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Ness Point wins another award
Ness Point, a design and build project delivered by Coombs, has been recognised for architectural excellence by the Royal Institute of British Architects. Continue reading “Ness Point wins another award”
Coombs Annual Charity Golf Day raises funds for good causes
Thank you to all who took part in the Coombs Sports and Social Club’s Annual Charity Gold Day.
All proceeds from the day were in aid of Catching Lives our chosen charity for 2017. Catching Lives is an independent charity aimed at supporting the rough sleepers, homeless and vulnerably housed in Canterbury and East Kent; those who have, for many reasons, fallen through the gaps in society and feel they have nowhere else to turn.
This year’s event took place at the popular St Augustine’s Golf Club, Ramsgate situated in a beautiful parkland setting. Competition winners included:
- Overall Competition Winner – John Metcalfe
- Runner up – Grant Fennell (GPM Partnership)
- Best Team Score – John Healey, Andrew Cowell, Matt Smith, David Tomlinson
- Nearest the Pin- Amechi Howe (John Planck)
- Wooden Spoon – Lee Shepherd
Coombs to help Canterbury Christ Church University expand offering in Tunbridge Wells
Coombs have been selected to help reinvigorate Zurich House so Canterbury Christ Church University (CCCU) can expand its offering in Tunbridge Wells.
The development known as Meadow Road is the latest in a long line of projects delivered in partnership over almost two decades. Our work with the University which has transformed a variety of buildings on their main Canterbury campus, Broadstairs campus as well as the Grade II listed St Gregory’s Church for the benefit of their some students.
Meadow Road will once again see us working in partnership with Betteridge & Milsom, HMY and Evans & Langford to transform this 5-storey former office block into teaching, library and support accommodation. Our works include internal alterations, including new Mechanical, Electrical and data, Partitions, Ceilings and other internal refurbishment within an existing 5 storey building. Works also include external area improvement for DDA and repairs to the building envelope.
The new central site will allow easier access for students, CCCU having run a postgraduate centre on the Salomons estate for more than a decade as part of its psychology, politics and sociology course. The University has announced that the building will also accommodate part of their Business School to offer degree level courses to working professionals – offering hope and ambition for those who already work for a living and want to expand their skills.
Initially the project came about through discussions with Kent County Council asking CCCU to design and deliver a programme to support engineering companies who were struggling to find high quality staff and meet their training needs locally. However, CCCU’s Business School has greater ambitions for a wider corporate audience such as the many finance and insurance companies based in the region who at the moment the only option for their staff is to train in London.
Folkestone HEART beats again
Folkestone HEART – a centre for Heritage, Education, Art, Regeneration, Tourism which tells the story of Folkestone’s history was officially opened on the 25th May.
The opening ceremony marks the culmination of years of hard work to create a new museum for the town and secure the future of Folkestone’s heritage bringing together Folkestone’s collection which had been dispersed across the county.
A range of exhibition pieces from archaeological digs detailing the town’s past from fossils through to early settlements and art collections will be on display as well as pieces that had been held by Kent County Council since the 1970s.
Our works involved the refurbishment of a Grade II listed property to create the new exhibition spaces to display the town’s civic collection for adults and children alike to enjoy. As well as the creation of a new multifunctional suite including a Council Chamber and a small cinema.
Works were sensitively planned and flexibly delivered as they were undertaken within an occupied building with visiting members of the public, cinema goers and regular Council meetings taking place.
The new museum is part of a Folkestone Council project with an aim to improve the cultural and historic assets of the town and in doing so boost tourism and support regeneration. More information can be found here