SSDA 2026: Commended projects

An innovative retrofit programme has transformed a former flagship department store into a modern mixed-use development.

Once a highlight of Europe’s busiest shopping thoroughfare, Oxford Street’s former Debenhams department store has been extensively remodelled. With sustainability taking centre stage, a substantial portion of the existing six-storey building has been retained and incorporated into a new nine-storey steel-framed structure.

Combining retained and new steelwork enabled the building to be extended, while creating open office spans, perimeter terraces and a more flexible structural grid. 

A lightweight steel extension limited strengthening requirements and helped accommodate differential settlement between the existing structure and new-build element.

Bespoke new-to-existing connections were designed to work with the riveted historic steelwork, while achieving the required structural performance and a refined finish. Standardised and extended fin plates were cut to suit the verified site positions, providing flexibility where the existing geometry varied.

Big enough for two frigates to be constructed side-by-side, shipbuilding on the River Clyde has been safeguarded since the completion of BAE Govan’s fully enclosed workshop.

Designed to enhance construction of the Royal Navy’s Type 26 frigate, BAE Govan’s new workshop has been constructed within the footprint of an existing dock. 

The steel frame comprises 35m-high lattice columns supported on 10m-high concrete walls. Eighteen roof trusses span the hall, while full-length crane beams support two 100t and two 20t gantry cranes. 

Ship and material movements shaped both ends of the building. At the southern elevation, a 16m-high access door accommodates material deliveries, while a much larger vertically opening door at the northern end allows completed vessels to move from the workshop to the river. 

Ensuring the steel deliveries were undertaken efficiently, the largest assemblies had to be designed around road transport limits. Once on site, mechanical and electrical services were installed on roof truss sections at ground level, before they were lifted into place, thereby limiting the amount of working at height. 

Originally built in 1946, a former factory in central Dublin has undergone its second redevelopment and is now a 21st-century low-carbon commercial workspace.

Originally the main factory for Boland’s Bakery and then more recently an office block, the latest reinvention of this Dublin structure has seen main contractor PJ Hegarty & Sons add two new office floors, construct mezzanine levels within the ground and first floor levels, and create an additional bay around the atrium.

All in all, the redevelopment provides the Bakery Building with more than 7,500m² of additional office floor space, within a new eight-storey building. 

“We had the original drawings from the 1940s and so were able to ascertain where and if there was any capacity for additional loads,” says CORA director John Casey.

“As well as reusing the existing foundations we additionally transferred the new loads from existing columns to a series of new mini piles via a welded corbel, flat jacks and steel transfer beams.”

The Ribbon commercial scheme has replaced a 1960s building with a modern office block, providing 40% more floor space.

Commenting on The Ribbon development, Oli Cowan, Orms Architects’ project associate, says: “Given the prominent London location on Oxford Street, a steel frame was selected for this project to maximise construction efficiency. As a lighter weight structural option, it required fewer foundations and piling.”

Above ground, the Ribbon’s steel frame creates open-plan offices with 12m-long internal spans. This is said to minimise internal obstructions and provide flexible floorplates capable of accommodating different tenants and future changes. 

For most of the building, the steel frame has a regimented design, with the exception of the four uppermost floors where set-backs form terraces along the Oxford Street and Wells Street elevations.

Throughout the building, the structural steelwork is exposed, creating a modern industrial-looking interior. Cellular beams accommodate building services within the structural depth, while selected pipework is embedded within internal columns to maintain uncluttered surfaces.

The restored Vyshhorod Bridge re-establishes a vital route into the Ukrainian capital, replacing a temporary crossing that could not carry heavy goods vehicles.

The Vyshhorod Bridge is a concrete-framed structure, which was partially demolished in 2022 to obstruct the advance of Russian troops. 

For speed of construction, three steel spans have been installed to replace the two original damaged spans.

The steelwork consists of 1.5m-deep plate girders, fabricated in 15.6m sections and joined using bolted splices. The material had to replicate the structural depth of the original concrete deck, while providing an efficient, rapidly erectable replacement.

Helping to get the project off the ground, the UK allocated a £26.3 million loan guarantee via UKEF, enabling the Ukrainian government to secure financing for the project privately from Citibank. The initiative also enabled UK manufacturers to contribute essential materials and expertise, including the steelwork for the core structure, which was fabricated in Scotland by Cairnhill Structures.

Produced by BCSA and Steel for Life in association with Construction Management.