Digital Jersey Hub Refurbishment (2019), St Helier. Jersey. / September 1, 2019 by Rory Drinnan

Client: Digital Jersey

Sector: Workplace

Unprecedented demand from industry necessitated a rethink of the Hub, five years after it’s successful creation in 2014. With the relocation of fixed workstations and cellular office spaces up onto the first floor, the ground floor Hub is able to dedicate all its space to better facilities, more meeting spaces, bigger event space, a breakout zone, a new ‘meet n eat’ café area and plenty of hot desks. The design needed to reflect the evolution of Digital Jersey and the very significant contribution it makes to Jerseys economy. It required a more “grown-up” approach to aesthetics in order to deliver a contemporary, dynamic, co-working space for tech professionals to meet, work and collaborate. Supported by state-of-the-art presentation and conferencing equipment, the Hub provides the ideal environment for digital companies and entrepreneurs to thrive.

Design Scope: Full Service

Completed: September 2019

Main Contractor: Mitchell Building Contractors

M&E: Astons Building Services

Specialist installations: Design Dimensions

Digital Skills Academy, St Helier. Jersey. / September 1, 2019 by Rory Drinnan

Client: Digital Jersey

Sector: Education

The Digital Skills Academy is a new centre of excellence for digital skills training set up by Digital Jersey to meet growing demand from the tech sector. Located at Digital Jersey’s base on Grenville Street, the Academy will offer university-accredited qualifications and professional training, ranging from degree apprenticeships to short courses, aimed at those wanting to up-skill in an increasingly digital world. The Digital Jersey Academy has a range of bespoke learning and creating spaces, equipped with top of the range devices and facilities. The aesthetics relate to the new Hub next door and the Xchange in St Brelade, helping deliver a strong Digital Jersey identity as well as make this learning facility a fresh and exciting educational environment.

Design Scope: Full Service.

Completed: September 2019

Main Contractor: Mitchell Building Contractors

M&E: Brady & Gallagher

Digital Jersey Xchange (Internet of Things Lab), St Brelade. Jersey. / January 1, 2019 by Rory Drinnan

Client: Digital Jersey

Sector: Workplace / Education

The Digital Jersey Xchange (DJX) is a dedicated technology space and research centre that offers a focal point for its users to collaborate and share resources, apply research to real-life scenarios, and turn IoT (Internet of Things) ideas into commercial ventures. The design responds to the client’s aspirations of delivering a fresh, urban aesthetic. It employs simple materials with a restrained colour palette offset by the use of strong colour pattern and graphics. A continuous corrugated steel graffiti wall separates the cellular spaces from the communal workshop space on the first floor. Glazed openings are framed and punch through the corrugated wall giving views and connections. A cellular space houses a huge data platform wall for analysing large data sets collected from IoT sensors around Jersey. The flooring was specified to enable the testing of robotic devices. The ground floor breakout and mini presentation space is shared with Jersey Telecom who occupy the remainder of the ground floor.

Design Scope: Full Service

Completed: January 2019

Main Contractor: Mitchell Building Contractors

M&E: Brady & Gallagher

Les Brisant, St Brelade. Jersey. / April 1, 2018 by Rory Drinnan

Client: Private

Sector: Residential

Les Brisants is a new build five-bedroom family home in a stunning coastal location. The building’s contemporary forms and material quality draw inspiration from the character of the bay in which it sits.

Working closely with the project architect, internal spaces were developed that responded to the client’s ambitions and very clear vision of how the house needed to work in order to enable and enhance their family lifestyle as well as their connections with the surrounding landscape. Internal finishes, specifications and products were all selected in conjunction with the clients to deliver the informal, casual and creative beach-side environment they wished to live in.

Completed: April 2018

Design Scope: Internal space planning, procurement and specification.

Architect: Axis Mason

Main Contractor: Mitchell Building Contractors

160 Borough High Street, London. / December 1, 2017 by Rory Drinnan

Client: Axis Mason London

Sector: Workplace

When the Axis Mason London studio relocated to Borough High Street, it was important to ensure commonality with the already completed Jersey studio at Sommerville House. The shell of the new premises was already completed to CAT A standard by the Landlord and did not offer the same potential for exposed ceilings and structure that forms such a strong part of the identity of the Jersey Studio. Instead, this became an exercise of careful space planning to ensure a similar journey could be taken through the spaces. The employment of a material palette not only appropriate to this site, but that shares broad terms of reference with the specifications used in Jersey was also instrumental in delivering an Axis Mason brand. The project was drawn and managed by the London team.

Design Scope: Space planning; specification.

Completed: December 2017

Main Contractor: Steadberry Restoration

Forum Serviced Offices, St Helier. Jersey. / September 1, 2016 by Rory Drinnan

Client: Polygon Group

Sector: Workplace

Polygon Group began offering serviced offices in 2013 to address the demand for flexible, good value for money office accommodation gradually developing one floor at a time in the Forum buildings. Named after clouds, Cumulus, Cirrus and Stratus are all located in F3 and aim to attract technology-based companies and start-ups, some of whom naturally migrate from the incubator hub at Digital Jersey, F3’s ground floor occupants. A key element of each floor is the unique aesthetic of the breakout and presentation facility located by each entrance. Digital Jersey operate a floor in F4 which houses permanent desks and start up cellular spaces. Together, the floors combine to offer more than 15,000 sq ft of flexible, contemporary accommodation in Grenville Street for over 40 businesses.

Design Scope: Breakout areas / bespoke features throughout.

Completed: September 2016

Main Contractor: Mitchell Building Contractors

M&E: Astons Building Services / Brady & Gallagher

Bath Street Restaurant, St Helier. Jersey. / September 1, 2016 by Rory Drinnan

Client: N/A

Sector: Hospitality

Bath Street is a large scale, mixed-use development by Axis Mason which received planning permission in October 2019. It consists of 144 apartments, a new Premier Inn hotel, commercial units and large landscaped pedestrianised areas with pavement widening and street art. The ‘vision’ for the project is to create a unique residential and tourism led development within a busy town centre location as part of a new, vibrant urban quarter in the heart of St Helier, with supporting food and beverage and commercial uses at ground floor to maximise active frontages at street level. The below images represent a proposal for a restaurant space within the development. It is inspired by contemporary pan-asian and fusion restaurant dining styles, with an open view kitchen, natural materials and two distinct zones maximising the use of the long narrow site, supported by fully-considered back of house spaces.

Design Scope: Restaurant space planning and concept design.

Status: Feasibility

Completed: September 2016

CGI’s: Axis Mason

Seafish Cafe St. Aubin. Jersey. / March 1, 2016 by Rory Drinnan

Client: Seafish St. Aubin Ltd

Sector: Hospitality

Following on from the success of the first Seafish Café in Liberty Wharf, a second site was acquired in order to expand the brand into in the picturesque harbour setting of St. Aubin. The clients brief was to create a light and airy space that offered a welcoming atmosphere and would appeal to people of all ages. The existing restaurant and kitchen required completely stripping out and re-planning. An extensive refurbishment was undertaken to bring them up to modern requirements and to meet the needs of the proposed operation. The internal aesthetic reflects the nautical and casual ambience of the harbour, and working closely with the Graphic designer, enhances the Seafish brand experience.

Completed: March 2016

Design Scope: Full Service

Graphic Design: Paul Conway

Digital Jersey Hub (2014), St Helier. Jersey. / May 1, 2014 by Rory Drinnan

Client: Polygon Group

Sector: Workplace

The first incarnation of the Hub was a ground-breaking scheme for Jersey, being the first “anti-office” environment created on the island. Inspired by far-flung innovative and creative “techy” co-working spaces, the design intent was to apply a light hearted look and feel to a serious brief to support start up business development and grow jobs and value in the fast-growing digital economy. As an untested model, the budget was a challenge and much of the furniture, fixtures and fittings were reclaimed, recycled or repurposed. Most notably, the elements in the “window and door wall”, which were donated by the demolition contractors of the nearby Southampton Hotel. The Hub rapidly became the heart and soul of a digitally enabled island and proved to be a great catalyst for the digital sector, bringing people together with excitement and energy.

Completed: May 2014

Design Scope: Full Service

Main Contractors: Mitchell Building Contractors

Don Street Deli, St Helier. Jersey / December 1, 2013 by Rory Drinnan

Client: SR Holdings

Sector: Hospitality

Pitched right next door to the highly acclaimed Ormer, Don Street Deli was born out of a love of quality products previously hard to source in the Island. The Delicatessen, by Michelin starred chef Shaun Rankin, provides quality products by working with exceptional producers and smallholders, as well as local suppliers. A wood fired oven takes centre stage in the deli, cooking quality handmade breads and pizzas. The design is simple, classic and traditional, with an eat-in breakfast bar, point of sale display counters and showcases products and menus through bespoke joinery displays, Don Street Deli by Shaun Rankin was one of six finalists in the running for Delicatessen of the Year in the UK Farm Shop & Deli Awards 2016.

Completed: December 2013

Design Scope: Full Service

Main Contractor: Camerons

Specialist Sub-contractor: Design Dimensions

The Grand Hotel, St Helier. Jersey. / September 1, 2013 by Rory Drinnan

Client: Hilwood Resorts

Sector: Hospitality

The owners of the Grand Jersey had undergone a series of significant phased improvements since the acquisition of the hotel in 2006. Some areas though were tired and in need of updating to align themselves with the design-led, luxury offering in other areas of the hotel. These proposals were to address the feasibility for a new phase of works to three areas within the hotel; the Tassili restaurant and adjacent lounge, a wing of standard bedrooms and the creation of luxury live work suites by knocking through existing park side standard rooms. The scheme was evolved to meet the client’s needs but was abandoned when a buyer for the hotel was found.

Design Scope: Feasibility study

Status: Feasibility (unbuilt) 2013

Completed: September 2013

CGI’s: Axis Mason

Co-operative House. Jersey / September 1, 2011 by Rory Drinnan

Client: Channel Island Co-operative Society

Sector: Workplace / Retail

This project called for a complete modernising of workplace environments and working practices. A complex structural and strategic reorganisation of workplace culture preceded the operation’s move into one central site for the first time in the Co-ops history. The project required extensive remodelling of the former Co-op Homemaker which was altered to create the new travel maker, post office, locale store and offices for the Co-op headquarters. Sustainable and renewable options were key for the project. Window positions were adjusted to provide better/improved natural lighting and the inclusion of a Heliobus system created a more natural atmosphere for staff who would otherwise not be near a window for daylight. The CICS Don Street premises was one of the first in the UK to utilise this technology. This system produces a much greater level of natural daylight than standard sun-pipes. Low energy lighting and control systems were utilised to their full effect as CICS became one of the leading local companies to reduce their carbon footprint. The internal fit out was to a high standard and of complex interior design to provide a contemporary branded environment for the new offices.

Completed: September 2011
Design Scope: Full Service

Architect: Axis Mason

Main Contractor: Camerons

Le Petit Champeaux, Jersey. / March 1, 2011 by Rory Drinnan

Client: Confidential

Sector: Residential

A new build house above fields and National Trust land in St Clement, Le Petit Champeaux brings together a mix of materials and contrasting elevations using a simple palette of granite, slate, white render, glass, timber, and metal.

On the north side of the building a feature granite wall has been constructed to create the appearance of a country barn, with visually light-weight structures forming all the living spaces to the south. Kiln fired coloured glass inserts in horizontal slots in the wall bring coloured light into the interior.

The interior is characterised by its light and sight lines. The internal flow of spaces give long views out to the surrounding gardens and landscape. Mezzanines, double height spaces and a ten metre long flat rooflight enable vertical views within the building and beyond to the sky.

Completed: March 2011

Design Scope: Concept design, internal space planning, specialist procurement and specification.

Architect: Axis Mason

Main Contractor: AC Mauger