Stephen Robert Hill

 
Address   Stephen Hill Architects
10 Conduit Road
Sheffield
Sheffield
S10 1EW
United Kingdom 		  
   +(44) 07768797836   
Email   info@stephenhillarchitects.com  
 
1: Project NameForge Valley Community School
Dates: 2009 - 2011
Location: Sheffield 
Gross Area: 10,000 to 49,999 sqm 
Sectors:
Conservation - 1920's 1930's Buildings,  Education - General,  Education - Secondary Education,  Sport - General
 
Description:
As Architect Director I led the design for six schools in Sheffield BSF including both new buildings and refurbishments such as the Grade II 1930 listed High Storrs School. Forge Valley Community School (FVCS) is a new £26.5m foundation status school accommodating 1350, 11-19 year, old students. Comprising two buildings; the main school and a separate sports block, it has specialisms in sports and business & enterprise. The school is arranged around an impressive four storey high heartspace accommodating a large lecture theatre, with an open deck LRC on top, with classrooms accessed from surrounding balconies. There is a high level of community access and extensive sports facilities including MUGA, all weather pitch, basket ball courts and trim trail. The FVCS development opened in September 2011 and achieved a very good BREEAM rating. Vision and aspiration Formed by the combination of two undersubscribed schools on the green belt site of the existing Myers Grove School, the new school needed to have a strong sense of community identity and ownership by its students. This was to be achieved by creating a single space around which school life revolved. I worked closely with the school’s team and council representatives to arrive at a diagram which achieved this within BB98 space allocation and budget. The memorable silhouette of the light scoops to the atrium which give the building its identity have been incorporated into the schools uniform. Stakeholder Engagement The project had wide range of stakeholders; the LEP, the school team and the local community part of which was opposed to the merger, and the student body drawn from the two existing schools. Engagement with the school representatives was through regular Design User Groups. Workshops were held with students enabling them to influence the design including a workshop to develop the school logo. I presented the scheme to an open community meeting and was also present at the exhibition for the local community. Setting and Safeguarding Quality The project scored well on a DQI assessment. It was also subject to a formal CABE design review and I led the process of revising the scheme to address the panel’s concerns enabling it to achieve a pass. I led the team working closely with the contractor to deliver the design intent through the production information and procurement. Design Value Management At each stage the project was subject to value engineering by the contractors cost management team. I robustly defended the design throughout this process to ensure that building’s quality was not as result compromised. This involved developing numerous design options to achieve affordability. Use Feedback is positive with head Diane McKinley commenting “we have an inspirational building”. The lessons learned about both the process and details have subsequently been applied on working on the later Sheffield BSF schools.
 
2: Project NameHeslington East, University of York
Dates: 2007 - 2010
Location: York 
Gross Area: 10,000 to 49,999 sqm 
Sectors:
Culture & Entertainment - Cinemas,  Culture & Entertainment - Recording Studios,  Culture & Entertainment - Theatres & Opera Houses,  Culture & Entertainment -Television & Radio,  Education - General,  Education - Higher Education,  Food and Beverage - General,  Houses and Housing - Student Housing,  Landscaping - General,  Managed Workspace,  Mixed Use Projects,  Offices - General
 
Description:
The first cluster of the University of York’s Campus extension forms a ‘living and learning’ quarter, interrelating academic research and teaching with student living in a yin and yang formation. The project comprises; three new academic departments, Theatre Film and Television, Law and Management and Computer Science, an interdisciplinary research hub and a 600 bed college. Buildings are grouped to enclose a sequence of landscaped gardens and pedestrian spaces formed as warm microclimates for enjoyable student gathering and movement. The protective buildings offer settings for landscape to flourish with species that create sequential identity to the different spaces and pedestrian routes. The southern edge to the cluster culminates in a lakeshore setting marked by the Hub Building, for use by public and university. Here the student piazza and boardwalk enjoy the sun and bright water with views out to the Yorkshire Wolds. Part of an overall £750m development Cluster 1 was completed in 2010 with a contract value of £98m. The project has received a number of design awards including an RIBA award. Vision and Aspiration The inspiration for the project is the creation of a learning environment that replicates the picturesque and informal character of its existing campus in a contemporary manner. This was achieved by the core team working closely with the University understand the key principles of the existing campus and exploring alternative design options to meet these. This involved visits to exemplar buildings both in the UK and Holland as well many presentations. Stakeholder Engagement The project had a very wide range of stakeholders; the local community, the student population, the academics for each individual building, the various parts of the facilities management team and the University’s senior management team and University Council. Engagement was through a very structured arrangement of working groups and steering groups with an overall project board sitting over these. I attended and presented to all these groups and also presented the scheme to the local community forum. Setting and Safeguarding Design As Project Director I led the design of the academic buildings ensuring that the design quality was upheld by the individual building design teams. After the contract was awarded to main contractor, BAM, I remained as a Client Technical Advisor to monitor the contractor’s design development and delivery. Design Value Management I was involved from the earliest stages of the project developing the brief and working with the users to verify their spatial and functional requirements. The project was subject to cost saving and programme pressures and I managed the architectural input into this value engineering process to ensure that design quality was maintained. Use The buildings have been in operation since 2010 and feedback has been very positive. Client feedback has been formally given through BDP’s client feedback process. A formal “lessons learned” session chaired by T&T was held in the completed Hub building. The principle client Pro Vice Chancellor Elizabeth Heaps was awarded Northern Network RIBA client of the year 2011.
 
3: Project NameSheffield Fire Station and HQ
Dates: 2005 - 2008
Location: Sheffield 
Gross Area: 5,000 to 9,999 sqm 
Sectors:
Civic Building - General,  Government - Other Departments,  Offices - General,  Offices - Owner Occupied,  Transportation - General
 
Description:
Sheffield Fire Community Fire Station and Headquarters South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s Headquarters and Central Fire Station in Sheffield needed to be relocated to make way for the city’s New Retail Quarter. The accommodation comprised; an operational community fire station, headquarters for the region, a central control room and a vehicle maintenance workshop. All facilities, except the workshop, are accommodated on the site at Eyre Street. Architecturally the principle elements a blue engineering brick operational fire station and red brick HQ are expressed as interlocking elements joined together by the symbolically important appliance bay. The building has a robust contemporary treatment in keeping with its use and the surrounding industrial context. Vision and aspiration I worked closely with the senior management team, including the Chief Fire Officer in setting the vision and aspirations for the project. This was for an open accessible building encouraging engagement with the community to promote fire prevention and an open HQ environment facilitating a teamwork culture. Stakeholder Engagement The project was jointly financed by the developer, Hammerson UK and the HCA with Sheffield City Council providing the new site. The SYFRS is an operating arm of the South Yorkshire Fire Authority made up of representatives of the four local authorities. Achieving consensus amongst this diverse group required extensive engagement and I made presentations to the Fire Authority, Sheffield City council as well as the various senior managers and staff groups within the SYFRS. Extensive data was gathered from the various user representatives to validate the functional and spatial requirements of the building. Setting and Safeguarding Quality Against the pressures of budget and desire for increased space I fulfilled the role of design champion. I led the close dialogue with the local authority’s planners required due to the sites context within the historically significant cultural industries quarter. The scheme was let on a design and build contract and I led the novated design team to ensure that the design was developed and delivered in accordance with the original design intent. In conjunction with project engineers Arup an extensive assessment of the cost benefit of energy saving technologies was carried out. The completed building includes rainwater harvesting and achieved a BREEAM very good rating. Design Value Management Through a series of value engineering workshops and option studies I worked closely with the project’s cost consultants to contain the project budget without compromising the quality of the design. I identified, and demonstrated, that HQ facilities could be accommodated on the site initially intended only for the operational fire station thereby eliminating the costs associated with the separate HQ site. Use Chief Fire Officer commented, “This new purpose deigned building will significantly add value by unlocking even more innovation, and facilitating even greater levels of partnership working within the service and with our community partners”. Facilities Management were involved from the outset of the project to ensure continuity of service through the relocation. The building has been designed to be future proof with facilities to sub-let offices.
 
   
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