Architects And Quantity Surveyors
17 Portland Square. Bristol
This existing building in Bristol is Grade II listed. The hall sits behind a Georgian building, part of a square. The main building was in good condition and had previously been converted for office use and needed little more than decoration and the installation of new computer and telecom systems.
Hotel Scene, a corporate hotel booking agency required additional space to house their call centre. Whilst the hall could be used it was still not large enough. SCD therefore designed a free standing mezzanine deck which created about 60% more space. The insertion respected the listed building without causing damage to its structure. The deck itself houses all the required services and sits away from the walls of the building. Access is via two new stairs. The original hall has an exposed roof structure which has been retained on full view. The ceiling itself has been lightened in colour and reflects light from the high powered uplighting system installed. The contemporary design works well and contrasts with the character of the building.
The contract program for building was extremely tight but the nature of the design, its simplicity and isolation from the existing building enabled the program and budget to be met.
