Together we can...
inspire future generations
Together we can...
GSSArchitecture is a national, award-winning architectural practice with a dynamic and forward-thinking approach. Operating across the whole of the UK with offices located in Kettering, Gloucester, Harrogate, Leeds, Milton Keynes and Newcastle, we specialise in projects where a collaborative approach is required.
We design tailored value for money architectural solutions and place sustainability and inclusivity at the heart of our design ethos. Our project experience includes a diverse range of public and private sectors from inception through to completion, all of which are supported by in-house specialist divisions including Graphics, and Heritage and Conservation.
With over 400 education clients nationally, we have experience in all types of education projects from nurseries, primary and secondary schools, through to multi-million-pound higher education projects and estate strategies.
Together, we can bring your vision to life.
schools & nurseries
We offer in-depth experience in the design and delivery of a whole range of schools, including nursery, primary, secondary, and post-16. Our design teams understand the detailed requirements of different schools and have delivered over 500 school projects in recent years.
Our work in schools includes remodelling, expansions and entire new build projects, and often the conversion of non-educational buildings into learning environments. We also have extensive experience of delivering through various procurement routes and frameworks.
Our stakeholder engagement processes are tailored to the individual project, and we work closely with local authorities, students, academy trusts and the wider community to develop learning models and inspiring environments that support users whilst being flexible enough to adapt over time.
This approach is further supported by our various research programmes on school design and delivery with the DfE and other national and international education bodies.
Woodnewton Children’s Centre
A new build children’s centre acts as the main access point for Woodnewton and includes a new nursery, a feature external play area, a community hall, a social open meeting area and new offices for the Head Teacher and Bursar.
These facilities, together with the private consulting rooms and meeting rooms, further extended the existing services offered to the community by Woodnewton. Head Teacher at the time, Ellen Wallace, said, “We are extremely pleased with the building’s design and how spaces flow into one another. It is bright and bold and connects our existing Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 buildings very effectively.”
New Lubbesthorpe Primary School
Appointed as Architects and Lead Consultants, we delivered New Lubbesthorpe Primary School, a large-scale residential development in West Leicestershire.
The school building comprises largely single storey accommodation which includes 14 classrooms, a learning resources centre, hall, kitchen, staff room, a studio and specialised room and the reception, along with plenty of circulating space. Numerous glazed areas to maximise daylight and openable windows provide a pleasant learning environment that is also highly sustainable, limiting the use of artificial lighting and mechanical ventilation.
The school provides 420 spaces for pupils aged 4-11 and is a key landmark of the central square. New Lubbesthorpe residents can further benefit from the facilities thanks to the main hall being available for community use and operated independently from the school.
Harris Primary Academies
We delivered three new primary schools, funded by the Education Funding Agency, for The Harris Federation in the London area.
Harris Primary Academy Mayflower was a former container storage site that was transformed into a five-form entry primary academy, which accommodates over 1,000 pupils.
Harris Primary Academy East Dulwich is situated on the site of the old police station and has been remodelled into a two-form entry primary academy.
We also delivered the new build Harris Primary Academy Shortlands which accommodates up to 420 pupils.
The innovative schemes incorporate bright and modern schools, and have provided the communities with much needed, welcoming, flexible, and high quality educational facilities.
Royal Latin School Discovery Centre
We were successful in a design competition and were appointed by The Royal Latin School to design their Discovery Centre.
The project is a result of a study which concluded that the existing science accommodation did not meet current and future requirements. The new facility replaced and expanded on this accommodation, leaving the existing building available for future development.
12 laboratories and teaching rooms for practical lessons and theorybased teaching were created, together with informal breakout spaces, meeting rooms, a preparation room, a staff base and a roof terrace. A landscaped courtyard was also produced between the new facility and existing buildings, which provides a dynamic open space to promote outdoor social and educational activities.
Parliament Hill School
We were appointed on the £30m redevelopment scheme of Parliament Hill School, located in the London Borough of Camden. The major new build development includes a sports hall, science labs, and general teaching classrooms as well as the refurbishment of the existing dining hall building located at the centre of the site.
The neighbouring William Ellis School, a four-form entry school for boys, benefitted from a new two-storey addition housing drama and music suite facilities. A new sixth form building was also provided, comprising a unique design that includes a green roof and living green walls.
The redevelopment was delivered in a staged approach in order to allow the teaching services to remain fully operational, minimising disruption to the students’ education.
Logic Studio School
Studio Schools operate a new approach to learning, which include teaching through industry-led enterprise projects and work placements to offer a range of academic and vocational qualifications, and we were commissioned to design a modern and unique extension for Logic Studio School. Specialising in computer technologies and international business, the School accommodates 300 students, aged 14-19, and is part of the Tudor Park Education Trust.
Funded by the Education Funding Agency via the Free School Programme, the development includes a vibrant front extension, new main entrance, contemporary workspaces and circulation areas, as well as traditional teaching spaces in which to prepare students for their professional careers.
independent schools
GSSArchitecture has developed significant knowledge and experience of learning environments, and has established long-standing working relationships with many independent schools.
We have designed many facilities for this sector, including swimming pools and fitness centres, state of-the-art IT and teaching facilities, performing arts centres and boarding houses, providing students with the perfect environment and resources to achieve their full potential.
This approach is further supported by our in-house Heritage and Conservation Team and our Estates Masterplanning Team, addressing the historic estate that makes up the campuses of many independent schools in a holistic and sensitive manner.
Whitelaw Boarding House
We were appointed as Architects on the significant extension and alteration work on the collection of Grade II listed buildings that form Whitelaw, a boarding house at Rugby School. Dating back to the early 19th century, Whitelaw House is one of Rugby School’s largest and first purpose-built boarding houses.
The works included thermal upgrades to the building envelope to reduce heating demand and improve its sustainability credentials. The scheme also involved an extension within the courtyard which provides new common room space and has a modern aesthetic to contrast with the existing structures, allowing both the historical and modern architecture to be appreciated together.
The sympathetic upgrades to Whitelaw have resulted in a more modern and sustainable boarding house that students will be able to enjoy for many years to come.
Rugby Boarding House
Working as Architects, Lead Consultant and Principal Designers, we designed a new boarding house for Rugby School.
The boarding house provides an additional 60 bedrooms, as well as hosting a large dining hall and atrium, communal areas, including a roof terrace and accommodation for the Housemaster, Assistant Housemaster and the Matron. The sustainable boarding house has incorporated the use of advanced off-site manufactured bathroom pods to provide en suite facilities, which reduced construction time and ensured premium quality.
The impressive double-height atrium provides flexible spaces for socialising and study for both pupils and staff. The new development was the School’s first purpose-built boarding house since 1938.
Research & Learning Centre
Stamford School was founded in 1532 in Stamford, Lincolnshire. Today, it is part of the Stamford Endowed Schools, a leading independent group of three schools for boys and girls aged 2-18.
We were commissioned to produce a site-wide masterplan to locate library, research, sports and performing arts facilities in separate areas of the campus. The library and research space is located within a heavily-refurbished series of Victorian school buildings. The facilities centred on the provision of computer workstations formed by bespoke furniture, and the library features custom-made shelving, which we also designed.
A centrepiece of the building is a fully-glazed atrium, formed by linking two separate historic buildings to create a dramatic and contemporary space. This acts as a formal entrance to the School’s main hall and is a distinct part of the School’s visual identity.
Stamford Sports Centre
As part of a site-wide masterplan, we designed a new, purposebuilt sports centre for Stamford School, incorporating a 25m indoor pool, changing rooms, a fitness suite and a gymnasium, along with sheltered spectator terraces.
The site was particularly challenging in terms of access by large vehicles, and as part of the planning application, we had to demonstrate, in detail, how construction traffic would be managed, as it accessed the site through the nearby busy, narrow streets.
The building has a striking impact across the playing fields, and it offers students first-rate facilities to ensure that the sporting experience at the School becomes even better.
The Old Bishop’s Palace
We designed the conversion, alterations and extension of the Old Bishop’s Palace, a Grade I listed building dating back to the 15th century. Most recently used as a hospital, the initial phase of work consisted of repairs to the external fabric.
The second phase involved stripping out the medical equipment and conversion of the historic parts to create a Sixth Form Centre, central administration and accommodation for Choral Scholars. The later, single storey, part of the building was converted to a new girls’ boarding house.
The works included removing modern wall finishes, which revealed 15th century walls, and improving fire alarm systems, enabling previously derelict parts of the building to be brought back into use. Works were phased to enable early handover of the administration and Sixth Form areas, with the boarding areas available for the new school year.
Dining Hall Extension
We designed a new dining hall extension for Kimbolton School, a The Heads’ Conference (HMC) co-educational day and boarding school located in Cambridgeshire.
The extension comprises a courtyard infill to the Mews Building, which dates from circa 1870 and houses both music rehearsal rooms and the main school dining hall. The building provides additional seating, together with a new kitchen servery, which has significantly relieved the pressure previously experienced by the school at lunch times.
Key elements of the design include a front façade of highperformance, frameless structural glazing, a lead-effect roof containing a clerestory, and the reinstatement of two chimneys to the gable walls either side of the clock tower.
further education
With over 400 education clients nationally, we have developed significant knowledge and experience in the further education sector. Many of these relationships are longstanding and cover a considerable range of projects from remodelling and expansions, to new build schemes in areas such as sports, leisure, sciences, technology, engineering, land based learning, construction, health, and student living.
Every further education project delivered by GSS is designed to create a range of sophisticated spaces to include both formal and informal opportunities for personalised learning and to be an integral and holistic part of the wider estate and context. We are proud to have worked on a number of innovative projects which have provided bespoke learning environments to support the learning experience and to prepare students for their professional careers.
We have delivered three South Central Institutes of Technology (SCIoT) for Milton Keynes College Group to improve their technical and digital education offering.
The three schemes, located at the Reading, Oxford and Bletchley campuses included transforming the original buildings into sustainable, modern education destinations that will now attract learners and improve the campuses. The SCIoTs specialise in delivering technical and digital education, focusing on the specific skills required in the local area through collaboration with business partners. By bridging skills gaps, these new institutes will drive growth and widen opportunities for local communities.
The challenging remodelling and refurbishment works have created welcoming and inspirational learning environments in the form of high-tech facilities, such as immersive learning and robotic labs, a
pitching room, and inviting breakout and collaboration spaces that support the curriculum delivery model.
The buildings also accommodate specialist learning areas and agile working zones, along with social areas which are accessible to the public, encouraging aspiration to higher levels of attainment for all ages and community involvement.
Moulton College
We have worked with Moulton College for over 30 years to develop the masterplan of their four main campuses. We have designed and delivered a variety of schemes to improve the educational facilities the College provides.
Works have included a new student accommodation and social centre; large and small animal units, including an equestrian centre and hydrotherapy pool; the extension to the construction workshop, as well as an extension to the sports hall. In addition to this, we also delivered a new classroom block and a new sports and rehabilitation centre, including a gym and pool, together with a multi-use games area and an all-weather pitch.
Digital Academy Northampton College
We worked as Architects, Lead Consultant and Principal Designers to deliver the 1,300m2 Digital Academy for Northampton College. The Academy provides high-quality teaching and learning spaces across four storeys, and offers a range of courses and apprenticeships intended to help students progress into digital careers by improving their professional IT skills.
In order to house the new Digital Academy, an extension at the College’s Booth Lane Campus was required, together with a glazed link adjacent building. Materials were chosen specifically to allow the building to blend into the rest of the site, creating a seamless design.
The facilities include a new eSports Games Room and a Virtual Reality TV Studio.
Tresham College of Motorsport
Run by Tresham College of Further and Higher Education, the National College for Motorsport currently trains full-time students and apprentices from across the UK for a career in the Motorsport and High Performance Engineering industry at the heart of British motorsport racing and one of the UK’s most prestigious venues, Silverstone.
The new facility provides fully equipped workshops and classrooms, which we designed to ensure that the space is suitable to combine both the practical and theoretical training of students and apprentices in the motorsport industry.
higher education
We have gained a strong reputation for delivering well-considered and technically complex projects across the UK for our higher education clients. Many of our relationships are longstanding and cover a considerable range of projects, including leisure, science, technology, engineering, health, and student living.
Our recent projects have included the development of international research facilities into higher education learning environments, together with new build multi-million-pound schemes that offer sustainable design solutions.
At GSS, we understand the importance of how an environment can affect people’s wellbeing, therefore we ensure that we deliver all projects with the users’ needs at the forefront of the design. To ensure the best results are achieved, our specialist in-house research and development teams are consulted on our projects to ensure we incorporate the latest technologies and processes into our designs and that projects are delivered as an integral part of the wider context and higher education estate.
The Catalyst
The Catalyst is one of the most significant recent developments in the Newcastle region and provides a range of bespoke, flexible facilities to promote innovation, engage with local and national businesses, and support the development of new technology in the fields of ageing sciences and data.
As home to Newcastle University’s teams for both the National Innovation Centre for Ageing (NICA) and the National Innovation Centre for Data (NICD), The Catalyst brings together businesses, academics and members of the public to collaborate and support the research and development of new ageing and data products and services.
The internal spaces provide engaging and flexible environments that create a sense of openness and accessibility. Exhibition, event and meeting spaces have been designed to encourage wider interaction with local businesses, industry partners, and members of the public.
Dame Margaret Barbour Building
The Dame Margaret Barbour Building forms an important addition to Newcastle University’s campus, and houses a range of cutting-edge teaching and learning facilities. The open access building includes specialist spaces for the School of Sport, Exercise and Nutritional Sciences, the School of Psychology and the School of Medical Education, as well as seminar rooms and lecture theatres. The new facilities were driven by an increasing number of students applying for undergraduate and postgraduate programmes and the appeal of an increasingly diverse undergraduate provision.
The innovative building provides functional and flexible facilities, and has been designed to facilitate integrated research by promoting collaboration between disciplines through shared encounter spaces and the provision of social breakout areas. Research shows that this approach to design supports the development of cross-disciplinary research and teaching, integrating both the physical and psychological aspects of exercise in relation to health and performance.
Mathematical & Computer Sciences Building
We were appointed to deliver Durham University’s Mathematical and Computer Sciences Building which forms part of the masterplan to provide improved infrastructure and additional teaching and research spaces.
This cutting-edge building provides office space for both professors and PhD students, in addition to having a number of specialist laboratories, including a heavy-duty and an open IT lab with designated server room. The building houses a 120-seat tiered lecture theatre, tutorial rooms, café, flexible event space, enterprise hub, meeting rooms and breakout spaces.
We have worked with the University for over 20 years and have an indepth understanding of their key requirements and long-term strategies, which was a great benefit throughout the delivery of this key building. The sustainable focus of the project encouraged a fabric first approach to design, with the aim of achieving a BREEAM Excellent rating.
Houldsworth Engineering Centre
The University of Leeds Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences is one of the largest in the UK, grouping together five teaching and research schools, with an excess of 700 staff and 3,500 students. We were responsible for delivering all architectural detail design requirements from RIBA Stage 3 onwards.
The development was created to house new faculty, teaching and research facilities on the upper floors, and a range of key facilities on the lower floors, including lecture theatres, a 24-hour IT drop-in cluster for students, additional teaching spaces, and new research laboratories.
On this project, we have been able to utilise our specific expertise in the delivery of complex higher education projects to deliver firstclass facilities for the end users, whilst also demonstrating our ability to deliver complicated technical refurbishments in an effective manner, maintaining design integrity and working within defined cost constraints.
Palace Green Library
We were appointed to design and manage a complex series of phased renovation and conservation works to the Palace Green Library, situated at the heart of Durham’s extended UNESCO World Heritage Site. The site includes the Chancery Court Building and Bishop Cosin’s Library, which are both listed and are scheduled ancient monuments. The buildings also house Durham University’s heritage collections of archives, manuscripts and rare books.
The scheme included public exhibition and interpretation space for the University’s archival and museum treasures. Part of the works also included the careful conservation of the 1669 Bishop Cosin’s Library. The ‘Dunelm’ and ‘Treasures’ Exhibition Galleries are the showpieces of the Library complex and were designed in consultation with the Museums Libraries and Archives Council to accommodate major national exhibitions, including display of the Lindisfarne and St. Cuthbert Gospels.
Corpus Christi College Kitchen Refurbishment
We collaborated with the University of Oxford to undertake significant alterations and improvements to one of the oldest buildings on their Corpus Christi College site which comprises Grade I and II listed buildings. The project was led by our specialist Heritage and Conservation Team, who have extensive experience of the repair, conservation, alteration, and enhancement of historic buildings.
With the kitchen building dating back to 1485, it is the oldest part of the entire site and has therefore required significant alterations and improvements over the years. The new layout fits within the footprints of the existing buildings, but has been redesigned in order to link all three levels of the kitchen by an extended goods lift, eliminating the need for staff to carry food upstairs from the basement to the ground floor.
Net Zero Industry Innovation Centre
The Net Zero Industry Innovation Centre (NZIIC), designed for Teesside University, supports the ongoing drive for clean energy and positions Teesside at the heart of the UK’s green industrial revolution, providing a focus for major investment. It also supports the University’s commitment to becoming a Net Zero Institution by 2030.
The ambitious new development brings together expert insight, resources, and partnerships to grow net zero capabilities and opportunities, placing the region at the forefront of the clean energy agenda and helping to create hundreds more clean energy jobs.
A national centre of excellence, the NZIIC draws on our expertise in both the education and commercial sectors but also combines it with our sustainable and net zero credentials. Not only is the NZIIC an area for net zero development, but the building itself is classed as net zero and has been constructed using suitable techniques and materials to minimise the carbon footprint, together with achieving a BREEAM rating of Outstanding.
Hope Street Xchange
We were appointed by the University of Sunderland to lead a consultant design team for the provision of a new Enterprise and Innovation Centre in the heart of Sunderland City Centre.
The state-of-the-art building provides bespoke, cutting-edge facilities to support the development of new business ideas and improvements to industrial processes. Small business start-up opportunities have been made available through the provision of adaptable office accommodation, supported by engagement with other local businesses.
The ground floor of the hub was designed to include a combination of social spaces and innovation laboratories, to be used for prototyping workshops and 3D printing, whilst the remainder of the four-storey building includes a mix of conference facilities, meeting rooms and flexible office space.
St. Thomas Street Student Accommodation
We designed a new 9-storey, 8,575m2 student accommodation scheme in Bristol City Centre. The accommodation block provides 357 student bedspaces, and was delivered specifically to support the University of Bristol.
The project sits in the Redcliff Development Quarter of Bristol and forms an important part of the exciting regeneration of the area. The demolition of an existing office block facilitated the delivery of the new student accommodation, which comprises a mix of cluster flats and studios, student social areas, a dedicated courtyard, commercial space, laundry facilities and games area.
The building is one of the very first in Bristol to connect to the Councilrun district heating network, ensuring delivery of a new low-carbon building that forms the first stage of transforming Bristol into a carbonneutral city by 2050.
Courtyard Student Accommodation
We led a ‘one-stop-shop’ service and lead a consultant design team for the provision of a new student residences project, located at the University of Hull’s Cottingham Road Campus.
The development provides circa 600 bedspaces, including standard rooms, deluxe rooms and studio flats, together with living and learning spaces, communal kitchens and social spaces. Externally, green flat roofs provide an attractive appearance for the overlooking accommodation.
The scheme also includes a large social space, named the ‘Social Hub’, which provides a collection of facilities to encourage social interaction and engagement with the wider University. This area contains features such as a ‘MasterChef’ style kitchen, a cinema space, games areas and quiet reading room.
special educational needs
Our extensive experience in the education sector has also given us the opportunity to deliver a number of Special Educational Needs (SEN) and Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) schools, each requiring unique designs to meet the needs of the client, users and the site.
We understand the importance of putting young people at the heart of the design and build process when creating new spaces for learning and support. This is especially significant when designing spaces for disabled children and children with special educational needs.
Our ethos is to consider the users’ needs at the inception of a project as we aim to promote inclusion, participation and inspiration in all our schemes. Our approach to designing learning and supportive environments, whether new build or refurbishment, is to conduct extensive stakeholder consultation. We have developed our method though experience of working closely with teachers, specialists, parents, carers and pupils.
Only when we understand the true needs of the users can we design and build inclusive, inspirational learning environments. This approach is reflected in our experience and involvement in research into developing briefs for Social, Emotional and Mental Health Difficulties (SEMH), Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties (PMLD), and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) schools with the Department for Education (DfE) and other education specialists.
Maplefields Academy
The provision of Special Educational Needs (SEN) facilities across Northamptonshire was highlighted by West Northamptonshire Council as an area in need of development. We were, therefore, appointed to design a school that would meet the needs of children with social, emotional and mental health difficulties.
Paramount to the success of the project was the close working relationship between ourselves, the client, and the end users to gain a full understanding of their specialist teaching and particular behaviours.
The project at Maplefields Academy incorporates a number of sustainable and energy efficient features, including a sedum roof, solar thermal heating, and rainwater harvesting. The environment and special needs of the client created a brief that enabled us to provide a bespoke and exciting design that inspires staff and students alike.
Purple Oaks Academy
Purple Oaks Academy provides 100 places for students with a diagnosis of Autistic Spectrum Disorder and/or Severe Learning Difficulties.
We were commissioned to design the new build school, which was situated on a brownfield site. Several design features were introduced to allow the school to cater for the pupils’ specific needs; this included the provision of two internal courtyards as well as specialist calming and medical rooms. Internally, the building offers a variety of spaces of different sizes, including a selection of specialist food, science and art classrooms, ensuring that a personalised approach to learning is facilitated.
The school also includes ample external play space which contains a multi-use games area, soft play, and habitat areas.
Profound & Multiple Learning Disabilities Centre
Leicester College is one of the largest and most successful general Further Education Colleges in the country with over 26,900 learners and four city centre campuses. We were appointed to design the new Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities Centre, which relocated from the Glenfrith Hospital site in the north of Leicester to the Freemen’s Park Campus.
The project was carefully designed to suit the very specific needs of the learners and includes a series of general and specialist learning spaces, a performing arts classroom, art room, dining room, high specification sensory rooms, and an external sensory garden, which features a series of tactile and water installations, together with coloured light and sensory planting.
Ashcombe Children’s Centre
We designed a state-of-the-art Children’s Centre for North Somerset Council, which combines early education integrated with childcare, family support, and child and family health services.
The centre includes a 34-place day care nursery, which takes children from just a few weeks old up to four years of age, while the existing 20-place sessional pre-school facility has been incorporated within the new centre.
Each play room has its own garden area and also benefits from a large outdoor canopied community area that the children can access in all weathers.
masterplanning & estate strategies
We have significant experience in the development and delivery of a wide variety of new build expansion or reconfiguration masterplanning exercises, ranging from small, often complex, brownfield sites, through to large-scale projects of many hundreds of acres. These sites can be new build or existing operational education campuses.
A well-considered masterplan is the key to creating and maintaining a dynamic and inspiring future-focused environment which reinforces the client’s position in an ever-increasing competitive market.
Estate Strategies are also crucial documents to have in place to provide a framework and direction for how an estate needs to evolve and grow to support the delivery of strategic objectives. Estate Strategies are important to a high proportion of our higher and further education clients, and we have worked with a number of UK based universities and colleges to help them define their strategies and achieve sustainability and carbon reduction goals.
Health Innovation Neighbourhood
We have been working in partnership with Genr8 Kajima, Newcastle University, and local stakeholders to develop a multi-million-pound masterplan for the regeneration of the 29-acre former general hospital site in the heart of Newcastle’s West End.
The development will encompass a range of multi-generational living that will bring together world-leading academics, industry leaders, the public sector and local communities to help find solutions to the complex challenges of an ageing population.
Oxford Brookes University
We were Framework Partners with Oxford Brookes University for many years. The University was operating across three campus sites and had committed to disposing of its Wheatley site, effectively becoming a twocampus university.
We were subsequently commissioned to undertake a feasibility study to ascertain the possibility of rationalising the estate to become a single university campus but without losing any of the facilities currently provided.
We provided a feasibility study masterplan to determine the viability and potential impact of relocating all services from the Wheatley and Harcourt Hill Campuses onto the one combined Headington Campus, made up of Gipsy Lane, Cheney Sports, Headington Hill Hall and Marston Road.
Lord Williams’s School
The expansion of Lord Williams’s School allowed the School to increase from an 11-form entry to a 12-form entry, and included refurbishment works, a new build English block, and Learning Resource Centre at the Upper School, and refurbishment works to the Lower School.
Close collaboration with all stakeholders was essential throughout the design stages of these enhancements to the School’s estate, ensuring that plans focused on identified areas of improvement, and bringing significant benefit to the School and residents of the surrounding area. Throughout the design process, a strong emphasis was placed on the inclusion of high-quality, attractive soft and hard landscaping, with new trees being planted and outdoor learning areas taking full advantage of the green space available to the School.
We have been further appointed by the School to develop options for a more cohesive and secure campus by creating a school-only link and access to sports facilities.
Bath College
We were appointed to provide Bath College with a concept masterplan for their Avon Street Campus. The plan provided a vision to illustrate the College’s role and future within the World Heritage Site of Bath and its integration within the Council’s wider scale masterplan development. The proposed creation of a new centre of excellence reflects the immediate needs, future ambitions and objectives of Bath College.
The masterplan includes a detailed comparison of the use of existing College spaces with their aspirations, to deliver a 10-15 year phased development strategy and provide a modern and reimagined teaching facility in the heart of Bath. With an overall vision to become the country’s most enterprising college, focusing on collaboration and innovation, the plans include the creation of a new Innovation Centre to bring together commercial tenants and college academics.
services, specialist teams & procurement
Our work includes the full range of services covering architectural design, feasibilities, 3D graphics and animation, interior design, estate strategies, heritage and conservation, principal designer and one-stop-shop.
Our specialist in-house teams are collaborating with industry leaders to research and develop the latest technologies and processes that can be incorporated into our designs.
Professional services frameworks have become increasingly important over recent years as a method to engage construction professionals in a way that ensures compliance with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and that promote a more streamlined way of partnering in the longer term.
As a practice, we have secured positions on a range of established, UK compliant frameworks, which enables easier, quicker and cheaper procurement routes for our clients.
Architectural Services Feasibilities
As experienced Architects we can work with you to explore your options and realise your vision.
We can bring a wide range of innovations and best practice from our different sectors to meet your specific needs and aspirations. This experience includes masterplanning, new builds, remodelling and extensions and specialist heritage advice.
We will work with you in a collaborative way to develop a workable brief to explore design concepts and options, to manage your project through the planning process, the development of detailed design proposals, details and specifications, together with preparing all necessary statutory approval processes.
Feasibility studies are an extremely important part of the development process. By carefully mapping out your options, risks, constraints, and opportunities we can present creative proposals and scheme appraisals that are deliverable, viable and fit for purpose. Developing your brief is fundamental to this process.
Our highly experienced teams work on a wide variety of projects, ranging in both sector and size. This means that the knowledge, experience and ‘lessons learnt’ can be brought to benefit your feasibility brief and our experience allows your dedicated project team to explore all the options quickly and effectively to arrive at an appropriate project delivery strategy.
Masterplanning
A good masterplan is not just about the distribution of land use, it should provide you with a sound starting point to create healthy communities and well-planned development strategies. A masterplan should give you a carefully considered and well thought out long-term planning document that serves as a conceptual plan to guide future growth and development.
Masterplanning is all about setting the standard that creates an appropriate sense of place, connecting buildings with social, public and cultural spaces to create environments that help communities to thrive.
3D Graphics & Animation
As a streamlined part of our service offering, 3DLABS is our in-house digital design studio that specialises in CGI visualisations, 3D printing and people flow modelling. They offer these services to communicate our clients’ designs, concepts, products or services to a wider audience, allowing them to be represented in the most visually appealing medium.
They have been offering these services for nearly a decade, gathering a diverse client base with their own unique needs and requirements.
The studio is made up of a highly skilled team, led by their Studio Manager who has over 15 years of industry experience. He is supported by a team who each bring their own passions and specialisms, with photorealistic renders, interior design, and graphic design to name a few.
Interior Design
In recent years, there has been an increased awareness of how the built environment can impact health and productivity, and its added benefits to help institutions flourish. Organisations are now focusing their efforts on how to use the built environment for mental health and wellbeing by encouraging choice, movement and relaxation, controlling temperature, noise levels and air quality, ergonomic furniture, plants, and adding breakout areas. These are all fundamental components of good interior design.
Our interior design services include interior layouts and drawings, internal elevations, room data sheets, space planning and interior architecture, furniture selection and accessories, custom furniture and textile design and colour palette consultation.
Estates Strategies
Estate Strategies are critically important documents to have in place to provide a framework and direction for how an estate needs to grow and evolve to support you in delivering your strategic objectives. Estate strategies are important to a number of our higher education clients for example, and we have worked with a number of UK based universities to help them define their strategies.
Good Estate Strategies can add value to other large estates, such as landed estates or multi-academy trusts. Our teams have the depth of skills and experience inhouse to work with you and your estates teams to consider whole estate strategies and how individual projects might fit into the ‘bigger picture.’
Heritage
If you are an owner or custodian of buildings with historical significance, we can help to understand your properties, advise on the best techniques to care for them and make sensitive changes that will mean your heritage assets are both successful and sustainable.
Whether a Grade II listed house or a complex World Heritage Site, all heritage assets have their own story and unique value and getting the right advice from a wellqualified, specialist team can really make the difference.
Principal Designer - CDM
The importance of the Principal Designer - Construction Design and Management (CDM) role should not be underestimated and the skills that make a good Principal Designer should never be omitted from a development project. Fundamentally, a good Principal Designer helps to ensure that everyone involved in construction stays safe during the course of their work and complies with the statutory duties and we often provide this service on schemes where we have also been appointed as Architect and/or Lead Consultant.
GSS can give you the confidence of knowing that our organisational approach to Health and Safety is led from partner level, ensuring that all our teams receive regular training, making certain that processes are in place to plan and manage health and safety throughout the project and helping to protect everyone’s health and safety.
Principal Designer - BR
The appointment of a Principal Designer – Building Regulations (BR) is required for all construction projects, from small domestic extensions to complex multimillion-pound developments. If your project is classed as a ‘Higher-Risk Building’ under the Building Safety Act 2022, then additional requirements apply.
Our Principal Designers have undergone competency assessments in line with PAS 8671 requirements and will be able to assist and guide you in navigating your legal duties under the Building Safety Act 2022. They will ensure that you fully understand your duties before any design work commences.
One Stop Shop
Successful construction projects rely on the right balance between design and project control, including project and cost management. We can offer you a streamlined consulting service bringing together all of the design team partners that you need from across our network of supply chain partners.
Using a one stop shop service is not right for everyone, but it can mean that you benefit from a single point of contact for your integrated design team. Our teams will use their construction knowledge and cost planning experience to offer expert advice on construction approaches and procurement options. This begins from the initial feasibility testing of a project, right through until the handover of the completed building.
All successful partnerships are founded on taking a truly collaborative approach to achieving common aims and objectives. Clear communication is therefore an essential part of collaboration, alongside developing and nurturing a culture of working together as one team. GSS have a successful track record of achieving excellent outcomes through working collaboratively and we can draw on our experience and lessons learnt over the years to encourage and drive collaboration.
Sustainability
With climate change being one of the biggest challenges we face in our lifetime, GSS are committed to ensuring their projects are designed to incorporate innovative, sustainable solutions that not only benefit the building user, but the wider environment.
Our in-house Sustainability Innovation Group are collaborating with industry leaders to research and develop the latest technologies and sustainable processes that can be incorporated into our designs. The basic objectives of sustainability are to reduce consumption of non-renewable resources, minimise waste, and create healthy, productive environments.
Artificial Intelligence
GSS’s in-house Artificial Intelligence (AI) Innovation Group is responsible for providing comprehensive guidance and assistance, ensuring the safe and appropriate utilisation of AI within our work.
This dedicated team from across the UK actively explores both the limitations and opportunities of AI, striving to enhance quality and efficiency. We have implemented a structured plan that is aimed at identifying opportunities through harnessing the latest advancements in AI technology and the team will research and assess these to ensure that they align with our moral and ethical standards.
Fostering a collaborative environment, the Group encourages innovation and integration of AI technologies that can add value to our clients. Their efforts include developing customised AI solutions, training for wider GSS team members, and overseeing a robust framework for AI governance.
Our in-house AI Innovation Group plays a crucial role in driving GSS’s commitment to leveraging the benefits of AI and maintaining our competitive edge in the industry.
Net Zero Carbon
Many of our clients have set Net Zero Carbon or Carbon Neutral targets for their buildings and estates through either decarbonisation of their current estate, or through targeting Net Zero Carbon in new buildings or investments.
We are also on our own route to becoming Carbon Neutral by 2030, a target which, although complex and challenging, we believe to be realistic and genuine.
Health and Wellbeing
There is an increasing awareness of how our environment can affect our physical and mental health and the impact that this has on our productivity and wellbeing. The Covid pandemic has reinforced the importance of good mental and physical health for everyone in society and there is an increased focus on the need for more human-centred, sustainable environments that support the people who work and live in them.
We understand that good design is at the centre of this and has real power to improve peoples’ lives and support organisations, delivering places that support health, comfort, and happiness. The quality of environment can help to reduce staff turnover, improve outputs, and attract new people to an organisation.
Our designers are trained to look at how new and existing buildings, and external spaces, can deliver high quality places that is not only functional, adaptable, and efficient but is also welcoming, inclusive and supportive.
Procurement
Professional services frameworks have become increasingly important over recent years as a method to engage construction professionals in a way that ensures compliance with the Public Contracts Regulations (PCR15) and that promotes a more streamlined way of partnering in the longer term.
As a practice, we have secured positions on a range of established, UK compliant frameworks, which enables easier, quicker and cheaper procurement routes for our clients. In addition to our national and regional frameworks, GSS have also secured places on a number of university frameworks across the country.
For more information on our frameworks and how you can appoint GSSArchitecture for your project, please visit our website via the below QR code:
Scan for more information on our frameworks.
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