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The latest from Leonard Design...
Schools: Profitable Real Estate?
For the latest in our Re:Think discussion series, we wanted to consider the question: Can schools be profitable real estate? Not from a purely design perspective, but how can we as architects, masterplanners, developers and investors, reconsider the way schools are included in developments to actually create value rather than be seen as a cost. We […]
2 weeks ago
Becky on CC Live!
Our Dementia Design Specialist, Becky Smith, interviewed on Cartwright Communication’s second episode of ‘CC Live’, sharing her experience in creating and delivering the best possible environments for care. Last month our dementia design specialist at Leonard Design, Becky Smith, interviewed on Cartwright Communication’s second episode of CC Live. CC Live is a series of webisodes to […]
3 months ago
International Women’s Day Interview
Each year Leonard Design proudly celebrate International Women’s Day. In 2020, Leonard Design is planning a celebration of several cultural-led days including both International Women’s and Men’s Day with the theme of Each for Equal. This year to celebrate International Women’s Day there will be events held in both the Nottingham and London offices. We […]
7 months ago
Demolition Works Nearing Completion in Sheffield
Demolition woks will soon be completed at Blocks B & C of the Sheffield Heart of the City II masterplan. With some piling works already underway the new development is progressing well on site. Walking past the historic Victorian façade on Pinstone Street it is evident there are works underway. However, the magnitude of the […]
7 months ago
How creative urban regeneration is breathing life back into our towns and cities
Some of the projects that have brought me the most satisfaction and enjoyment in recent years have been those with creativity at their heart. It’s behind some of the most innovative thinking on how to revitalise areas in desperate need of urban regeneration, both in UK towns and cities and abroad. An infectious type of […]
8 months ago
Planning Application Submitted for Former Ironbridge Power Station
Leonard Design on behalf of the Harworth Group plc, the owner of the former Ironbridge Power Station, has submitted an outline planning application to both Shropshire Council and Telford & Wrekin Council as it seeks permission for the 350 acre site’s long-term redevelopment. It has also submitted a separate application to extract up to 1.9million […]
9 months ago
Australian Bushfires: Can We Help in the UK?
Australia needs assistance, the UK is not too far away to help! As you will be aware by now, Australia is being savaged by ferocious bushfires which have burnt nearly 15 million acres already. Putting this into perspective, this is the same as all of Wales and 1/3 of England engulfed in flames. Now with […]
9 months ago
How can businesses combat climate change?
Climate change has firmly been on the agenda recently and it’s easy to see why with extreme weather such as the bushfires ripping across Australia or near record acqua alta levels recorded in Venice last year. Climate change is here and it’s happening. More than two thirds of extreme weather events in the last 20 […]
9 months ago
A Year of Inspirational Travel with the LDAirport
Every year Leonard Design arrange a year long initiative to put the company’s ethos into the hands of the team itself. These initiatives give each employee an opportunity to improve the quality of work or wellbeing within the office. At the beginning of 2019 the LDAirport initiative was launched. Each team member was gifted a […]
9 months ago
Innovative Design Secures Planning for Two Revolutionary Dementia Care Homes
Two pioneering dementia care facilities have received planning permission thanks to the innovative design and specialist knowledge of global architecture firm Leonard Design Architects. The case which identified six “very special circumstances” for the planning approval of the two Church Farm Care Ltd schemes heavily focussed on the intelligent use of architecture, namely its sensitivity […]
9 months ago
Family Action Toy Appeal: Year Two
Following the success of last year’s Family Action Toy Appeal the Leonard Design team have come together to support the amazing charity for a second year. In 2018, we donated a car full of presents to the cause and this year has been even better. Since 2009 Family Action have organised a Christmas Toy Appeal […]
10 months ago
The High Street is Evolving
The high street is dead, or dying, if we are to believe much of the media coverage of the retail sector in the UK. However, Leonard Design are not witnessing a death but an evolution where the high street is evolving by creating strong communities. In 2015, Sheffield City Council announced plans for the Sheffield […]
10 months ago
Climate Change & Sustainability
The climate and its condition are becoming an ever more pressing issue. Thankfully the awareness of this subject is now expanding rapidly due to activists such as Greta Thunberg promoting the #FutureFridays campaign. Unfortunately, environmental disasters are becoming more common and the team at Leonard Design support the protection of our planet and we are […]
11 months ago
World Mental Health Day
Today is World Mental Health Day, a subject that Leonard Design take very seriously and wish to support our team wherever possible. Estelle Morris, our in-house Mental Health First Aider, had this to say about the subject which was shared with the team via email: It’s a well-known statistic that one in four people in […]
12 months ago
Berlin Named as our Fifth Location
Leonard Design Architects, a global architectural practice which is headquartered in Nottingham, has chosen Berlin as its fifth office location. After entering the German market four years ago, the AJ 100 ranked firm has delivered a number of impressive projects such as the master planning of Markisches Zentrum. Its decision to create a permanent base […]
12 months ago
Can architects combine logic and creativity to inspire the next generation of designers?
Creativity and logic are often considered to be two opposing skills, one full of imagination and originality and the other bound by reason and rationality. In reality, the two complement each other. Architecture has always blurred the boundaries between art and science, and now with the advancement of technology the two are becoming more and […]
12 months ago
Company Away Day: LDA on Tor
Earlier this month the Leonard Design offices came together for the annual away day. This year had its ups and downs (literally), hiking to the summit of Mam Tor and descending to the depths of the Treak Cliff Cavern. Each year the entire team at Leonard Design are invited to the company away day. An […]
1 year ago
The Waterside Apartments: August Update
Progress has continued over the summer months at The Waterside Apartments. With an increase of media coverage for the project, the city of Nottingham and its residents are now seeing the transformations first hand. As you enter the city from the South over Trent Bridge, you can now start to appreciate the form of The […]
1 year ago
December Opening Set for Biggest IKEA in Dubai
Festival Plaza mall in Jebel Ali will soon be home to Dubai’s largest IKEA store when doors open at the centre in July this year. Owned by the Al-Futtaim group, Festival Plaza will be home to multiple big names such as ACE Hardware, M&S and Lulu Hypermarket plus a further 120 stores. The new IKEA […]
1 year ago
The retail world needs “stories not stores”
At a recent round table held in partnership with Gleeds, a number of industry experts gathered to discuss how the industry could realistically transition from “retail toxicity” to create truly vibrant towns and cities. There are some fantastic examples of market sectors and specific brands breaking the mould and already doing just that – here […]
1 year ago
High Level Summary Round Table Discussion
Leonard Design and Gleeds were joined by industry experts from the retail and mixed use sectors (developers through to investors and local authorities) to discuss how we transition from the current Retail Toxicity to create truly Vibrant Cities. The group were invited in advance of the event, to read a selection of thought provoking written […]
1 year ago
Is collaboration the key to urban regeneration?
High-street retailers are working hard to evolve and create a point-of-difference with online shopping in order to keep up. However, if the UK economy is to remain strong post-Brexit then the regeneration and structure of our towns and cities must continue to receive investment. A continual cycle of urban regeneration has, and always will be, […]
1 year ago
Wellbeing in the Workplace
At Leonard Design we believe that the workplace is more than just a place for our staff to work. It is a place for everyone to thrive and enjoy their work without the ‘office’ being seen as a negative entity in someone’s life. The wellbeing of our team is of the highest of priorities, we […]
1 year ago
Three Years in the AJ100
Leonard Design have now been enlisted into the AJ100 for three consecutive years. Ranking at number 100 the team couldn’t be more thrilled to be part of this exclusive ‘club’ along with other industry leaders in the UK. Published annually by the Architects’ Journal since 1995, the AJ100 ranks the largest architectural practices in the […]
1 year ago
Planning Approved: Next Steps for Sheffield Masterplan
As the first phase of Sheffield’s Heart of the City II, Grosvenor House nears completion, the next two blocks have been given the green light. Also designed by Leonard Design, Block B and Block C, known as Laycock House & Pepperpot respectively, front onto Pinstone Street at the Eastern gateway to the Sheffield Heart of […]
2 years ago
How BIM is Changing the Design Process at Leonard Design
Leonard Design was an early adopter of BIM (Building Information Modelling) seen as a great advancement in the design process for architecture and design. Using software such as Autodesk Revit the design process has been streamlined in multiple ways to create a much better finished product. A perfect example of this streamlining has been the […]
2 years ago
Construction Update: The Waterside Apartments
Progress on The Waterside Apartments has continued at a great pace during the first couple of months of this year with visible progress now evident as you enter the city from South. Overlooking the River Trent, The Waterside Apartments are a prominent building was once home to the local council but have been vacant for […]
2 years ago
Lower Parliament Street in the Press
Take a look at some of the latest news about our Lower Parliament Street project, which is our newest project in the Sneinton Market area of Nottingham. The Lower Parliament Street project aims to bring footfall to the creative quarter of Sneinton Market and will also provide an area of flexible exhibition space at the […]
2 years ago
Family Action Toy Appeal
We all have traditions over the festive period. Our company is no different whether it be the team erecting the Christmas Tree or the big multi-office get together for food, drinks and fun. This year we decided to scrap a tradition for something much more rewarding. This year we decided to take part in the […]
2 years ago
Sheffield Block B Plans Submitted
Plans have been submitted for Block B of the Heart of the City II scheme in Sheffield. The development features a sensitive redevelopment of Laycock House, a late Victorian building that has remained relatively unchanged throughout its history. The Block B submission has been designed by Leonard Design in partnership with Queensberry. Earlier this month […]
2 years ago
The Future of Cinema
Director, John Morgan, was asked to speak at the Emerging Cinema Markets (ECM) conference last week in Istanbul, Turkey. The conference was held over three days focussing on the future of cinema in Turkey, Middle East, Central Asia, Balkans & Africa. Cinema today is a global industry, with growing annual box office returns of $40 […]
2 years ago
Approved: New Central Library in Nottingham
Nottingham City Council have approved the final designs for the new Broadmarsh development which will include a new Central Library for the city. The new Broadmarsh development, and the Central Library within, will be located in Nottinghams new ‘Southern Gateway’ project. This wider development will see the south side of the city transformed to include […]
2 years ago
Sheffied HoC II: Pepper Pot Planning Submitted
Planning submitted for Block C of Sheffield’s Heart of the City II scheme known as ‘Pepper Pot’. Following the completion of Phase One, the works on the new block are expected to start in Spring 2019, subject to planning. The plans for the Pepper Pot building, fronting on Pinstone Street, include the restoration of the […]
2 years ago
West Bridgford Junior School Scores a New Sports Pitch
West Bridgford Junior School’s dream of an all-sports grass pitch for its students has been made a reality thanks to four local businesses and a parent-backed crowdfunding campaign. Leonard Design Architects, Rushcliffe Fencing, Thomas Bow City Asphalt and Trust Utility Management each provided an array of skills and resources to boost the school’s sporting activities. […]
2 years ago
Baxter Green Off to a Great Start
Over the weekend an open house event was held at the Baxter Green development in Bramcote village, Nottingham. The event was very busy, and the design received a lot of praise from visitors. Set within the former gardens of St. Johns College, a Grade II Listed building, Baxter Green will have a very tranquil feel […]
2 years ago
Snow Day: Company Away Day 2018
Every year Leonard Design arranges a Company Away Day for the whole UK team to get together. Previous years activities have included cycling, white-water rafting & obstacle courses. This year the team descended upon the Tamworth Snowdome for a day of snow & ice! Bringing everyone together is a fantastic opportunity for the team to […]
2 years ago
Open House at Baxter Green Development
This weekend there will be an open house event held at Baxter Green in Bramcote village on the outskirts of Nottingham. The new development, designed by Leonard Design, is situated within an idyllic green setting on the former garden site of St. Johns College. The event at Baxter Green will initially showcase a five-bedroom detached […]
2 years ago
Leonard Design in the Press: October 2018
Autumn is officially here and summer is over. October has been a very busy month with some great coverage in the press for the projects that Leonard Design are working on. Recently we announced the competition winning design for the Incheon International Airport landmark sculptur. Commissioned by the three biggest duty-free retailers in Korea: Lotte, […]
2 years ago
The Grove: Plans to revive historic Notts pub
The Grove, located on the corner of Castle Boulevard and Abbey Bridge in Lenton, has been derelict for a number of years but the new plans by Leonard Design Architects will see it reinstated as a working pub with part of the building and its disused car park redeveloped into high-quality student accommodation. A total […]
2 years ago
Green Light for Beeston Development
Plans to deliver 132 new homes, a new cinema and food and drink outlets to Beeston in Nottingham have taken a step closer. Broxtowe Borough Council’s planning committee has unanimously granted full consent for the town’s new cinema and outline planning consent for the mixed-used and residential building. The decision was made at yesterday (12 […]
2 years ago
Winning Design for Incheon International Airport
Leonard Design have won a bid to design a landmark sculpture for Incheon International Airport, the largest airport in South Korea, as part of a wider refurbishment of the award-winning duty-free shopping area. The landmark, designed for Incheon International Airport but commissioned by the three biggest duty-free retailers in Korea: Lotte, Shilla and Shinsegae, will […]
2 years ago
Flying Over the Waterside
The Waterside Apartments will be a landmark development creating a prominent gateway into Nottingham. Located in the centre of the ever growing West Bridgford the development is surrounded by restaurants, cafes, local amenities and some of the best sport Nottingham has to offer. Nottingham Forest Football ground, Trent Bridge Cricket Club, Notts County Football ground […]
2 years ago
Staff Appreciation is at the Top of Our Agenda
Here at Leonard Design we have been putting our staff first with a month of fun events and activities to boost well-being and bring employees together. As a practice we already have a HR plan with perks such as open leave, health care cover, flexible and home working and a mentor initiative with career planning […]
2 years ago
Scale Rule: Designers of Tomorrow
Leonard Design & ARUP have teamed up to run a design workshop at Nottingham Trent University to inspire young local students to get into design & architecture. The scheme was organised by Scale Rule, a collective that seek to promote diversity and public engagement in our built environment. Year 9 & 10 students from across […]
2 years ago
Azuri: Revisited
Four years ago the Azuri oceanfront village in Mauritius was completed. Leonard Design were heavily involved in the design and construction of the scheme. Over the past week a few members of the team have revisited the idyllic island to see how the original scheme has evolved, and to review the subsequent phases of development […]
2 years ago
New Research Team in Partnership with The University of Nottingham
We are proud to announce a new partnership with the University of Nottingham (UoN) to improve research and development in the architectural sector. The first of its kind implemented in practice by any university across the country, the new initiative allows students at the UoN school of architecture to work directly with local firms to […]
2 years ago
Plans for Revolutionary Nottingham Dementia Care Home Revealed
The new plans for Skylarks Care Home, a revolutionary design focusing on the care of dementia patients, has been revealed. The care home promises to promote independence, comfort, and quality of life for residents through intelligent architecture. The design which proposes extensions to both the ground and first floor of the existing Church Farm at Skylarks […]
2 years ago
AJ100: Up 18 Places to Number 82!
Leonard Design have secured a spot on the prestigious AJ100 list for the second year in a row and have jumped up 18 places to rank at number 82. Published annually by the Architects’ Journal since 1995, the AJ100 ranks the largest architectural practices in the UK. It is largely regarded as a key measure […]
2 years ago
Planning Submitted for Next Phase of Beeston Square Development
Plans have been submitted for an ambitious new mixed-use development in Nottingham’s biggest suburb. Broxtowe Borough Council has entered a planning application for the second phase of the Beeston Square development, which will consist of 120 new homes, a cinema and a number of new food and drink outlets. The formal application has been made […]
2 years ago
Designing an Iconic Office Building for Sheffield
Construction continues on Phase One of Sheffield Heart of the City II. David Leonard, director of Leonard Design, recently spoke with the Sheffield team about the design of this phase. The extract below is from a newsletter published through the official Heart of the City website. If you want more information on the scheme or […]
2 years ago
Ambitious plans for phase two of the Beeston Square Development, Nottingham
Ambitious plans to create a vibrant new hub in Nottingham’s biggest suburb with new homes and leisure facilities will be revealed to the public this week. Broxtowe Borough Council has revealed its plans for phase two of the Beeston Square development which proposes 120 new homes, a cinema and greater choice of food and drink […]
2 years ago
Baxter Green Land Sold!
Thanks to FHP acting on behalf of St John’s college, the site of the new Leonard Design masterplan has been sold to Willmark Homes. The sale was subject to planning basis and negotiated by David Hargreaves of FHP Property Consultants. Leonard Design were appointed to create a residential development within a listed building setting. The […]
2 years ago
Sheffield Heart of the City 2 Works Progressing Well
Construction of the first phase of the new Heart of the City 2 continues to progress well with a large amount of the main structure completed. Attention is now focusing on the Main Building façade with the Installation of the Schuco façade progressing well, the glazed & anodised aluminium panels along Moorhead have been largely […]
3 years ago
£1.4billion Retail Scheme Forms a Large Part of Croydon’s “Regeneration Jigsaw”
Nottingham-based Leonard Design has revealed how its plans for Croydon’s £1.4billion Westfield and Hammerson shopping centre bring together the old and new and make significant environmental improvements as a key part of the town’s regeneration. With a grand galleria at its heart, which will be open 24-hours a day, the scheme has been designed to […]
3 years ago
Further Plans to Develop Nottingham’s Historic Sneinton Market Revealed
Further plans to redevelop Nottingham’s Sneinton Market have now been revealed by Leonard Design Architects. Architects from the award-winning practice, which is headquartered in Nottingham but has a global reach, were brought on board by Carlton Street Trading as part of the wider regeneration of the area to provide design concepts that is in keeping […]
3 years ago
Leonard Design Puts its Stamp on Luxurious Malaysian Projects
Leading international architectural firm Leonard Design has revealed its stunning proposal for two mixed-use developments in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Leonard Design, which has a head-office in Nottingham with further locations in London, Kuala Lumpur, and Australia, was brought on board by Pavilion, the largest retail concentrated real estate investment trust in Malaysia, to master plan […]
3 years ago
Festival Place Rejuvenated by Leonard Design
Regeneration plans for Festival Place shopping centre in Basingstoke get underway with the modernisation of St John’s Square by East Midlands architects Leonard Design. The three-phase update of Festival Place, due to be completed by October 2017, will include the modernisation of the tenant shop facades in the square, the re-design of the grand entrance […]
3 years ago
Leonard Design Help Budding Architects Place in Chatsworth Competition
The year four class of Chaucer Junior School, based in Ilkeston, has reached the final stage of the Royal Horticultural Society Chatsworth Flower Show 2017 competition to discover the most architecturally impressive bug hotel after receiving help from Leonard Design Architects. Chaucer Junior School teamed up with Leonard Design to get its advice on standing […]
3 years ago
Leonard Design Reveals Plans to Develop Historic Building on Carrington Street
Plans to transform a derelict building on Nottingham’s Carrington Street into a lively hub have now been revealed by Leonard Design Architects. Architects from the award-winning practice, which is headquartered in Nottingham but works on projects all over the world, were appointed by Carlton Street Trading to provide a design concept that is in keeping […]
3 years ago
Leonard Design Expands into Australia
Leading international and AJ 100 architecture firm Leonard Design has expanded into Australia with a new base in Sydney and a number of exciting projects on the horizon. Leonard Design, which has a head-office in Nottingham and further offices in London and Kuala Lumpur, has opened an Australian location as a result of increased international […]
3 years ago
Leonard Design Ranked in National AJ100 List
Midlands-based Leonard Design Architects is celebrating after securing a spot on the AJ100. The firm were also shortlisted for the ‘New Member of the Year’ award by the prestigious Architects’ Journal. Published annually since 1995, the AJ100 ranks the largest architectural practices in the UK. It is largely regarded as a key measure of success […]
3 years ago
Leonard Design Expands Nottingham HQ
Growing architecture practice Leonard Design Architects has expanded its Nottingham head office with a full refurbishment by Nottingham-based B&M Installations. Located in Albion House, Canal Street, the 465 sq ft office underwent a full refurbishment including frameless glass partitioning, new Interface floor tiles and a brand new, top of the range kitchen. Interior specialists B&M […]
3 years ago
Bridgford House Redevelopment
Leonard Design are proud to announce a planning application has been submitted to Rushcliffe Borough Council to transform Bridgford House on Trent Bridge, Nottingham into a mixed-used scheme including apartments, offices and restaurants. The former head office for Rushcliffe Borough Council was purchased by Nottingham based business Monk Estates in February for £6.9m. The new […]
3 years ago
Leonard Design Appointed to Create Radical Masterplan for Guildford
Nottingham based Leonard Design has been appointed by the Guildford Vision Group (GVG) to create a vision for Guildford town centre. Presented to the wider community at an open meeting in Guildford on 1 February 2017, the masterplan creates pedestrian friendly connections from the town centre to the railway station, University of Surrey, and Guildford Cathedral. […]
3 years ago