To say the last couple of years have been challenging is an understatement. We hope you, your families, and your businesses are doing well. 2021 was a significant year for us and we wanted to share some of our highlights with our friends and colleagues…
The Gingerbread City
At SD HQ, we’ve been getting into the festive spirit for quite a while now. Our team has been busy baking gingerbread, melting sweets, and creating cute little pigs out of fondant icing! All in aid of The Gingerbread City, an annual exhibition where designers create a city made of gingerbread and delicious treats, to raise funds for the Museum of Architecture as a charity.
Dream Team
It’s a cliché, but our people are our greatest asset. We are now a tight-knit team of 20, having this year recruited: Giovanni Fiacco as Associate (previously at AKTII), Alison Wallis as Associate (previously at Price & Myers), Chris Croft as Principal Civil Engineer (previously at MLM Consulting Engineers), Alex O’Reilly as Project Structural Engineer, Harry Furnival-Doran as Structural Engineer, Callum Nowell as Senior Technician, Gemma Sheterline as Communications Manager, and our apprentices Elijah Sserunjogi and Eiana Cutamora.
We’re beyond proud and thankful to our SD team for their passion and dedication. We might be biased but we believe we have the dream team!
Carbon Counting
As signatories of the UK Structural Engineers Declare, we are committed to offering sustainable and low carbon designs to our clients. We explore alternative framing solutions, structural grids, and stability solutions to help meet the carbon targets of a project.
We’re currently working with AWW to repurpose and revitalise a derelict 1970s concrete framed office building, Queensway House in Stratford. The building will provide workspace, a multi-functioning performing arts theatre, café, and community spaces for Wary Ward Centre, an adult education charity.
We undertook a carbon count to compare a retrofirst approach vs demolition and new build. Our investigations justified the reuse of the three and four-storey frame with minimal strengthening works required for the addition of two storeys. This solution offered significant savings in cost and programme, and 40% reduction in embodied carbon.
Awards and Press
It’s been an excellent year for many of our collaborators, with a number of our projects receiving press coverage and industry awards. Congratulations to all!
Here’s a small selection:
AC Residence by deDraft
Don’t Move, Improve! Featured 2021
Featured in Wallpaper, Architects’ Journal, Elle Decoration UK, Grand Designs Magazine, Dezeen, Leibal
Framework House by Amos Goldreich Architecture
Sunday Times British Homes Award Finalist
Featured in Dezeen
Naked House by Whittaker Parsons
BUILD Architecture Award
Dezeen Award Longlist
Don’t Move, Improve! Featured 2021
Featured in Architects’ Journal
Butterfly Walk Shopping Centre by John McAslan+Partners
Featured in Building, Building Design and Housing Today
The Underwood by Fuse Architects
Offsite Award
Building Award Finalist
Constructing Excellence SECBE Finalist
Project Milestones
We work with some of the best designers and industry leaders, and together we have reached some impressive project milestones this year, here are a few:
Aspect House, in the heart of Peterborough town centre, designed by Woods Hardwick is nearing completion. 130 new residential units have been added onto an existing two-storey, post-war, commercial building which has remained operational throughout construction works.
Earlier this year we completed The Flintmill and Underwood: the development of underutilised land to provide affordable Net Zero Carbon housing, using Modern Methods of Construction, across two different sites. We continue to deliver Net Zero Carbon homes with Fuse Architects, shedkm, A&E Elkins, and AJC Group, as part of the Royal Borough of Greenwich Framework.
Butterfly Walk Shopping Centre, Camberwell, received planning permission in July. We’re working with John McAslan+Partners and Rolfe Judd Planning to deliver new and improved public realm, retail spaces, a hotel, cinema, and 145 new homes of which 35% will be affordable.
Our collaboration with Soho House continues. We’re currently designing 20 new detached woodland huts and new spa facilities at Soho Farmhouse.
We look forward to staying as soon as they’re completed!
We entered our first major competition! A big thank you and well done to Stefan Shaw Studio for coordinating the team and our response. Tenders are currently being reviewed. Fingers crossed!