StudioHIVE revises Plans for transformation of former Aardman Animations site in Bristol
Property developer StudioHIVE has submitted a revised planning application to restore the historic Grade II listed “erecting sheds” and former Aardman Animations store into 86,000 sq ft of new office space in central Bristol.
Part of the 12-acre, £500 million Silverthorne Lane regeneration scheme near Temple Meads station, the original Plot 4 development received unanimous approval from Bristol City Council’s development control committee in August 2020.
The transformation of the St. Vincent’s Works site is expected to complete in 2029.
The original plans have since been refined by StudioHIVE and its sister company StudioHIVE Architects to respond to the latest regulations and with the aim of delivering increased and more efficient employment space, both in terms of function and sustainability.
The revised planning application seeks to re-establish the erecting sheds as a single entity with a continuous roofline, reflecting their original historic form and improving public access through the site.
The proposed Heritage Walk will create a pedestrian route celebrating the historic fabric between Silverthorne Lane and the proposed canal-side community at The Iron Works, which will feature 434 new homes plus workspace, in partnership with Atlas Land Ltd. and Singapore-based construction and civil engineering specialist, Woh Hup.
StudioHIVE is also delivering The Timber Yard, a state-of-the-art student accommodation scheme that features 706 new student rooms, wide ranging amenity space and landscaped courtyard gardens on the banks of the Feeder Canal, in conjunction with the same partners.
The Silverthorne Lane scheme also includes Oasis Academy Temple Quarter, a new 1,600 place comprehensive secondary school and sixth form; new academic and office space for at the University of Bristol’s Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus; and new cycle and pedestrian routes within landscaped areas and public open space, including a new canal-side walk.
Kyle Slatter, development manager at StudioHIVE and project lead at Plot 4, said: “The new scheme brings significant planning and heritage benefits. It balances the preservation and enhancement of the site’s historic fabric with modern office space needs.
“We will celebrate the historic fabric architecturally while delivering improvements to public access, enhanced energy and sustainability credentials and vibrant new workspaces.”
Matt Scott, director and studio lead at StudioHIVE Architects, said: ‘We have been delighted to work on such an exciting and important transformation. The new design will deliver a state-of-the-art office community within a building that incorporates and responds to the heritage of the site as well as creating its own strong new identity.”
For more information about the proposed design changes and to stay up to date with the development, visit www.plot4silverthornelane.com.
