Partner Article

Brock Carmichael’s work in China highlights growth opportunities

Prime Minister David Cameron’s day three of his official visit to China last week was to the inland city of Chengdu*. This, the largest and most diverse delegation ever by British Government to China includes Liverpool firm Brock Carmichael Architects.

Entering the Chinese market after supporting the City of Liverpool at the Shanghai World Expo in 2010, Brock Carmichael has had a local presence in Hong Kong ever since. It collaborates with Oval Partnership, an architectural practice in London with whom they have established a Joint Venture brand called the Octagon Partnership. Both practices can share locations, skills and knowledge and bid for larger projects, promoting and delivering sustainable development from offices in London, Liverpool, Hong Kong, Beijing and Chengdu.

Michael Cosser, Partner, Brock Carmichael Architects, said:

“Large, and more importantly small companies, are here flying the flag for Britain to help drive economic growth, inward investment and encourage cooperation between the two nations.”

“Last year we hosted The Swire Group and the Jinjiang District of Chengdu in Liverpool to see how heritage has been integrated successfully in Liverpool’s regeneration. With the support of Grosvenor Group we were able to show them around Liverpool ONE. We will be interested to visit their corresponding Daci Temple project in Chengdu.” He added; “Our joint venture partner Oval Partnership has been responsible for the master-planning of the Daci Temple Project (Taikoo Li).”

The Daci Temple Cultural and Commercial Complex in Chengdu is the second joint-venture development by Sino-Ocean Land and Swire Properties. The mixed-use complex comprises Sino-Ocean Taikoo Li Chengdu - an open-plan, lane-driven mall covering approximately 1,140,000 sq ft (approximately 100,000 sqm), The Temple House - a 100-room urban hotel and 42 serviced apartments managed by Swire Hotels and the Pinnacle One tower with premium office accommodation for multinational and local companies. This is scheduled for completion in 2014. The 2,700,000 sq ft (approximately 250,000 sqm) complex connects to where Metro Lines 2 and 3 interchange.

In 2010 Brock Carmichael Architects, with the Oval Partnership, were placed second in an international design competition for a cultural resort at Shilin Stone Forest in Yunnan Province, Shilin.

In 2012 Brock Carmichael and Oval working under the Octagon JV won an international design competition for Ocean One, a 52 acre waterfront development in Tianjin. Web site Brock Carmichael led the design for this development comprising new marina, villas and apartments.

Brock Carmichael also assisted Oval in the design of key mixed use and residential towers forming part of the 1million sqm Wuli regeneration project in Kunming and the Hong Kong University Auditorium project. Brock Carmichael’s local presence and project management skills have been needed for the refurbishment of the YWCA Kowloon Centre Rehabilitation Project. Technical skills have also been employed for sound attenuation and barrier works for the Hong Kong Mass Transit Railway (MTR) railway ancillary facilities.

Specialist architectural and building conservation advice was given by Brock Carmichael for prestigious heritage buildings with New City Construction Co Ltd. and it has carried out a re-development appraisal for a landmark office and commercial tower in Singapore for the Shaw Movie City HK Ltd. Cosser continued; “Developing sustainable urban areas is a key issue for the government in China and other rapidly urbanising economies.”

“Although China’s growth is slowing its quality and impact on the world economy will continue to rise. China is urbanising at 10 times the speed of the UK and at 100 times the scale and there has been more investment from China into the UK in the last 18 months than in the previous 30 years.”

“Brock Carmichael Architects will be able to continue to promote exports, knowledge transfer and inward investment. There is the International Festival for Business, the new Barclays supported Liverpool Chamber of Commerce international trade lounge and we will continue to recommend opportunities for inward investment such as HS2, Airport City in Manchester and Liverpool Waters.”

Cosser added; “This trade delegation to China is a perfect platform from which to offer our Chinese counterparts the opportunity to come to Liverpool in June 2014 for the International Festival for Business, the biggest UK business event since 1951’s Festival of Britain.” Brock Carmichael Architects celebrates 40 years in business in 2014. As the firm enters its fifth decade, with an international business strategy, it plans to mark the occasion with celebrations in Liverpool and Hong Kong.

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Contacts: Michael Cosser, Partner, Brock Carmichael Architects Mobile: +44 (0)773 4228 763 or Office: 0151 242 6222 Email: cosser.m@brockcarmichael.co.uk Jane Harrad-Roberts, PR Mobile: +44 (0)7785 395705 Email: jane@marketingprojects.co.uk

More, recent releases here

• Brock Carmichael Architects combines architecture, planning, urban design and interior design, with an award winning track record of cultural, leisure, education, commercial and residential building projects. • The firm entered the Chinese market after supporting the City of Liverpool at the Shanghai World Expo in 2010. • Brock Carmichael Architects has a local presence in Hong Kong and collaborates with Oval Partnership, an architectural practice with whom they have established a Joint Venture brand called the Octagon Partnership. This arrangement enables them to share locations, skills and knowledge and allows both practices to bid for larger projects. The Octagon Partnership promotes and delivers sustainable development and has offices in London, Liverpool, Hong Kong, Beijing and Chengdu. • Brock Carmichael Asia Limited, registered in Hong Kong, was incorporated in 2011 and in 2012 it won its first commissions in its own right, including project management of the YWCA Kowloon Centre Rehabilitation Project and works for MTR railway ancillary facilities. • Brock Carmichael also provided specialist architectural and building conservation advice for prestigious heritage buildings to New City Construction Co Ltd. and carried out a re-development appraisal for a landmark office and commercial tower in Singapore for the Shaw Movie City HK Ltd. • Brock Carmichael Architects’ Hong Kong office has been arranging annual exchange workshops for postgraduate studies for the School of Architecture at the University of Liverpool since 2010.

• Brock Carmichael’s Partner, Martin Watson was the first western architect to receive an honorary citation for his relevant research paper on displaced communities at the 10th Chinese Urban Housing Conference 2013.

• Brock Carmichael Architects has been invited by The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) to be a course advisor and guest lecturer for their new Master of Social Science in Housing Studies programme starting in September 2014.

• Brock Carmichael’s progress in diversifying the business away from a reliance on home markets was recognised by its winning the New Exporter of the Year Award at Insider’s 2012 North West International Trade Awards and being runner-up for two consecutive years of the North West England Greater China Rising Star Award organised by UK Trade & Investment North West. • Established in 1974 in Liverpool Brock Carmichael has almost 40 years’ experience of working across all building sectors and for a wide range of private, public and third sector clients. • Brock Carmichael has been responsible for many high-profile projects in Liverpool including six projects at Liverpool ONE, Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA), remodelling and extension of the Philharmonic Hall, the Merseyside Maritime Museum and Beetham Plaza. • Brock Carmichael continue to be involved in the delivery of social housing and community enterprise and are currently working for Plus Dane, Sanctuary, One Vision, Helena and Warrington Housing Association.

• Brock Carmichael Architects is run by six partners John Cassell, David Watkins, Michael Cosser, Martin Watson, Chris Bolland and Alfred Yeung. • More information at www.brockcarmichael.co.uk * Chengdu is the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. More information The Swire Group (More information) has origins in Liverpool and owns Cathay Pacific Airways.

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