A wind of change as centre is given a makeover

A few years ago, many new developments were springing up across the region. Lizzie Murphy meets one of the trouble-shooting firms now tackling unforeseen problems.

IT was hailed as a dynamic new shopping destination, attracting shoppers from all over the region.

But the 200m St Stephen's centre, in Hull is now undergoing a makeover after complaints that the original design created a "wind tunnel" effect in the building.

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Some locals dubbed the building "St Freezens", and now Wakefield-based architects The Harris Partnership have been brought in to "restore comfort levels".

This so-called trouble-shooting is providing an increasing amount of work for firms like The Harris Partnership, particularly at a time when few new projects are getting off the ground.

Managing director Paul Mitchell said: "It's something that's becoming more common. A lot of things have been built over the last five years and there wasn't always the type of thought process that should have been put in.

"Now people are accepting that once they have completed a scheme it isn't necessarily finished, and they are being reviewed past completion, particularly in the retail sector."

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The firm has designed draught lobbies at either end of St Stephen's as well as new signage, which has cost up to half-a-million pounds in total. It is also looking at creating an extension to the scheme, which was completed in 2007.

The Harris Partnership is also working on the Hull retail park Kingswood. Mr Mitchell said: "It was only built seven or eight years ago, but now we're designing an extension, which is costing more than 1m, including a pod scheme with a Costa Coffee in the middle of the car park."

He added: "I think people have learned their lesson from the property heyday of a few years ago. If you haven't got a design that is credible and the right people on board, then banks won't lend any more.

"People are thinking more carefully about schemes and bringing in firms like us to sort out problems on existing projects."

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The Harris Partnership, which now employs 100 people, has had its own fair share of upheaval during the recession. It shed up to 30 per cent of its workforce, although it says some of that was due to natural wastage.

But things are looking up. As well as taking over existing projects, it has also found a niche for itself in the food sector by designing stores for expanding value chain Aldi. It has worked with the company for more than two decades, designing more than 240 stores.

The firm, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, is also responsible for commercial developments, including Paragon Business Village, in Wakefield, and Scarborough Business Park.

Other developments include the 50m Broad Street Plaza and new hotel, in Hull, Birmingham, Gateshead, and the 200-acre mixed commercial scheme, Markham Vale, off junction 29a of the M1.

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Mr Mitchell predicted another tough year for the property industry but added that there are signs of improvements within the private sector.

He said: "This year is going to be a disaster for the building industry.

"The public sector is going to be hit and the balance is going to return in favour of the private sector.

"The public sector has been quite strong in the last two years, but after the election, a lot of these schemes will be delayed or mothballed. It will affect quite a few architectural practices and businesses."

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He added: "It'll hopefully be our year but we will have to fend off people from the public sector picking off our workload.

"However, commercial clients are a lot more savvy than the public-sector clients and would rather not take the risk because they could lose a lot more than they gain out of it.

"We are not out of the tunnel yet but there are positive signs in the private sector.

"We will have to wait and see what happens but I am quite optimistic about the future."

Partnership's progress

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1984 The Harris Partnership is founded in Wakefield by John Harris.

1990 The company is appointed by Aldi food stores and the first project completed in Castleford.

1991 Paul Mitchell joins The Harris Partnership as a director

1995 The firm opens its Milton Keynes office.

1998 Paul Mitchell becomes managing director and majority shareholder.

2000 The firm opens its Manchester office.

2003 The firm opens its Reading office.

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2006 The Harris Partnership is appointed by B&Q on a national basis.

2008 Origin Point at Paragon Business Village wins an award for The Best Commercial Project at the West Yorkshire Built in Quality Awards.

2008-2010 Ranked in the top 100 UK Architects Practices in Architect's Journal.

2009 The company wins best architect at Yorkshire Property awards.