Gilbert-Ash premieres Building Culture at BAFTA

Short film is a celebration of collaboration and excellence
October 30: The premiere of a short documentary film commissioned by leading construction and fit out company, Gilbert-Ash has taken place at the headquarters of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) in central London.

Building Culture is a celebration of five iconic buildings, all of which were shortlisted for the Royal Institute of British Architects’ (RIBA) Stirling Prize, with the Everyman Theatre in
Liverpool named winner of the UK’s most prestigious award for architecture in 2014.

The other projects showcased in the film are the National Portrait Gallery in London, Cambridge Central Mosque as well as the Lyric Theatre and Giant’s Causeway Visitor Centre, both in Northern Ireland.

The portfolio of architecturally and culturally significant projects represents more than a decade of excellence from Gilbert-Ash, which also celebrated making the Sunday Times Best Places to Work list earlier this year.

A key focus of Building Culture is to shine a light on the extraordinary levels of collaboration required to bring ambitious designs to life as buildings which make a difference to the people who use them and the communities they serve.

In addition to the premiere, which took place on Tuesday October 28, the event also included a Q&A session with some of the film’s contributors which was hosted by the BBC’s
Culture & Media Editor, Katie Razzall.

The panel included Ray Hutchinson, Managing Director of Gilbert-Ash, Jamie Fobert, the architect responsible for the landmark refurbishment of the National Portrait Gallery along with Dr Tim Winter, Chair of Trustees of Cambridge Central Mosque and Sarah Ogle, Marketing and Communications Director, Everyman Theatre.

Ray Hutchinson said the one thread which ran through all projects celebrated in the film was the remarkable level of collaboration between everyone involved.

He said: “These five projects represent some of the finest work we have completed at Gilbert-Ash. We have been privileged to work alongside some of the UK’s finest organisations and architects on these projects.

“Each set of designs challenged our teams and pushed the boundaries of what could be successfully constructed but through partnership and collaboration we all worked as one to deliver outstanding buildings for our clients.

“It was an honour to watch our work being celebrated on the big screen at the world-famous headquarters of BAFTA and we were humbled to be joined by more than 150 people from across the design and construction industry– it was a true celebration of collaboration and excellence.”

Gilbert-Ash’s portfolio of landmark projects continues to grow with the ongoing redevelopment of Tate Liverpool and a major refurbishment of RIBA’s Grade II listed London headquarters.

Gilbert-Ash has a unique approach to construction, fit-out and refurbishment based on the belief that great buildings come about through hard work, inspired innovation and genuine collaboration. Sustainability is also a key focus for Gilbert-Ash with a number of initiatives underway to help the company to drive down its carbon footprint.

To find out more about Gilbert-Ash visit www.gilbert-ash.com.