The Bath Schools of Art and Design were presented at the AT Awards live finals on 7 November 2022 at the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health to a jury comprising, Nana Biamah-Ofosu, Peter Bishop, Hanif Kara, David Partridge, Simon Allford and Chair Isabel Allen. Read about how the project has stood the test of time, below.
An internal ‘street’ runs between the workshops and the more public spaces. Credit: Chris Wakefield
Completed in 1976, the Grade II-listed Herman Miller Factory was designed by the Farrell/Grimshaw Partnership and conceived as a loose-fit building characterised by continuous evolution and change. Forty years later Grimshaw was appointed to convert the building into the Bath Schools of Art and Design.
Raising the roof allowed more space for services and additional studios. Credit: Paul Raftery
The retrofit sought a balance between preservation and upgrade, retaining key spatial and design moves but upgrading thermal comfort, daylight levels and servicing to suit studio use. The façade, a modular system of interchangeable solid, glazed and door panels, has been preserved but upgraded, with vastly improved insulation.
The public can access the riverside, including a picnic area. Credit: Chris Wakefield
The height of the roof of the main volume – the ‘Super Room’ – was increased, allowing more space for servicing and studios, increased structural capacity and extensive roof lighting. By containing the heaviest workshops within their own acoustic/ fire enclosure, the ground floor and mezzanine remains an open-plan and flexible volume but allows adaptation to the needs of current users. Two original service spines remain primary routes for drainage, power, data and sprinklers. The new additional height allows flexible plug and-play servicing to run above the existing structure, meaning both ground and mezzanine levels are unconstrained.
The public can access the riverside picnic area, art shop, café, break-out spaces and gallery spaces, supporting the school’s economic sustainability and allowing it to play a more active role in the community.
Section through the main hall, studios, offices and meeting rooms.
