The Challenge:
The existing 1960’s bus station was a shabby, rundown inadequate structure, an eyesore in the city centre. Its replacement and the redevelopment of the surrounding area was eagerly awaited by Gloucestershire people who had been disillusioned and frustrated for years as consecutive developers considered the project unviable.
Constructed on a live site, in a complex urban historic environment within a restricted city centre, specific challenges surrounding the project involved the council acquiring the land themselves, then the demolition of an existing building. There were planning restrictions; extensive archaeological surveys; ground contamination; unexpected and complicated service diversions; highway changes and a challenging budget.
In addition, complex changes to the road system had to be reconfigured to improve traffic flows at a key junction opposite the railway station, adjacent to the site.
Whist construction took place the existing bus station had to remain fully functioning with bus routes and stops unaltered.
The Solution:
Kier worked collaboratively with the client, architect, subcontractors and end-users to produce a value-for-money, high-quality 21st-century landmark building, delivered on budget and to programme.
Solutions to service diversions involved re-scheduling the building’s accommodation whilst retaining all original functionality and value-engineering methods such as sourcing alternative robust specifications reduced costs.
The innovative design of the roof was a complex engineering challenge: a 78-degree mast supports the canopy which required extensive temporary propping before the critical load transference onto permanent supporting bars took place. Propping removed, the deflection measured exactly as the engineers designed.
Reflecting Gloucester’s Roman heritage a colonnade of columns runs the length of the interior and a section of a 1900-year-old Roman wall discovered in the archaeological dig features as a public display.
Gloucester’s aviation heritage is celebrated in the dramatic concourse canopy which resembles an aircraft wing; punctuated at points, it allows light to flood into the interior.
The Impact:
The building is a stunning interpretation of the brief which was to deliver an iconic yet affordable transport hub which pays homage to Gloucester’s history.
The occupiers Stagecoach, and passengers, have given the new hub an extremely enthusiastic reception. Public reaction is extremely positive, and the hub has itself become a tourist attraction.
The building’s sustainable features include photovoltaics which produce power with the excess sold back to the grid. Changes in the road system have improved traffic flow and created a proper link from the hospital to the city centre. And the project itself has become a catalyst for the wider regeneration of the area.
The 46-week build programme facilitated a local spend of £2.3m in labour and materials, engaging with 60 local trades-people, apprentices and trainees at the height of construction.
At the 2018 construction ‘Open Doors’ event, the hub was the most visited site outside London.
" We were really impressed with what Kier could offer and how they also want to have that local focus. So, it wasn’t about a business based somewhere on the other side of the galaxy, it was about those people relationships and the trust and that constant dialogue and communication: that’s only down to the people involved. "Rupert Cox Managing Director Stagecoach West
View more projects
Every project we deliver is an opportunity for us to bring our unique thinking to solve problems, innovate and collaborate with our clients and beyond.
Berkeley Green & UTC South Gloucestershire & Stroud College (SGS)
Rising from the ashes of a decommissioned former nuclear site, SGS Berkeley Green, a converted 1940’s engineering hall, and new University Technical College (UTC) are the first educational buildings to be completed on a new ground-breaking GREEN campus, within Gloucestershire Science and Technology Park.
Southern Resilience Scheme
Delivering a new £27m and 30.5km pipeline for Bristol Water, overcoming biodiversity and sustainability issues, handling the logistics presented by the pipeline passing through five towns and bringing improved water supply to 280,000 customers.
Hinkley Point C
Major Earthworks project to prepare for construction of UK’s first nuclear power station for a generation.
Greenwood Centre
Redevelopment of 25 & 37 Greenwood Place to provide a new 3,600m2 resource and community services centre run by people with disabilities, for people with disabilities. As part of Camden Council’s Community Investment Programme (CIP) it forms a hub for all services that was previously spread across the borough.
Global Student Accommodation (GSA), Exeter
We completed Clifford House, a student housing association project, for Global Student Accommodation (GSA), two weeks early. It’s our second project for GSA and provides state-of-the-art student accommodation for 312 students studying at Exeter University.
Gloucester Transport Hub
A unique and distinctive regeneration project promoting Gloucester’s unparalleled heritage from archaeology to aviation. The Hub is a highly symbolic part of the rejuvenation of the main entry point into the city, a gateway used in Roman times which is now served by both road and rail.
Cheltenham Ladies College, Fitness Centre
The addition of high-class sport and leisure facilities for one of the UK’s most distinguished private schools has created flexible, multi-purpose spaces wrapped around the existing centre. Alongside a new sports hall, activity studios, squash courts and a gym, are additional changing rooms, a MUGA and new car park.
Congresbury Yeo tidal defences
Kier worked as part of Team Van Ord (TVO) to improve the standard of protection provided to 39,741 properties in the towns and villages of Worle, Weston-Super-Mare, Kingston Seymour and Wick St Lawrence by improving the 3670m of earth bank tidal defences lining the Congresbury Yeo Estuary.
St Sidwells Point Leisure Centre
Creating the UK’s first Passivhaus standard ultra-low carbon leisure centre, designed to save up to 70% on annual energy costs.
The Steart Coastal Management Project
Kier worked as part of Team Van Ord (TVO) on The Steart Coastal Management Project which was the UK’s largest coastal management scheme, helping to protect homes and business from flooding due to climate change and rising sea levels.
Aerospace Bristol
Creating a new £19m aviation museum showcasing the role played by the Bristol site in Britain’s aviation history, including a hangar to house the last Concorde ever to fly, restoring a Grade 1 listed First World War hangar to create an exhibition space
5 Pancras Square
One of the most sustainable mixed-use building in the country and winner of the Prime Minister’s Better Public Building award.
Chesterfield Borough Council partnership
Utilising assets and facilities management to enable Chesterfield Borough Council to generate significant annual rent to fund services.
Cheltenham Racecourse Redevelopment
Delivering a new 6,500-capacity 5 ½ storey grandstand at one Britain’s most iconic racecourses.
Heron House
Refurbishment of a six-storey vibrant public building in Manchester City Centre, creating over £12.2m of social return on investment.
Stolford Flood Defence Scheme
Kier installs first Dutch flood protection system in UK to help Environment Agency protect Somerset homes and agricultural land.
Browns Hill & Horn Hill Steps, Water Main Replacement
Mains replacement scheme in historically sensitive area.
MEICA Capital Works Framework
Kier delivers work for South West Water (SWW) under the ‘MEICA Capital Works Framework’, a multi-disciplinary framework for maintenance, refurbishment and the expansion of water treatment and sewage treatment works.
FA Parklife
As part of the Football Association’s master-plan to build new football facilities in 30 cities by 2020, Kier have successfully delivered four all-purpose football hubs using state of the art 3G artificial grass at key grass-root areas across Liverpool.
Hampton by Hilton, Bristol Airport
The construction of a hotel consisting of 201 bedrooms over four floors, utilising significant offsite manufacture.
Trade City and Logistics City
Developing more than six million sq ft of award winning speculative industrial space, with sizes ranging from small start-up to national distribution units through Kier Property's Trade City and Logistics City brands.
St Mary’s Harbour
Kier used our marine expertise to undertake improvement works to St Mary’s Harbour on the Isles of Scilly, located within areas of national and international environmental and ecological protection.
S-Skills for Highways
Partnering Surrey County Council with an innovative scheme that brings vulnerable people in social care into the workplace, supporting these candidates to be able to carry out basic highway works in the community and helping tackle the national social care time bomb.
Utility Conflict Resolution for Edinburgh Trams
A high profile 3km route clearance of 1500 utility conflicts through Edinburgh city centre, delivered within budget and achieving all programme milestones, whilst minimising disruption to local businesses and residents.
Sheffield North Active
Transforming a tired council facility into a modern new leisure centre in the north of Sheffield, adhering to Sport England guidelines and taking on board local concerns, introducing a bold exterior design and keeping to tight deadlines.
Watford Riverwell
Delivering the £450m Watford Riverwell as a 15-20 year joint venture with Watford Borough Council, which involves regenerating 70 acres of land in West Watford to create residential, office, retail, leisure, industrial and hotel space.
Falmouth School Sports Pavilion
The design and construction of a sports pavilion, including FA compliant changing facilities, gym, office space and flexible recreation areas. In addition a first floor balcony was incorporated into the design which overlooks the sports pitches.
Cathedral School
Creating a two-form entry primary school within a Grade 1 listed building.
Lyneham Defence Technical Training Centre
Redeveloping RAF Lyneham as a world-class Ministry of Defence training centre.
Finlake Leisure Pool
Designing and constructing a new leisure complex within this holiday village on the edge of the Dartmoor National Park in Devon, including toddler and 20m adult swimming pools, Tornado and Twister flume rides, and water playground, gymnasium, other leisure facilities and associated plant and equipment.
Crewe Lifestyle Centre
Creating a viable and affordable facility that brought all Crewe's lifestyle services - pool, gym, sports hall, library, specialist daycare and family service facilities - together under one roof, meeting a diverse range of user needs and building within a constrained town centre site.
Huntington Community Primary School
Blending traditional and innovative solutions to create a new-build, two-storey, 420-place primary school and 26-place nursery in Chester.
New water mains connection
Customers benefit from innovation delivering a faster new connection in Newton Abbot.
Tiger Way
Kier Design and Business Services working in partnership with the London Borough of Hackney to deliver mixed-use developments and education schemes to create revenue for further local investment.
Working Roots
Setting up and running a project aimed at giving unemployed young people the opportunity to work on variety of projects at Kier North Tyneside, working with North Tyneside Council and Justice Prince ( a community interest company), and helping the young people learn new skills and grow in confidence.
The Chase SEN
Converting and regenerating a disused engineering building at South Gloucestershire and Stroud College to create striking new modern facilities for disabled students.
Dyson, Hullavington
The design and redevelopment of a World War II hanger, to create a new research and development centre for Dyson.
Shire Hall
The re-emergence of Gloucestershire County Council’s (GCC) Shire Hall after its retrofit and refurbishment reads like a fairy-tale. Over 165 weeks and 82 phases of collaborative, innovative team-working, the part-listed, part 1960’s building, an eyesore, tired and inefficient, was responsibly and dynamically transformed into an elegant and highly sustainable workplace.
Plymouth Central HUBER alternative dewatering scheme
Replacing existing ageing centrifuge assets with a, first of its kind, application of the HUBER Q-Press. This improved odour control measures, reduced chemical consumption and halved annual operating costs at Plymouth Central Sewage Treatment Works, as part of South West Water’s MEICA Framework.
Flintshire Adult Day Care Centre
Delivering new state-of-the-art community day care facilities and social care services for vulnerable adults with varying degrees of learning disabilities. The new facility in North Wales was the 1000th project procured through the Scape National Minor Works framework.
Piries Place Car Park
New carpark, with iconic 14.5m living wall, provides much-needed, modern spacious multi-level parking facilities, completing the regeneration of Piries Place, an historic area of Horsham in West Sussex. Delivered through the Scape National Minor Works framework, the new car park, provides 189 additional spaces.
NHS Nightingale Bristol
Converting the University of West England conference centre into a temporary hospital in just 20 days, providing increased capacity for the NHS following the outbreak of COVID-19.
Keeping customers connected during COVID-19
Providing a 24/7 reactive service to South West Water during the COVID-19 lockdown to ensure the network could cope with increased water demand. Adopting new ways of working to maintain social distancing.
Ecclesiastical Insurance Group Headquarters
Ecclesiastical Insurance Group, one of Gloucester’s biggest employers, had offices throughout the city which were not considered future proof. They decided to consolidate all Gloucester based staff into a new purpose-build headquarters on Gloucester Business Park. The building is leased from Arlington, owners of the business park, and long-term clients of Kier.
Loe Bar Outfall Winter Readiness
Replacing eroded concrete along a 40m length of Loe Bar Outfall by spraying concrete on the front and top face of the outfall and around the inspection chamber. The works had to be completed by the end of October 2020.
Helston (River Cober) Flood Alleviation Scheme
The development of a CL:AIRE Materials Management Plan (MMP), enabled the use of soils, which would normally be classified as waste, from a local development site within flood banks on the Helston (River Cober) Flood Alleviation Scheme, Helston, West Cornwall.
Iffley Academy
New-build construction of a community Special Academy judged ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted in 2019, for pupils up to the age of 18 with complex special educational needs and disabilities. The new academy replaces unfit for purpose old buildings, adding animal care, horticulture and construction facilities, a mock flat and pupil-run café.
Whitelands Academy, Kingsmere
A brand new 600 pupil secondary academy school for years 7-11, built to support Kingsmere, a new housing development in south-west Bicester. Constructed to BREEAM principles, the academy features 26-classrooms, SEN provision, a four-court sports hall built and fitted to Sport England standard, external social spaces and multi-use games areas.
Clearwater Primary Academy
A ‘Forever Home’ for a nomadic Primary School which originally operated from dilapidated portacabins and then moved to occupy converted offices with no playground. The new Academy is a spacious home to 67 pupils but allows for 420-student capacity as the new housing developments in the area become occupied.
Cattle Market Road, Bristol
Saving carbon, fuel and costs through the use of Solar Hybrid Towers at Cattle Market Road site in Bristol
Quayside House
Phase one of the Quayside regeneration master plan in Gloucester City Centre is a 3-storey multi-purpose building, including two GP surgeries to serve 18,000 people. It was constructed on the footprint of the original Quayside House, a 1960’s facility which had reached the end of its life.