A derelict Georgian mansion has been rescued with a full period-correct restoration and the addition of a new glulam-timber extension to provide Dorset with a new arts venue. The project used a JCT Standard Building Contract. Sherborne House in Dorset is a Grade I listed building which features Georgian, Tudor, and medieval elements. The main structure is an early Georgian mansion which has been attributed to local architect and craftsman Benjamin Bastard. Its principal staircase features an original mural depicting hunting scenes completed in the…

A new adventure playground building for a popular north-London children’s venue has been completed for Islington Council and site operator, Islington Play Association. Designed by Paper House Project, with CW Chelsea the main contractor, a JCT Intermediate Building Contract with contractor’s design was used to get the games back up and running. Martin Luther King Adventure Playground (MLK) has been at its current site since 1968, when its construction was partly funded by a grant from the Martin Luther King Foundation, and it was named…

Sustainable Workspaces is the redevelopment of a part of County Hall – a Grade II* listed building and the location of the former Greater London Council (GLC) – which was left unused since the abolishment of the GLC in the 1980s. The project was completed using a JCT Design and Build Contract. Sustainable Workspaces is a branch of project client, Sustainable Ventures, a business that works with sustainable start-ups to provide investment, community, innovation and workspace. Having outgrown their previous location, they acquired a 3,600m2…

The Kings Walk project is an upgrade and ‘reactivation’ of an outdated 1970s shopping arcade, located in central Winchester. With a range of new features, including a green courtyard area, improved lighting, and bold graphics, the scheme was delivered through a JCT Intermediate Building Contract. The improvement to Kings Walk Arcade is the first part of a wider scheme of works under the Winchester Central Regeneration Programme. Kings Walk was suffering from a lack of footfall and an increase in antisocial behaviour, exacerbated by the…

The V&A’s East London museum, originally the ‘Museum of Childhood’, has undergone a rejuvenation that not only continues to preserve and document the history of childhood play across different cultures, but also inspires the next generation ‘with the power of creativity and agency’. The project was completed using a JCT Standard Building Contract. The development of the Young V&A is the most significant chapter for its 150-year-old grade II* listed building since its original opening, when its frame and fabric were moved to its current…

The café at the gallery and performing arts venue Oriel Plas Glyn-y-Weddw, on the north Wales coast, takes inspiration from the local marine wildlife and the spirit of scientific discovery and exploration during the time of the Victorian building’s original construction. Attracting local residents and visitors alike, the café was built on a JCT Intermediate Building Contract with Contractor’s Design. Oriel Plas Glyn-y-Weddw’s new café replaces a replica conservatory originally built in the 1980s. Its limited capacity and poor environmental performance led to a rethink,…

A restoration and retrofit project, on an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in West Dorset, provides holiday accommodation and facilities specifically for people living with disabilities. The Wraxall Yard project used a JCT Standard Building Contract. Wraxall Yard is a project developed by Clementine Blakemore Architects for client, Wraxall Yard CIC. It is a restoration and retrofit scheme which upgraded a site of derelict farm and agricultural buildings to provide bespoke, supported, self-catered holiday facilities for local people living with disabilities. The buildings are located…

The Yoga Studio is the latest of three buildings at The Newt in Somerset hotel, designed by architects, Invisible Studio. Displaying the architect’s reputation for innovative and unusual design, the building was constructed on a JCT Intermediate Building Contract. The Newt in Somerset’s new Yoga Studio joins a recently installed gym and lakeside apiary (known as the Beezantium) created for the hotel by Invisible Studio, the architects founded by Dr Piers Taylor, co-presenter of BBC series The House That £100k Built and The World’s Most…

The Hub’s building-within-a-building design and contemporary spin on many of original Pitzhanger Manor architect, John Soane’s, iconoclastic Georgian architectural features provides a sensitively constructed and functional space for volunteers and the local community. A JCT Minor Works Building Contract was the form of choice. The Hub is a modest name for a building that nonetheless lives up to its meaning – a centre of activity – with an elegantly constructed design that has the utmost respect for its surroundings. The building was commissioned by the…

Named after a famous 19th century racehorse, The Alice Hawthorn pub has undergone a transformation with the renovation of its Grade II listed main pub building and the addition of 12 brand new guestrooms whose design befits its rural location and history. It charges out of the gate to the colours of a JCT Standard Building Contract. The Alice Hawthorn is the last remaining pub in the Yorkshire village of Nun Monkton, the closure of four other pubs being indicative of the socio-economic and legal…