House in the mountains of Sierra Nevada, Spain

With exceptional views the aim was to create living accommodation which allowed you to do as many activities outside in nature as was possible, through the changing seasons.

Sri Lanka – House in the Village

A house built for retirement was the brief.

Designed and project managed on site, utilising local trade and materials, a house was constructed within 5 months in Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon) an island south of India in the Indian Ocean. Its diverse landscapes range from rainforest and arid plains to highlands and sandy beaches.

The house was built using interlocking earth compressed bricks, to allow the walls to breath and prevent heat being trapped. The orientation, verandahs, high ceilings and cross ventilation mitigate the need for air conditioning in a highly tropical, humid landscape.

Everything from the kitchen work surfaces to handles on doors were a bespoke design.

Having respect and embedding ones self in the local culture was the best way to make sure the outcome sat well within the community and place.

Brunel’s SS Great Britain Cafe

Discover the ship that changed the world and the renovated cafe

We were proud to work alongside a London based branding team and the client SS Great Britain to revitalise the cafe for the No. 1 tourist attraction in Bristol.

The cafe was renovated over 7 nights to enable activity to continue during the day. The delivery was costed, project managed and designed by our in house team. The look and feel of the cafe was developed to match the brand associated with Brunel’s SS Great Britain.

M32 Motorway Underpass

Junction 2 of the M32 offers a large covered space which can be used in many
ways for the community. It has huge potential yet is under used.
The junction is a key route between Fishponds, Easton, Stapleton road and
Eastville Park with Muller road and Lockleaze, St Werburghs and the retail
park where many people shop. The space sits on the boundary of Eastville
and Lockleaze, and are Bristol’s fourth and fifth most diverse neighbourhoods.
Many ethnicities, religions and backgrounds all add to the social mix.1 The
space has the potential to be a rich place of community exchange due to the
location and all weather protection.
Currently the space is only used as a through route, this can be due to the
harsh environment, and that there is no reason to stop and dwell. Pedestrians
have been killed at surface level as they try to avoid the subways,2 and the
space at night is deemed less safe and has been subject to crime such as
criminal damage and arson.3 There are also large areas of unused ‘left over’
space to the east of junction 2, connected with redundant subways. Low
footfall inherently means spaces are deemed less safe.

View Document

The scope of this report will outline proposals for interventions and props
situated underneath Junction 2 that can improve the perception of the space,
increase dwell time, and capitalise on this large underused public space.

Bristol Food Connections 2015

Bristol Food Connections 2015 is a revolutionary food festival that takes place across the entire city. Nudge Group were asked to give the event a sense of place.

Bristol is an inspirational city when it comes to food. The diversity of communities and food cultures in the city make Bristol the ideal location for a collaborative event of this kind.

From farmers’ markets and local shops to BBC food, independent restaurants, growers, bakeries, butchers and writers – there’s a lot going on and it deserves to be recognised and celebrated!

The festival will join the dots and connect people with good food – food that is good for you, good for the environment and good for the local economy.

Tanzania – Boutique Hotel Complex

A boutique hotel in Tanzania was designed for jet setting clients based in the Middle-East.

The complex comprises of a new grand entrance building with restaurant, bar and gym. A natural swimming pool takes centre stage with self contained sleeping huts wrapping round it with there very own plunge pools. Local materials have been used throughout with the built structures taking full advantage of monsoon winds and the sea breeze for natural ventilation.

Loughborough Junction – Meanwhile Space

Nudge Group were delighted to win the competition to transform two railway arches for Meanwhile Space. Two 2 railway arches in Loughborough Junction  have been activated to support enterprise. Funded by J.P. Morgan with the aim of creating a multifunctional enterprise hub for use by start-ups, makers, designers, food businesses and everything in between. The enterprise hub is intended to provide flexible working and making space as well as meeting space, events space and also trading space. Participation, engagement and collaboration were key components in the design to create a fair & balanced competitive environment, people shaping their future, creativity and independence of thought.

OVO Energy

OVO energy commissioned Nudge Group to create a unique, collaborative work environment, which sets the tone for the ethos of the young, fast growing company. Working with the existing 90’s building, Nudge turned a five-storey atrium space into a lushes green oasis, inclusive of a meeting room on stilts, reception desk, café area, library and signage.

The tree house on stilts is the centre piece of the five storey glass atrium, acting as a meeting room, viewing platform and playhouse. Designed in collaboration with Bower House construction and Round Wood Design Ltd., the feature was created entirely using locally sourced timber in keeping with OVO Energy’s eco mentality.

To further reflect the company’s  eco ideology, we worked with PlantCare to display over 700 plants around the building, including a 6.5m moss wall and vines trailing off the balconies of each floor.

The curvaceous library on the ground floor, designed by Nudge, allows a natural flow of people from the reception area through to the meeting spaces. The surrounding wooden slats mimic the rhythm of the structure on stilts and tree pots, giving the space a harmonic unity.

The refurbishment brings a new life into the office building, creating a light, fresh and inspiring environment for the employees and epitomizing the values of OVO energy.

BBC @ Bristol Food Connections

Bristol has an incredible food heritage. The BBC, Bristol Food Connections and Bristol City Council have come together to create a unique food event that truly represents the city’s ‘independent and maverick’ character. We produced a tender document to deliver one parcel of the activties to be held in Lloyds Amiphitheatre, Harbourside.

The Wharf, Bristol

Redcliffe Wharf is one of Bristol’s most ‘iconic’ sites, just below the beautiful church of St Mary Redcliffe and close to the city centre. It was once at the very heart of Bristol’s maritime activity, and it was there that the ‘Matthew’ was built in recent years. It is now an unoccupied area of tarmac and derelict buildings, used as a temporary car-park.

The Wharf project was created in collaboration with Alastair Sawday of Sawday’s and Canopy and Stars to create a temporary creative activity for the empty site in a prime location of Bristol.

Alastair Sawday describes the project as having, “…the potential to become a symbol of Bristol’s dynamism, her capacity to innovate and put ideas into practice, and her drive to become a genuinely green city. The Wharf could also become a beacon for the European Green Capital Year of 2015 – with the project transferring to another site if the Wharf is no longer available.”

The Wharf project was developed at a rapid pace in early 2014 to help inspire the Council and residents of Bristol of the full potential of what such a public space could offer the city. It has received an extraordinary level of support from the Council, Bristol Mayor, public bodies and the community.

It comprises of:

  • ‘smart living’ pod showcasing emerging sustainable home’s technology
  • A ‘smart food’ venue, showcasing local, seasonal food.
  • A ‘smart energy’ play zone showcasing renewable energy system.
  • A ‘smart sleeping’ zone, or pop-up hotel, with rooms to rent in eco-pods or tents
  • Space for demonstrating low-cost eco-architectural designs.
  • Spa area (with hot tubs and yoga) and swimming pool in the harbour.

The Wharf project optimises Bristol’s search for a sustainable future, part of the Mayor’s ‘laboratory of change’ – and could be part of our engagement with the European Green Capital award.

This is a project for the residents and visitors of Bristol: A project that can take root anywhere in the city. A Nudge delivered project, keeping to our ethos, of:

  • Must be fun
  • Must inspire
  • Must be about people
  • Must enhance the social, economic and environmental attributes of a place.