The Raleigh Road project in Bristol, delivered for Bristol City Council and The Hill Group, focuses on the regeneration of the former Amerind Grove Care Home site, which closed in February 2023. The scheme involves the safe demolition and asbestos removal of existing buildings to prepare the brownfield site for redevelopment.
The proposals introduce a high quality mix of 54 family houses and 52 apartments across two five storey buildings, incorporating both private and affordable rental tenures. These new homes are supported by extensive landscaped areas and a dedicated community play space, transforming the former care home grounds into a contemporary and sustainable residential neighbourhood.
The client required a fully coordinated engineering solution to enable the delivery of a viable residential scheme on a challenging, steeply sloping site.
Barker was appointed to provide multidisciplinary civil and structural, and mechanical and electrical engineering services, ensuring that all technical aspects of the project aligned seamlessly with the architectural intent and wider regeneration objectives.
The site presented several engineering complexities, including pronounced topographical changes, legacy care home infrastructure and the need for significant boundary retention.
The civil engineering team developed a robust levels strategy and a cascading landscape arrangement supported by a detailed cut and fill model to manage site gradients while limiting reliance on large retaining structures. Structural engineers designed efficient foundation solutions and strategically located retaining walls that integrated with the natural landform and plot layout.
The mechanical and electrical team undertook assessments of utilities, servicing requirements, energy strategy considerations and drainage integration to ensure complete coordination with the civil and structural frameworks.
Through an integrated, cross discipline approach, Barker delivered a technically assured and commercially aligned engineering solution that addressed the site’s constraints without compromising design quality or viability.
The use of coordinated retention strategies, cascading landscape design and fully integrated mechanical and electrical systems has enabled a buildable, efficient and future ready scheme. The project supports Bristol City Council and The Hill Group’s housing objectives and paves the way for the successful redevelopment of this complex former care home site.
