Member Article

National award for Structural Interiors Victoria Quays project

SHEFFIELD commercial interior design and fit-out specialist Structural Interiors has won a major national award for its work on one of the city’s best known historic buildings.

The company was given the prestigious Small/Medium Project of the Year award at the Mixology Awards 2015 in Manchester.

The winning project was The Grain Warehouse in Sheffield’s iconic Victoria Quays for client WE ARE, the Sheffield-based brand communications specialists.

The landmark Grade II Listed Grain House was built in 1816-1819 for storing grain for distribution by boats travelling along the northern canal network.

After being largely neglected for more than two decades, the building had suffered water damage and minor structural faults, though many of its original features had survived intact.

The client’s brief was to create a studio space that had a unique atmosphere, an environment that fed creative minds, a ‘wow factor’ for clients, an element of domesticity, space to expand and to be: “a bit like a pub please, with nice toilets!”

The Structural Interiors team came up with a concept that maximised the power of the interior’s natural features and form, creating a special lighting feature that used the original grain hopper spout, utilising the latest energy efficient LED lighting technology to provide the studio’s primary source of illumination.

The project was designed in materials and finishes using a subtle blend between reclaimed and new, utilising Alea ‘Atreao’ desking and storage, with Boss ‘APP’ seating.

Structural Interiors Managing Director David Baldwin commented: “This is an extremely important victory for the whole Structural Interiors team and one that we are all very proud of.

“We were up against some very strong national competition including Faulkner Browns with their submission for Newcastle University’s Social Learning Space and this award recognises our expertise and all the hard work we have put in over the years to elevate us above our competition.

“And above everything else, it is also extremely rewarding to see that our work has safeguarded the future of a major piece of Sheffield’s industrial heritage at a time when so much of the city’s past is under threat.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by John Highfield .