BPN Blog

“Designing a new building in a relatively isolated area right in the middle of a public park is a potential challenge. Particularly as the last building was burnt down. The client brief was to produce a design with a hard exterior and soft inside. The end result is way beyond our expectations, being 4 buildings clad in a steel structure and wrapped with Oak timbers. It's got all the basics of a park pavilion with a twist being a fun play area, fantastic viewing gallery tree house style, offices, cafe, toilets, and conference room." 

"This is no typical park pavilion, it’s much more, and BPN rightly deserve the praise being voiced.”

David Brown from Sandwell Council commenting on Dartmouth Park Pavilion.

Dartmouth Park Pavilion has been featured in 'WORD ON THE STREET' written by Jan Britton.

Documenting her daily visits,

“I must admit that I went to the Park all set to dislike the building and be sceptical about its purpose and use, but it is a fantastic bit of design – local architects Bryant Priest Newman have done a great job of designing a building that fits nicely into the park, doubles-up as a playground and a fun place to visit, and is very secure in an isolated location.”

It is well worth a read!

We currently have a top floor studio (27sqm/ 287sqft) to rent in our building. Located in the heart of the Jewellery Quarter, a stones throw away from St Paul’s Square, the studio provides a quality creative environment for anyone looking for that perfect business space. If you are interested drop us a line on 0121 233 1818.

Last week, Larry and Gavin led a community workshop as part of Place Prospects and the great work that Emma Larkinson and Jane Murray are doing in Stirchley. The focus of the workshop was on a recently submitted planning application for an Asda superstore just behind the High Street and in particular a parcel of land between the two that is currently noted as being 'Public Realm'…? But what does this mean? Going by the planning drawings it means a bit of grass, some random planting of trees and some concrete paving (in two tones)…?

To help the local community understand the proposals, we built a model of the High Street, part of the Asda superstore and the 'Public Realm'.  Understandably the local community had a lot of questions so we asked them to stick their thoughts on the model with post-its (kind of like a real Sticky World) as a basis for discussion.

The community were all in favor of this becoming an exciting new heart to the High Street - a place for the existing Stirchley Market to grow into, flea markets, antique fairs and the like. Visions of the adjacent Methodist Chapel, which is being retained, becoming a tapas and jazz bar or a microbrewery were popular suggestions (no surprise there really!). 

The model was an eye-opener for all. Everyone was surprised at how large the space between the High Street and Asda store was going to be (approx. 40x60m) which prompted the question of whether this would create a hole in the High Street, a no-man's land attracting anti-social behavior?

What followed was a really interesting idea/reaction to the possibility. Rather than demolishing some of the existing buildings along the High Street to form the public realm, why not retain some of the buildings? This would help maintain the High Street's density/building line and provide some enclosure to the new public realm. The existing buildings could be made more permeable and create key views through to the public space and the new Asda.

We adapted the model to try and visualize what the effect would be. All agreed that this was a good solution. Comments and suggestions from the workshop are being sent to Asda and submitted to the local authority as part of the planning consultation, so it's literally a case of 'watch this space'!

Museum of Glass, Stourbridge

We are currently working with CDP and The British Glass Foundation on a funding bid to help restore the Stuart Crystal Works in Stourbridge and turn it in to a visitor attraction accommodating Stourbridge's prized glass collection, which is currently housed at Broadfield House Glass Museum in Kingswinford and in storage at Himley Hall.

It would feature an open courtyard with a striking light sculpture marking the spot where the White House Cone once stood and mirroring the Red House Glass Cone on the opposite side of the A491, which visitors would be able to safely cross by using underground tunnels linking the two sites.

‘Broadfield House is second only to the Corning Museum in New York where 85 per cent of the exhibits were made in Stourbridge’

www.stourbridgenews.co.uk/news/9465919.First_glimpse_of___5m_glass_museum_plan/