Manchester

Over the years, Withington Girls’ School, one of the top schools in the country for academic achievement, has expanded organically without a clear vision for the estate. We were invited to provide a masterplan vision for the school, looking at how we could improve and expand the existing facilities within a very restricted site. We identified spaces in an external courtyard that were offering very little use to teachers or pupils, seeing these awkward nooks and crannies as an opportunity to provide additional facilities.The external courtyard has been transformed into a new internal hub, creating a multifunctional space for the whole school. Central to this is the existing two storey octagonal arts building, which has been kept and a new ro... More

Under these proposals, the Grade II* listed London Road Fire Station will be transformed into a landmark mixed use development for the city. Built in 1906, it stands as one of the Manchester’s finest historic buildings, but has been left in a state of disrepair. Our refurbishment will restore it back to its former glory to provide a hotel, bars, restaurants, community uses and a museum. Within the excavated courtyard a new bar will provide a dramatic red pavilion at the heart of the old fire station’s transformation. More

Cultural home Located at First Street, HOME forms the cultural heart of one of the largest areas of development in Manchester city centre – a flagship building that acts as a catalyst for the surrounding area. As the base for the new organisation formed by the merger of Cornerhouse and The Library Theatre Company, HOME has been designed to allow for the commissioning, production and presentation of critically engaged and technically complex artistic projects, as well as the hosting of large scale cultural events. The overall budget for HOME was £25 million. Its striking exterior acts like beacon, while the welcoming public spaces and social areas within are designed to be inviting to all. HOME is like a second home, a cultural home: a plac... More

Award IC Award International interior Design 2009 Gold Award @ Exhibition Category Project Information Lead Architect and Interior Designer: HEAD Architecture and Design Limited Project Director: Mike Atkin Project Team Leader: Max Cheung Location: Level 3 and Level 5, Grand Canal Shoppes, Venetian Macao Brief From this research, a brief began to define itself and a rental approach was decided upon. Take an expensive area on the main retail level and then a larger (but much cheaper in terms of rent) area on the level above and draw customers in at the lower retail level, feed them up to the experience and return them through the retail. Hence, the Manchester United Mega store was built on Level 3 of The Venetian Cotai... More