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NEWS SPORT & LEISURE
KKA designed Ashton Gate development plans get green light
Liverpool architecture fi rm KKA has received approval from Bristol City Council for its design for the 3,626-seater Sports and Convention Centre to be constructed next door to Ashton Gate Stadium. The Sporting Quarter – developed by Bristol Sport – will provide a new home for basketball team the Bristol Flyers, as well as a hotel, conferencing facilities, multi- storey car park, and retail space alongside commercial and residential space. Detailed work will start immediately on the next stage of this project. The fi rst phase of the development will be the Sports and Convention Centre alongside the hotel, which is hoped to be on site in late summer 2023. The Sporting Quarter was given permission with a ‘twinned’ residential scheme at Longmoor Village for 510 homes. The Sporting Quarter represents KKA’s latest sports architecture for Bristol, having previously designed the redevelopment of Ashton Gate Stadium and the Robins High Performance Centre.
FINANCIAL RESULTS
AHR reports strong earnings despite economic challenges
Architecture and building consultancy AHR have reported “robust earnings in turnover and profi t through 2021,” according to the company’s latest fi nancial results. The practice’s fi gures for the year to 31 December 2021 show that turnover increased by 8% to £30.2m (2020: £28.0m), and profi t before tax increased to £3.5m (2020: £2.9m). The fi rm said the increase in turnover was principally due to “recovery in both the micro and macro-economic climate in 2021 following the initial market shock caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.” The practice also sold its Polish subsidiary following Russia’s invasion
of Ukraine. Anthony Langan, managing director of architecture at AHR commented: “With the geopolitical situation in Eastern Europe exacerbating the ongoing economic challenges, we took the decision to dispose of our Polish subsidiary to local management and focus on what has always been our core market, the UK.”
The combined UK architecture business saw turnover increase by 15% to £17.2m (2020: £14.9m), and operating profi t remaining consistent at £1.5m (2020: £1.5m). Langan added: “Our experience across multiple sectors has given us the ability to realise a diversity of opportunities.
We have continued to build upon our sustainability aspirations, and in 2021 became Passivhaus Trust patron members and have trained Passivhaus designers in all our offi ces across the country.” Sustainability-focused projects delivered and ongoing from the practice include a net zero carbon SEND school in North Wiltshire, two Passivhaus residential schemes for Midlothian Council, and a new school in Dunfermline which is designed to be of the UK’s largest Passivhaus education buildings. “I am exceptionally proud of the practice and enthusiastic about our future. I do anticipate another challenging 12 months ahead, however, we remain confi dent and enthusiastic as we continue to seize opportunities through our diverse multi-sector expertise and balance of projects across the public and private sectors.”
Chris Long, director, KKA, said: “This is a really exciting moment for our practice and for the city. The Sporting Quarter needs to thrive 365 days a year, so we designed it to act like a ‘mini-city’ in itself, a kind of ‘campus,’
that embodies all of the characteristics which make such places a success. We focused on creating an environment that is well-connected, diverse, and alive with activity where people would choose to spend time.”
WWW.ARCHITECTSDATAFILE.CO.UK
ADF NOVEMBER 2022
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