Ambitious Gloucester shire hall redevelopment plan gets another gong

An ambitious redevelopment plan for Shire Hall in Gloucester secures "Building Project of the Year.

The project won three categories in the Constructing Excellence South West awards, announced on Friday 4 December, and will now compete in the national awards in January next year.

Shire Hall was successful in three categories, the Integration & Collaborative Working Award the Value Award and Building Project of the Year.

It is the second award the building has received this year after being named winner of the Best Large Commercial Project in the LABC Building Excellence Awards 2020 for the West of England region in September.

It comes after an ambitious programme lasting more than 120 weeks was carried out, aimed at reducing running costs and making more efficient use of public sector assets. It has also turned a very ugly 1970s building into something the city can be prouder of.

Working closely with Gloucester-based designers Quattro and contractors Kier, the county council’s project team have transformed the way the building works.

Solar panels and insulated cladding systems were installed, which have significantly reduced its carbon footprint, and heating bills and will ensure the building is self-sufficient over the summer months.

The redevelopment has allowed staff from the NHS, City Council and police to also work within Shire Hall, which has led to revenue savings, more efficient use of the building and greater collaboration.

The modernised building is much more accessible, with disabled powered access, ramps, lifts and accessible toilets. LED lighting and computer controlled heating have replaced poorly conditioned and draughty offices.

Leaders of the county council were keen to rejuvenate the existing building rather than build new offices elsewhere, to maintain support for the city centre economy and reduce costs.

The redevelopment has also acted as a catalyst for the regeneration of Gloucester City, spearheading the redevelopment of Quayside and the surrounding area which will see two new GP surgeries and a retail pharmacy.

Cllr Mark Hawthorne, leader of Gloucestershire County Council, said: “Winning these regional awards in three different categories is a fantastic achievement. The redevelopment of Shire Hall has been a very successful project – it has made the building much more energy efficient, cutting carbon emissions and reducing costs, and has led to further investment in the whole area.

“It has also meant we can now work more closely with our partners in the same building, benefiting the whole county. I would like to congratulate the project team for this well deserved accolade, which will now see us compete in the national awards.”