Retaining the value of materials and building assets.. Design strategies for sustainable solutions in construction.
‘The canal curves one way and the road sweeps dramatically in the other direction.It’s just so beautiful in an urban way.’.
Khalifa adds, ‘We’re really young in our profession and are forever learning, so it’s great to see how Bryden Wood have dealt with the Retrofit sympathetically.It’s great to see how they have attempted to do things we wouldn’t have thought of.’.THE BRYDEN WOOD PERSPECTIVE: PAUL O'NEILL.
When embarking on the project to reimagine and develop the building into Great Western Studios, we knew ‘the constraints of the build would be its making,’ says Bryden Wood Board Director, Architecture,.The aim was to create a great building that would respond to its context/environment and that is certainly what Bryden Wood have achieved.
The initial challenges posed by the building’s proximity to the Westway and Grand Union canal, as well as the limited site space for construction, have birthed a space of both aesthetic and functional dynamic, equally capable of fulfilling its practical goal of providing creative office spaces to West London creative businesses..
According to O’Neill, the biggest challenge of the project was the building of phase 2 over the fully occupied, existing (phase 1) building.As a Bryden Wood apprentice, Charlie has had the unique opportunity to learn from colleagues, whilst receiving valuable training on integral industry software programs such as Revit, Navisworks and CAD.
‘I work alongside Mechanical and Electrical Engineers,’ says Charlie, ‘modelling their design into Revit and producing drawings and 3D models...Depending on the project, I also attend project meetings and may even visit site.’.Hall is enthusiastic about his apprenticeship role at Bryden Wood, describing how the experience has not only fulfilled his expectations, but also advanced his ambitions.
‘I was always interested in engineering.I was unsure about what type of engineering I wanted to go into, but I kept my options open and looked into all aspects of engineering… The idea of an apprenticeship appealed to me massively because I would be gaining work experience in a subject I enjoy and earning at the same time.’.
(Editor: Collapsible Kettles)