Member Article

CODA Studios celebrates record order book after management buyout

WARD winning Sheffield company CODA Studios is emerging from lockdown with a record order book.

The multidisciplinary practice which is based in Sheffield’s Kelham Island and Manchester and includes CODA Architecture and CODA Bespoke, underwent a management buyout just before the Covid-19 pandemic took hold.

Matt Bowker, Abel Hinchliffe and Jamie Hanson now lead the firm after acquiring the remaining shares from founding partner David Cross.

After maintaining a full range of services for clients throughout lockdown, CODA is enjoying record orders and a period of expansion across all areas of the company.

“We are delighted to be able to say that despite all the problems of the past year, we are now in a very strong position with more enquiries than ever at both our Sheffield and Manchester offices,” said Managing Director Matt Bowker.

“And because of that optimism we have recently expanded both the CODA Architecture and Bespoke teams, with plenty of potential for further growth.”

One of the major projects currently in the pipeline for CODA Architecture is CN Tower, the ten storey development that is being brought forward by York based developer Grantside Ltd and will stand at the junction of Charles Street and Norfolk Street.

“This is an outstanding example of CODA design, a building that fulfils the brief for 21st century construction,” said Matt.

“At the same time, however, our team were very aware that this prime city centre location is close to one of Sheffield’s listed buildings and others of heritage importance so we also wanted to be sympathetic to our surroundings.

“This is a building that has the potential to become a major city centre landmark and one that will help to shape its future, a groundbreaking project that we are proud to be developing.”

Another important project for the CODA team is the new Olive Lane ‘Heart of the Community’ scheme at Rotherham’s Waverley development on behalf of Harworth.

“There has been so much speculation in recent months about the decline of the retail and commercial sectors but the projects we are working on very much prove that is not the case and that despite all the challenges of the pandemic there is as much need as ever for innovative design,” said Matt.

“Attitudes towards property may be changing but good design is all about acknowledging and adapting to those changes.

“Our designs for CN Tower and Olive Lane both demonstrate the way in which we are looking to the future, exploring new approaches to traditional areas.

“We were also delighted to be involved in the successful Stocksbridge Towns Fund bid which saw the government commit £24m of funding for investment in the town, and we are very excited about what lies ahead.

“The properties being developed by our Bespoke team, headed by director Abel Hinchliffe, take residential development in exciting new directions.

“And our Manchester office, under director Jamie Hanson, is developing the CODA brand in the north west.

“:As a result, we firmly believe that the year ahead will see even more expansion as we work on a raft of new projects.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by John Highfield .