Project manager Focus Consultants celebrates RIBA awards for Royal Albert Memorial Museum

Focus Consultants is celebrating the news that the Royal Albert Memorial Museum in Exeter has won two top architectural awards.

The museum was named RIBA South West Building of the Year 2013 and also took the RIBA South West Conservation Award 2013 at the ceremony organised by the Royal Institute of British Architects.

Focus, based at Phoenix Business Park, Nottingham, with offices in Leicester, Boston and Aubourn in Lincolnshire, and in Holborn, London, was project manager and quantity surveyor for the £24million renovation and redevelopment project.

Focus was part of the team that helped to secure almost £10million of Heritage Lottery Funding for the scheme, which was completed 18 months ago.

RIBA judges said: “This is a nationally important project, made all the remarkable when the full logistical story is explained (for example, only 0.01% of the museum archive is on display in RAMM).

”Exeter City Council should be applauded as client. The passion and commitment shown in the vision, funding and delivery of this building is extraordinary. Empowered by the community, the project now sits as an important ingredient of the emerging Culture Quarter and has become an educational and tourist focal point, and a city treasure.”

Architects for the scheme were Allies and Morrison.

Last year RAMM was named the UK’s museum of the year by the Art Fund charity.

“The redevelopment of RAMM has been a great success and the museum has attracted thousands of visitors since re-opening. We are very pleased to hear that it has won two awards recently in what are regarded as the nation’s premier awards for architectural excellence, and congratulate our team members in the project Allies and Morrison,” said partner at Focus Consultants, Steven Fletcher.

Focus Consultants specialises in funding, research and economic development, project and programme management, construction and property services and energy carbon sustainability services. It works on private and public projects across the UK.

For more information about Focus Consultants visit www.focus-consultants.co.uk

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Museum of the Year accolade for Focus Consultants’ project

Focus Consultants is celebrating the news that one of its projects has been named the UK’s museum of the year by the Art Fund charity.

The Royal Albert Memorial Museum in Exeter, which re-opened in December following a £24million renovation, was described by Lord Smith of Finsbury, the chairman of the judging panel, as "quite simply a magical place".

It is the latest in a number of accolades awarded to projects that East Midlands-based Focus Consultants has been involved in.

Last month the £5.4m refurbishment of Tudor House Museum in Southampton picked up the conservation project award at the 2012 RICS South East region awards, and went on to be named as the overall project of the year. The awards are regarded as the ‘Oscars’ of the property world.

Focus Consultants was project manager on both the Tudor House Museum and the Royal Albert Memorial Museum, which picked up £100,000 as the prize for being named museum of the year by the Art Fund charity.

“To say that we are delighted to hear that the Royal Albert Memorial Museum has been named the UK’s museum of the year is a massive under-statement. We are absolutely thrilled for the whole team involved in this project, which was up against some high profile rivals for the award,” said founding partner at Focus Kevin Osbon.

“Royal Albert Memorial Museum has been a big success since it opened last year, attracting thousands of visitors and significant praise. Focus Consultants is proud to have played a role in the development.”

Focus Consultants, which is based at Phoenix Business Park, Nottingham, and has offices at Endeavour Park, Boston, Princess Road East, Leicester, Aubourn, Lincoln, and Holborn, London, was part of the team that helped to secure almost £10million of Heritage Lottery Funding for the scheme, and was also quantity surveyor for the Royal Albert Memorial Museum re-development.

In addition, the company was part of the delivery team for the creation of the Ark Collections Store - a specialist storage facility built to house items of the decorative and fine arts and national history collections.

Run by Exeter City Council, the museum houses a diverse collection featuring a million items. It has attracted more than 200,000 visitors since re-opening in December.

Focus Consultants has worked on many key heritage, cultural and arts developments across the UK, including the recently opened SeaCity Museum in Southampton. The company specialises in creative approaches to securing funding packages and delivering high quality projects across the UK.

Since its creation in 1994, Focus has secured over £800 million of grant assistance, and delivered more than £1 billion of projects and programmes - including enterprise support, innovation, culture, health, regeneration, affordable homes and energy carbon sustainability projects.

Other partners in the Royal Albert Memorial Museum scheme were BAM Construction, architects Allies and Morrison, structural and service engineers BDP, CDM coordinator Northcroft, exhibition consultants Ralph Appelbaum Associates, and exhibition fit out contractors Benbow Ltd.

www.focus-consultants.co.uk

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