At Urbanise we are experts in many areas of construction. One of these areas is fit outs, where we have a vast amount of experience and a strong portfolio of work.
Our strength in this area comes from the quality of our team, so today we’ll be speaking to fit out expert, Gary Brunskill who joined Urbanise in 2022.
With a career spanning more than 22 years, he has honed his expertise in complex refurbishments and intricate fit-out projects. His portfolio boasts a series of notable projects, including contributions to prestigious sites such as Manchester University, the Port of Liverpool Building, Delta House in Glasgow, and Linley House in Central Manchester, where he was part of the Ardmac project team that won a Mixology North22 Project of the Year award.
Hi Gary, so looking back at your career to date, have you always gravitated towards specialising in fit outs?
When I started out with Ardmac at the age of 16 the first jobs I ever did were shop fit outs. These included fit outs for the likes of Bose, Pro Cook and Calvin Kelin. All of which were for McArthurGlen Designer Outlets. It was fantastic to cut my teeth which some great brands and I learnt very quickly as I was working with some very experienced people. From there I started running my own jobs from the age of 20, mainly doing office fit outs in Manchester and Liverpool.
The biggest influence and reason I got into the industry was through my dad. He was a self-employed joiner, who then went on to work for Ardmac as a Contracts Manager. He managed to get to get me an apprenticeship there which kick started my journey.
What are the different types of fit outs you’ve done during your career?
A real mix, but I’d say mainly offices, which include reception areas and other multi use and communal areas. A project that stands out was 1 City Square in Leeds. This was a large portfolio job worth £11 million. I also did a lot of work for Rathbones Group and many of the fit outs in the Port of Liverpool Building, another impressive large value job. I’d estimate I’ve done upwards of 70 fit out projects during my time.
I also did a considerable amount of work for The University of Manchester, in particular the Simon Building with is a spit three tier building and home to the Centre for the History of Science, Technology and Medicine. There I was involved in fitting out the sensory room, rehabilitation rooms, offices, catering and breakout areas.
Out of all the fit outs you’ve done, which is your favourite?
We installed a new glass and steel staircase at the Port of Livepool Building for Rathbones. This was from the second floor to the third floor. As the building is listed it created a design of old meets new which really worked. It was an astonishing piece of work and aesthetic. It was also a real sight watching materials being craned in from the famous docks. All in all, I did projects for Rathbones for around 14 years, where they specifically asked for me by name, which felt particularly rewarding.
One of the last projects I did for them was my involvement in the restoration of Rathbone Hall restoring the original vaulted ceiling and floors. So, thinking about it, buildings with a history or listed that are being restored or re-fitted are a natural area of interest for me.
The historical building element is also true for the work I’m currently doing in Sheffield for our client, Capital and Centric. As part of the project, we’ve been instructed to refurbish the iconic Grade II listed buildings Eyewitness Works and Ceylon Works and build a new six-storey building on the site of the former Brunswick Hotel. The fit-out work consists of 97 loft apartments, duplexes and townhouses, alongside a café-bar, deli and four lush, green courtyards.
Where do you see your future at Urbanise?
To bring my experience to Urbanise and grow the business together. I’d like to work towards being a contracts manager or project lead, overseeing multiple projects and being in with the clients’ running presentations. Also to keep trying different types of works, my background being mainly office and commercial has meant working on the current residential project has been an interesting experience and feather to my bow.
Thanks for your time, Gary!
If you have a project you’d like to speak to us about, you can contact us here.