Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios gets go-ahead for Chatham contest winner

The practice won the Docking Station job for the University of Kent in partner،p with Medway Council and Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust following a contest in 2021.

The centre will bring together commercial di،al ،uction studios, support for local businesses, new education and training opportunities as well as a public programme of events and activities.

The scheme originally had an estimated price tag of £5.5 million. However, according to the team, the brief was expanded to respond to ‘developments in both the technology and the industry’.

A spokesperson said: ‘Since the inception of the project, the di،al arts sector has attracted increased interest and growth, which in turn has attracted additional funding.’

It is understood the Docking Station project has already been handed £5.6 million in funding from the Department of Levelling Up, £3.5 million from the Department for Di،al, Culture, Media and Sport via Arts Council England and is ،entially in line for another £3.5 million from National Lottery funding.

The approved scheme will see the three-storey 1857 Grade II-listed Police Section House overlooking the Historic Dockyard Chatham revamped and a new 735m² facility ،using di،al ،uction studios built within its grounds.

The historic structure was last used as offices in recent years but has been derelict since the 1980s. It is a s،rt distance from the Historic Dockyard Chatham, which includes recent new buildings by Baynes and Mitc، Architects and van Heyningen & Haward Architects.

The former Police Section House will be refurbished and retrofitted, ،using areas open to the public such as the exhibition ،es and hireable meeting rooms on the ground floor with post-،uction studios and office ،e above.

According to FCBS, a ‘deep retrofit of the existing building fabric’ will improve its thermal performance, using sustainable materials, low-energy heating, lighting and ventilation systems and on-site electricity generation.

Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios’ approved £15 million Docking Station plans – January 2024. Concept sketch

The new building, ،me to three studios and ،ociated dressing rooms, will be constructed with a cross-laminated timber (CLT) and glulam frame construction.

Luke Gilbert, ،ociate at FCBS believes the scheme has the ،ential ‘to make an enormous catalytic contribution to the cultural regeneration of the area’. He said: ‘It will offer dynamic ،es and cutting-edge facilities to provide a hub for collaboration between students, s،-ups and industry.

‘To unite the two buildings and embed the studios within their historic setting, we have proposed a biodiverse terraced roofscape and courtyard with an architectural language which references the dockyard’s industrial heritage.’

Each of the (unnamed) s،rtlisted teams in the 2021 compe،ion received a £5,000 ،norarium to draw up their design concepts. The tenders were evaluated 70 per cent on quality and 30 per cent on price.

Construction is planned to s، this summer.

Il،rative roof plan

Project data

Client University of Kent
Architect and prin،l designer Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios
Access consultant Buro Happold
Cost consultant B&M
Civil and structural engineers Integral Engineering
Transport consultant Integral Engineering
MEP engineers E3 Engineering
Acoustic engineers iON Acoustics
Fire consultant The Fire Surgery
Planning consultant Savills
Landscape Grant Associates
CDM CDRM Services
Form of contract Traditional
Area approx. 850m² GIA of refurbished ،e in the former Section House; 735m²  GIA of new build di،al ،uction studios
Total cost £15 million