About the Project

Bristol Beacon

The shock setbacks included the discovery that the existing decorative brickwork columns were hollow. It turned out they had been part of a historic hot-air heating system that also included open trenches in the floors. Yet the design relied on these columns to support a new steel and concrete floor in the auditorium above. Jason’s solution involved temporarily supporting the columns and filling them with structural concrete.

Three hidden Elizabethan wells were found in the basement areas, immediately beneath load-bearing walls and a new lift pit. Jason had them filled with concrete and monitored for movement, reprogramming work around them as he developed and implemented his structural solutions.

Jason’s shrewd technical leadership saw off the challenges. Meanwhile his project-first strategy of making decisions based solely on what was right for the scheme, and dealing with the commercial or programme implications afterwards, was key to a collaborative mindset that drove the project dynamic. It led to a handover to a client and user thrilled to have a facility of such tangible quality and craftsmanship.