Year of Success for WCEC Architects

3 October 2007

A rural corner of Chesterfield may seem an unlikely home for one of the UKs leading architectural practices, but after more than 30 years in the business, WCEC Architects have an unrivalled reputation for design and technical excellence which puts them at the forefront of commercial architecture in the UK.

The Sheepbridge based architects specialise in town centre urban regeneration schemes, and are currently working on multi-million pound schemes with some of the biggest developers in the industry to transform the fortunes of towns up and down the country.

Renowned for many years as the UKs leading designers of out of town retail developments, WCEC Architects have diversified over the years and now deliver innovative and sustainable town centre schemes which not only encompass retail, but also leisure, residential, hotels, offices and business parks.

With over 80 staff at their Chesterfield headquarters and a second office in Livingston, Scotland, this makes them one of the largest architectural practices in the country outside London, and they are currently working on more projects than ever before in their 35 year history.

One of WCECs shining successes this year is the £39 million Marshalls Yard commercial complex in Gainsborough which opened its doors to the public in April and has kick-started unprecedented levels of public and private investment in the town. The town now is now bursting with a newfound confidence and the design of the development is currently short listed for three national urban regeneration and design awards.

Closer to home, WCEC designed Sheffield Uniteds new 2,000 seat corner stand and are the architects behind the clubs £17 million four star hotel on Bramall Lane. The hotel will have 157 bedrooms, a stylish bar, gymnasiums and conference facilities.

Work has just started on a £30 million regeneration scheme in Morpeth, an historic market town in Northumberland. The scheme will remodel the town centre and deliver a high quality Edwardian style shopping mall inspired by Londons Burlington Arcade which will house 27 retail units. A new transport interchange, highway improvements, office accommodation and improved pedestrian links are an integral part of the scheme, which is set to put Morpeth back on the map as a visitor destination.

Also just on site is the £20 million town centre development in Halesowen in the West Midlands which will deliver an extension to a shopping mall and a new anchor foodstore for Asda on two levels with four level multi-storey car park above. On an extremely constrained site, a meticulous phasing plan has been essential in ensuring development works are safe and minimise disruption to the existing mall.

The desire to create buildings which enrich the environment and are economic to use is at the heart of all WCEC designs and the company has created a sustainability group within the practice to ensure the latest skills and knowledge are available in house to support the technical teams. This includes the ability to conduct BREEAM assessments in house, rather than having to bring in external engineers.

Key to WCECs success is its workforce, and the company boasts an impressive staff retention rate thanks to an enviable working environment and generous benefits. Competitive salaries, holidays, and flexible working all help to attract the regions best candidates and employees benefit from the companys commitment to staff development which sees weekly CPD and internal seminars, and the provision of day release and fees for appropriate courses. And the rural location is welcomed by staff for ease of access and parking.

Alex Wall, Partner, said: This is one of the most exciting yet demanding periods in the history of WCEC and we are looking forward to getting even more of our projects on site and seeing them through to completion. The UKs urban regeneration agenda will continue to present challenges for both developers and architects alike and we will continue to work with our project partners to deliver architectural solutions which enhance the built environment and at the same time stimulate inward investment and economic growth for the towns involved.

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