Speller Metcalfe prides itself on delivering some of the UK’s most innovative and exciting construction projects which have been recognised by the country’s highest regarded awarding bodies.
Select an award logo on the left to learn more about our recent nominations and achievements.
Museum of Making at Derby Silk Mill saw a major transformation of an industrial building in Derby to create one of the city’s most coveted assets. Designed by Bauman Lyons Architects Ltd – it took home a regional RIBA award in 2023.
Brick House is a unique housing typology that consists of three- and four-bedroom mews houses centred around a communal garden and historic canal. It forms part of Phase 1 of the Port Loop masterplan in Birmingham. Designed by Howells and delivered by Speller Metcalfe, the scheme took home a regional RIBA award in 2023.
The multi-award winning Skylon Campus took home the Value award at the 2023 West Midlands Constructing Excellence Awards.
Skylon Campus in Herefordshire went through a rigorous judging process to be made a finalist at this year’s Construction News awards, alongside our SHEQ & CSR Graduate, Molly Shaw, who is the third member of staff to be shortlisted or win in the Rising Star category.
Speller Metcalfe continued their success at the West Midlands Constructing Excellence awards in 2023, with multiple finalist nominations:
Multi-award winning Site Manager, Sophie Leake, took home the Rising Star category at the 2023 CIOB (Chartered Institute of Building) awards.
Site manager Sophie Leake has won the regional award and has been shortlisted as a Finalist for the National Constructing Excellence G4C Future Leader Award 2022.
Sophie has most recently worked on our scheme at the Centre for Advanced Timber Technology for NMITE.
Sophie leads by example and sets the bar high in terms of aptitude and enthusiasm for her role. Her knowledge of the buildings she has worked on and ability to transfer this knowledge to those visiting is exemplary.
Sophie has already helped shape the curriculum that is to be delivered by the CATT, as she was a valuable member of the Industry Working Group that derived the Timber Technology, Engineering and Design competency framework. Working alongside other industry partners, Sophie has provided knowledge from a contractor perspective to help shape the knowledge and skills that future built environment professionals require to allow for more sustainable construction practices.
Ultimately, Sophie cares not just about project delivery, but about people including those that are visiting and working on the construction programmes she is responsible for.
The innovative Dudley Institute of Technology was nominated for Low Carbon Project and Project of the Year (£20-50m) for 2022.
The £22m Black Marches and Country Institute of technology in Dudley delivers on three specialisms; engineering & manufacture, modern methods of construction & offsite, and medical engineering & healthcare. It was developed as part of the government’s £170 million drive to develop higher-level skills across the UK, with £17.36m of funding secured through the Department for Education programme and a further £2m from the West Midlands Combined Authority.
Rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach to sustainability, the Integrated Project Insurance (IPI) approach allowed the sustainability consultants and wider design team to work closely to develop a bespoke sustainability framework tailored to the project which places performance outcomes at its core. Formulated using the ‘best of’ BREEAM and Passivhaus, the college was able to focus on a low carbon approach.
The scheme is not only one of the first of its kind as an Institute of Technology, but only the third project delivered under the Integrated Project Insurance (IPI) model – part of the government’s trial strategy for delivering new models of construction procurement – with the first, Advance II, also delivered on behalf of the college in 2017.
Speller Metcalfe was appointed to deliver Stage 2 of repeat-client St Richard’s Hospice’s ‘Build 2020’ project.
The new building has minimal energy and carbon footprint, near-Passivhaus performance, and a pioneering use of healthy building materials.
This included the creation of a range of specialist therapeutic rooms to expand the Hospice’s ‘Living Well’ centre. The extended and renovated hospice now includes The Green, a central courtyard at the heart of the hospice, which was constructed using an intricate Glulam timber frame structure and a lattice-work roof. The timber creates a strong architectural tree-like columns which are repeated in their entrance.
The low embodied carbon of timber was a key driver for its selection for the Green. Being a natural renewable low-carbon material, it also has whole lifecycle benefits as it can be reused or recycled at the end of the building’s life.
The Institute of Transformational Technology (IoTT) for Dudley College was delivered through an Alliance partnership.
The multi-million pound building delivers industry-focused level 4+ programmes for the transformational sectors of advanced manufacturing, construction methodologies and medical engineering.
This is the third trial Integrated Project Insurance project in the country and the second one delivered for Dudley College of Technology.
The historic Museum of Making at Derby Silk Mill took home the Refurbishment award at this year’s national Building Awards.
Speller Metcalfe was contracted to restore Derby Silk Mill, brining back to life for the first time in 50 years.
The innovative Integrated Project Insurance (IPI) procurement model created increased opportunity for the inevitable challenges of a Grade II listed building and opportunity to create innovative solutions in terms of buildability, design and client needs as part of a ‘best for project’ approach.
As a result of the regeneration and conservation work, the heritage site has been sympathetically restored from a state of degradation while retaining nearly all of the fabric of the original building, making it fit for 21st-century usage.
The integration of technology and a modern approach has created an all-encompassing experience for visitors that doesn’t interfere with the historic nature of the building itself.
Speller Metcalfe was contracted to restore Derby Silk Mill, brining back to life for the first time in 50 years.
The innovative Integrated Project Insurance (IPI) procurement model created increased opportunity for the inevitable challenges of a Grade II listed building and opportunity to create innovative solutions in terms of buildability, design and client needs as part of a ‘best for project’ approach.
The multi-award winning project went onto win the Building Project of the Year at the 2021 awards.
Taking home five awards at this year’s East Midlands Constructing Excellence Awards, the Museum of Making at Derby Silk Mill was awarded with the People Development award in 2021.
Derby Silk Mill took home the Innovation award at the East Midlands Constructing Excellence awards.
The multi-award winning Derby Silk Mill continued its success at the national Construction News awards, taking home the 2021 Project of the Year (under £20m) award.
Speller Metcalfe was shortlisted at the prestigious Construction News awards for Outstanding Contribution to Industry, as well as in the Community Engagement category for the Midlands Centre for Cyber Security.
The Midlands Centre for Cyber Security on Rotherwas Estate in Hereford, took home the Building Project of the Year award.
Derby Silk Mill was highly commended for the Sustainable Project of the Year Award 2021.
Speller Metcalfe was contracted to deliver the scheme which was the second in the UK to be delivered using the innovative Integrated Project Insurance (IPI) procurement approach. This model matched Derby Museums collaborative community principles and that of the wider project team.
The heritage development saved an iconic public asset, brining the building back into use for the first time in 50 years. It has provided long term security, safety and sustainability for the building.
The ambitious Project One Campus for Warwick Independent Schools Foundation has been awarded the RIBA West Midlands Award 2021.
The £29m project was delivered over multiple phases and included:
Nicholas Hare Architects has also been named RIBA West Midlands Project Architect of the Year for their development of the Project One masterplan.
Pickersleigh Grove, delivered on behalf of Platform Housing Group, has been shortlisted for the Best shared ownership development (urban) category. The development of 92 affordable homes was delivered across six phases, and sits at the foot of the Malvern Hills.
Tanworth Court won the Building Better Healthcare award for Best carbon Reduction Initiative (2021). Speller Metcalfe delivered the new build 60-bed care home in Shirley.
The project achieved an EPC A-rating and was designed to the highest sustainability standards and includes heating via a wet underfloor installation with ground-source heat pumps and extensive photovoltaic panelling.
Following regional wins in the West Midlands, the following projects have been put forward for the National Constructing Excellence Awards:
Sister Dora Skills & Simulation Suite (University of Wolverhampton) – Integration and Collaborative Working
Tanworth Court (Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council) – Sustainability
Beatrice Shilling Building (Coventry University) – Value
The Brandon Yard development overlooks Bristol harbour and combines restored listed buildings with new build elements to provide 58 one, two- and three-bedroom apartments. The 17th century restoration and transformation of the site took two years, using a combination of traditional building techniques and modern design.
The £2.6m Sister Dora Skills and Simulation Suite is a state-of-the-art medical teaching facility for students at the University of Wolverhampton incorporating innovative teaching rooms, multi-disciplinary laboratory spaces including mock hospital ward rooms, a bedsit, terraced house, birthing pool and ambulance. The project encompassed a refurbishment of the existing Sister Dora building plus new build extension, and was delivered alongside a 42 space car park, refurbishment of a separate building into modern office facilities and façade replacement of a separate faculty building (the latter as an additional scope of works) – all within a 34 week timescale.
“This process was so successful because each of the team members was engaged and given the chance to contribute. There were numerous examples where challenges were dealt with by inviting all affected to openly discuss the challenge and agree a solution. This process was not hindered by individual agendas, which created an environment where a successful project outcome was the combined, mutual goal.”
Emma Hewitt, Faculty Registrar, University of Wolverhampton.
Tanworth Court is a new build 60-bed care home in Shirley near Solihull. The ‘dementia-friendly’ home was designed by Solihull MBC’s in-house design team in line with Stirling University dementia design principles to create a safe, stimulating and homely environment. Features include clear signage, colour-theming to help residents find their way around and welcoming communal lounges to encourage socialising.
The project involved the construction of a new, three-storey care home with a gross internal floor area of 3051m2.
Achieving an EPC A-rating, the building was designed to the highest sustainability standards and includes heating via a wet underfloor installation with ground-source heat pumps and extensive photovoltaic panelling.
Speller Metcalfe was contracted to build a new £27 million building for Coventry University, named the Beatrice Shilling Building. The four-storey building, which opened on the university’s city centre campus in Autumn 2020, boasts a range of world-class facilities.
Cary Shephard, Coventry University Group Head of Development Project Management, said: “We are delighted with both the quality and utility of the Beatrice Shilling Building, which will add further value to our state-of-the-art Engineering, Environment and Computing facilities.
“It comes as no surprise to see the project’s innovation and value recognised with such a prestigious award, given the outstanding quality of both the exterior build and the excellent interior facilities.
“This is another fine example of the great work our Estate Development team is continuing to do and we’re really pleased with the fruits of our collaboration with Speller Metcalfe, whose dedication helped us to ensure we achieved the results we wanted.”
Project One Campus, built on behalf of Warwick Independent Schools Foundation, has confirmed its place as a 2021 Regional Finalist at the Civic Awards. The multi-phased scheme, which was built across two separate contracts, has been successful during the first stage assessment and now goes forward into the award’s National judging panel for a Civic Trust Award, with winners announced in January 2021.
Alongside the project team, which included BM3 Architecture and our client LiveWest, Speller Metcalfe was awarded the accolade of ‘Best Social or Affordable New Housing Development’ for our work at Oaktree Avenue in Pucklechurch, South Gloucestershire. The project was recognised for ‘Building excellence in the delivery of outstanding construction and workmanship.’
For our Rugby School – Day Houses & Dining Hall project, Speller Metcalfe has won a Silver Considerate Constructors Scheme 2020 National Site Award. Feedback from our CCS monitor stated that: “This project demonstrated a fantastic level of consideration towards the public, its workforce and the environment through adhering to the Scheme’s Code of Considerate Practice, and is an excellent advertisement for the industry in all sections”. A key initiative the team implemented on site was a food bank donation point which was generously supported by our subcontractors and other site visitors.
The scheme scored 41 and 42/50 across two visits.
