Project Summary
- Extensive refurbishment of a tired and dated 1960s office building in the city centre that has transformed it into a commercial, creative, tech and digital hub.
- Use of an illustrative Masterplan, which set an ambitious and high quality design vision and parameters for development.
- A flexible approach to a range of applications, responding to the requirements of the Masterplan, the phasing of the refurbishment process and businesses relocating to Programme.
- Principal planning issues were land uses, design and impact on heritage assets.
The Planning Process
Working with a design team led by Buckley Gray Yeoman we have secured planning permission for an extensive range of full planning, change of use, advert, Section 96a and discharge of conditions applications. These have covered extensive alterations to the elevations (new windows, shopfronts and M&E requirements), an additional roof top storey of office floorspace and plantrooms, a cafe with an external seating area, a building wide cycle hub, the re-landscaping of the podium, new M&E compounds, Access Creative College‘s Bristol Games and Media Campus, Whistle Punks Bristol venue and a gym for F45 Training. These now sit alongside a range of other amazing creative tech businesses including Open Bionics and Immediate Media and co-working businesses Meanwhile Creative and Spaces.
“We have worked with Jules on our project to revitalise and rejuvenate Programme, formerly known as The Pithay, since 2015. As our Planning Consultant she is an integral and highly valued member of the design team. She has delivered a range of planning permissions that have secured the transformation of Programme into a high quality creative, cultural and commercial hub in the city centre that accommodates a range of businesses including, amongst others, Spaces, Open Bionics, Access Creative College, Immediate Media and Whistle Punks.”
James Baker, Head of UK Asset Management, Resolution Property