A new centre for entertainment

Home to a variety of attractions, Animate includes an eight-screen cinema, 16-lane bowling alley with gaming zone, five family restaurant units, a food hall, public realm, a competitive socialising unit and 164-space basement car park.

The scheme was brought forward by Maple Grove Developments, part of Preston-based contractor Eric Wright Group, in partnership with Preston City Council. Waterman’s team was involved from early pre-planning throughout the planning application process and on to completion. Our team provided structural engineering, civil engineering including geotechnical, land quality and drainage elements, as well as building services, environmental and acoustics consultancy.

Inspired by the past, designing for the future

Inspired by the city’s textile production history, Leach Rhodes Walker’s architectural design blends modernity with elements of Preston’s industrial heritage. This approach led to the selection of a striking façade of patterned metallic panels which features a design by local artist Bonnie Craig. Her use of ‘Tenterhook’ shapes echoes Preston’s industrial legacy, while seamlessly blending with contemporary materials and large, glazed areas.

To facilitate this striking design, Waterman’s structural solution contains around 1,150 tonnes of steel within the new frame. With the installation taking place at this highly constrained and bustling location, the frame was erected in carefully managed phases. This saw each section built sequentially, rather than floor by floor.

In a bid to enhance visitor experiences, Animate incorporates a host of public realm improvements, with attractive new public spaces around the market canopy, pedestrian pathways, and plenty of green spaces for people to enjoy. The scheme promotes active travel uptake by interfacing with cycling and pedestrian networks, whilst the nearby public transport hubs provide a range of sustainable options for visitors.

A focus on sustainability

Sustainability sits at the heart of the Animate scheme, with efforts to enhance environmental performance punctuating the design. This sees the project harnessing high-performance building materials and energy-efficient systems throughout to reduce overall energy consumption. In addition, rainwater harvesting systems and sustainable drainage solutions have been integrated to boost the scheme’s climate resilience.

These efforts combine to create a development that not only meets current environmental standards but also contributes positively to the city’s long-term sustainability goals.

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“The Animate scheme represents a significant investment in Preston’s future, which is transforming the city centre into a thriving hub of activity and entertainment. The collaboration between the public and private sectors has been instrumental in bringing this vision to life, and we’re incredibly proud to have played a part in delivering meaningful benefits to the community, enhancing Preston’s appeal as a vibrant place to live, work, and visit.”

Andrew Davies
Waterman’s Structures Regional Director

The post New leisure destination for Preston as Animate opens its doors first appeared on Waterman.

Opened in 1994 as Britain’s first indoor Olympic cycling track, the Velodrome has been the training ground for numerous Olympic champions over the years. In 2021, it temporarily closed for a significant renovation primarily funded by Sport England with local and central government contributions. This initiative was part of Manchester City Council’s ambitious plan to position itself as the leading European capital of cycling by 2024.

Our specialists worked closely with Manchester City Council’s sustainability team to develop a road map for the Velodrome to achieve the Council’s ‘Climate Emergency Carbon Reduction Strategy’ which focuses on the delivery of carbon neutral buildings by 2038.

Led by Tim Davies, Director of Building Services, our sustainability-focussed design employed green technologies including heat recovery systems and new Air Source Heat Pump systems to reduce energy consumption and cut carbon emissions by more than 50%. These new improvements are expected to result in an annual reduction of up to 517 tonnes of carbon emissions.

The team used cutting-edge ventilation and heating solutions to meet the stringent climatic control requirements for the space. This includes meeting both the professional cycling body UCI-regulations and British Cycling’s requirements for variable climatic simulation. The engineering solution has unlocked the ability to provide a 365-day per year training facility for Olympic and Paralympic cycling teams. Cyclists utilising the Velodrome’s facilities will also experience improved comfort through the introduction of state-of-the-art fresh air ventilation systems.

The Velodrome’s centre court will host a variety of sports throughout the week, including badminton, futsal, netball, korfball and more. Its inclusive approach encompasses various cycling disciplines and multi-sport activities, enabling the facility to engage communities and residents of all ages and abilities with a world-class offering on their doorstep.

Councillor John Hacking, Manchester City Council’s Executive Member for Skills, Employment, and Leisure, expressed his enthusiasm in a recent statement: “The National Cycling Centre has been an unmistakable part of the city’s sporting skyline since Manchester hosted the successful Commonwealth Games in 2002 and it is great to welcome back the jewel in the city’s crown of world-class sporting facilities.”

Proud of Waterman’s involvement, Tim Davies said: “It has been very exciting for us to support the redevelopment of one of the most significant sporting facilities in the country. We’ve enjoyed working closely with the Council to align the revamped Velodrome with their climate goals, and this project has allowed us to push the boundaries of design, incorporating green technologies to significantly reduce both the operational and embodied carbon footprint. The Velodrome’s reopening marks a milestone in Manchester’s pursuit of a greener, more accessible, world-class sporting destination for all.”

Images courtesy of Manchester City Council.

The post Manchester Velodrome reopens after major refurbishment first appeared on Waterman.

A 48 month development plan for this £1bn project has regenerated 42 acres of Liverpool City Centre. Liverpool One opened in several stages between spring and autumn 2008, the year that Liverpool was awarded European Capital of Culture status. Receiving over 60 awards, the masterplan was the first to be nominated for the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Stirling Prize, the UK’s most prestigious architecture award.

 

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The statistics are impressive by any standards. For example, at its peak more than 2,000m3 of concrete a week were being poured and there were 40 individually designed buildings. The scheme comprises the construction of many new landmark buildings and the sympathetic renovation of several listed buildings, each set within a cityscape which reinstated several streets lost since the 1950s and 1960s. Liverpool One is a true regeneration project.

 

The scheme incorporates:

• Retail

• Leisure

• Residential

• Commercial offices

• New fire station

• Three new car parks

• Two hotels

• A brand new public park (7.5 acres over a new basement car park)

Each building had its own design team, with an architect involved only with that building. At its peak in 2005-2006 Waterman’s resource comprised eight dedicated design teams working with 17 architects simultaneously. Co-ordination and interfacing formed a major part of the structural challenge. Grosvenor’s vision was to achieve true architectural diversity in the streetscape of BDP’s architectural master plan, and of course every architect brought flair and passion for ‘their’ building. As architect appointments were spread over a period of nearly two and a half years and with many buildings supported on or abutting earlier project construction a key role for Waterman was to solve the engineering issues this generated.

The development area includes part of the internationally important Liverpool World Heritage Site and the remains of the nation’s first commercial wet dock, the “Old Dock”. The development preserved the remains insitu and created an underground viewing platform to one area of particular interest. Waterman negotiated and managed a process of archaeological investigation and building recording to inform the preservation and presentation of the Old Dock and to discharge archaeological conditions attached to the planning permission.

Receiving over 60 awards, the masterplan was the first to be nominated for the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Stirling Prize, the UK’s most prestigious architecture award.

Client: Grosvenor Estates

Architect: BDP

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The post Liverpool One first appeared on Waterman.

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Working alongside the design team, Waterman’s environmental experts managed and coordinated the Environmental Impact Assessment, also delivering the resultant Environmental Statement which accompanied the planning application.

Describing the proposals, City of London’s Planners said it was an “exceptional and world-class example of the sensitive restoration and re-use of historic buildings whilst maximising economic and socially inclusive public access.”

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The post Museum of London first appeared on Waterman.