The Sanctuary Awards have been recognising outstanding conservation and sustainability efforts across the MOD estate since 1991.
The awards celebrate military and civilian efforts across Defence: from sustainable development, environmental and heritage conservation to utilities and resource-saving measures, sustainable construction and procurement, and community awareness on land or property that the MOD owns or uses in the UK and overseas.
At a ceremony, attended by senior MOD representatives at His Majesty’s Naval Base (HMNB) Portsmouth on 19 March, the Sustainable Procurement and Construction Award was won by the Joint Bands School Project – a joint Army and Navy project delivered under the DEO Portfolio, which has seen the substantial restoration of a former military prison block.
This award is presented to those who improve the sustainability of equipment or services, management of supply chains or product life cycles or new build construction, and refurbishment projects that innovate in fields such as new materials or design.
Sherin Aminossehe, Director of Infrastructure for the MOD said:
The Joint Bands School project epitomises what Defence Estate Optimisation is all about. Collaboration with our services and contractors using sustainable building practices, innovative design and construction methods to preserve the history of our estate whilst providing first class modern facilities for our people who live, work and train in them.
I am therefore delighted that this project has won the Sustainable Procurement and Construction award, and I offer my sincere congratulations to the hard working project team on such a well deserved win.
The project involved developing and re-furbishing a former military prison block at HMS Nelson within HMNB Portsmouth. Gibraltar block was constructed in 1834, underwent an extension in c1890 and suffered bomb damage in c1940 which was repaired around a decade later.
Unfortunately, the repairs undertaken after the bomb damage in the forties did not stand the test of time: during the project, both the internal and external walls were discovered to be bowing. Extensive and complex repair work included replacing damaged bricks and embedding them with historic lime/sand mortar, to match the original historic design intent for the building.
The project’s aim was to create shared practice space for musicians of the Royal Marines and the Royal Corps of Army Music. A minor refurbishment had been carried out in the 1990s when the Royal Marines School of Music started using the building, but it was the DEO Army Programme that started an extensive renovation when Army musicians also moved to the site in 2021.
The former prison cells make ideal individual or small group practice rooms thanks to their thick walls, though handles had to be added to the inside of the doors – a feature the cells’ previous occupants could only dream of. While creating an impressive modern, fit-for-purpose and noise-compliant facility, care was taken to retain historical features, including the preservation of cell wall graffiti made by a sailor from HMS Warrior in 1864 and contraband hidden in the brickwork – both discovered during the renovations.
To retain historical context, each cell has original floor and ceiling vents, and hammock hooks. New extraction, heating, flooring, and full decoration were undertaken, bringing the cells up to a much more comfortable standard.
The heavy nail-studded wooden doors were stripped of 200 years’ worth of paint and coated in a fire-resistant clear varnish, to preserve the aesthetic heritage of the building. Original locks and external handles have been retained. Internally, original netting manufactured by Navy Riggers to protect against falls from the stairwell were professionally cleaned and refitted to retain heritage value.
Importantly, the historical value of Gibraltar Block has been retained through sympathetically incorporating heritage considerations into the design and refurbishment.
The Joint Bands School project was delivered collaboratively between the Army and the Royal Navy. It was driven by a project management team from Army HQ, DEO and Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO), with support from Navy Infrastructure and contracted partners KBS, who in turn contracted Concept building services for construction.
Significant input from Historic England and the Local Authority ensured that the potential of the Grade 2 listed building was realised throughout design and construction, with aspects of its heritage preserved for future generations of military musicians, many of whom will go on to perform Royal ceremonial duties in the UK and at events across the world.
The Sanctuary Award winners and runners-up were presented with their awards by Rear Admiral Paul Beattie, Director Naval Staff, and James Clare, the MOD’s Director of Levelling Up, the Union, Climate Change and Sustainability (LUCCS).