seaside town.
Visitors will be able to discover more about the town’s connections with British popular culture, including dance, comedy and live variety. Visitors will also have the opportunity to get up close with the entertainers who have helped to put Blackpool on the map – including the comedians, dancers, acrobats, clowns, performers and larger-than-life characters who turned the seaside resort into the self-proclaimed capital of show business.
