We aim to make places where people want to be. The design of buildings is often about resolving conflicting issues but also about looking for and taking advantage of opportunities that already exist. To do this we need to have a detailed understanding of the brief and also see the potential of a site or existing building.
Buildings need to be places that are enjoyable and contribute to a quality of life. They need to be accessible, not just physically but also in terms of being inviting, whilst also providing privacy and quietness. Buildings should respond to a site and contribute to the environment around them, the spaces between buildings are just as important as the buildings themselves.
Whilst all projects are different, site, function, client, and budgets vary enormously, our objective ensures that we can bring integrity, ingenuity, practicality, functionality, and hopefully delight to the scheme, whilst complying with budget and programme.
To do this it is imperative to talk and develop openness and trust between everyone that is involved with the project.
SOCIAL VALUE
As a practice we are committed to connecting with our local communities, supporting organisations and programmes to help promote education and engagement within the built environment.
Members of the ABW team actively support organisations such as PLACED Academy and the Liverpool Architecture Foundation CIC. PLACED specialises in engagement and education, supporting under-represented voices in the industry and offering free-to-access resources to young people about the built environment. Ambassadors within the ABW team have contributed by offering portfolio guidance and attending public engagement events within the North-West.
We are also dedicated to supporting young people on their pathway to a career within the built environment, working closely with local secondary schools to offer work experience opportunities to students aged 15 and onwards. In 2024, our architecture professionals joined the RIBA Architecture Ambassadors programme. The ambassadors have so far worked in partnership with a nearby PRU School to provide workshops to students, allowing them to work on a real-life, small-scale project. The aspiration is to take skills from the classroom to the real world to design and construct a structure within the school grounds.
QUALITY ASSURANCE
Within our practice, quality is at the heart of everything we do. We are committed to delivering projects that meet the highest standards of design, functionality, and sustainability, supported by our ISO 9001 (Quality Management) and ISO 14001 (Environmental Management) certifications. These internationally recognised standards demonstrate our dedication to robust quality assurance processes, continuous improvement, and environmentally responsible practice - ensuring that every project is delivered with care, precision, and integrity.
SUSTAINABILITY APPROACH
ABW recognise that sustainability must be considered in every aspect of our practice to help address the global climate crisis, from the buildings we design to everyday office life. We are proud to be a part of the RIBA 2030 Climate Challenge, a challenge set by the RIBA for practices to adopt targets to reduce operational energy, embodied carbon and potable water.
In Autumn 2024, our work on Burnley College Industry Hub reached practical completion and we were pleased to learn that the building has achieved Net Zero Carbon status. We are thrilled with this achievement and are committed to continuing this work in further developments.
People and sustainability are at the forefront of our design process, and we aspire to produce spaces that are sensitive to the surrounding social and environmental context, integrating the RIBA sustainable outcomes throughout every aspect of our practice.
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