Sum Studios has been shortlisted for the 2014 Sheffield Design Award by the Sheffield Civic Trust and the Royal Institute of British Architects Yorkshire.
The former Anns Grove School was originally designed by renowned architect Charles J Innocent and built by the Sheffield School Board at the turn of the 19th Century, with the three buildings and stone boundary wall becoming Grade II listed in December 1995.
After the school relocated in 2006 the buildings fell into dereliction and the Heeley Development Trust (HDT) began a seven-year quest of fund-raising and negotiation to transform the site into a creative hub at the very heart of the community.
The HDT has so far secured £2.4million of funding to renovate and restore the first of the three buildings, working closely with Hope Valley architects Studio Gedye to reinstate many of the original features including the curved brick pillars, pitch pine beams and natural ventilation system.
“Sum Studios is the only community owned building in the competition” said Trust manager Andy Jackson. “It has been fought for by local people, designed by a Sheffield architect and built by a family-owned building firm from Swinton, who employed people from Heeley on the project”.
“This beautiful building has soul, history and most of all it’s safe – it still belongs to the people of sheffield. Come on Heeley, come on Sheffield, vote for Sum Studios!”
Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony held at the Sheffield University Arts Tower on Friday, October 17th to coincide with Urban Design Week. You can cast a vote for Sum by following the link below:
IT'S HAPPENING IN HEELEY! 
Posted on October 5, 2014 by heeleyonline
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