Building Fabric:Layout 1 01/07/2009 13:08 Page 32
building fabric
Hub for budding engineers
An unconventional design involving a “re-imagining” of how composite panel technology can
be used was devised for a new technology centre in Nottingham.
A
RCHITECTS Hawkins\Brown wanted weight,” explains project architect Jeremy
to avoid the “bland suburban Walker. “The panels have a variety of
structures often found in surface finishes and come in remarkably
technology parks” in creating Castle large sizes so there are few breaks.”
Education partners
College’s Highfields Automotive and For the Hub, Walker specified curved
Engineering Training Centre at panels. Kingspan’s architectural wall
HIGHFIELDS has been funded by a
Nottingham Science Park. The design, panels meet a diverse range of cladding
regional project partnership including
which comprises a pair of two-storey solutions whilst providing consistent
East Midlands Development Agency,
wings slightly converging towards a ‘blob- thermal performance and air tightness.
Learning and Skills Council
shaped’ entrance structure known as the Blueprint, the developer of the Highfields
Nottinghamshire (LSC) and Nottingham
Hub, required multi-coloured cladding to Training Centre, has stated its aim to
City Council with support from
the first floor of the wings and part of reduce CO2 emissions by 60% at the new
Castle College.
the Hub. This distinctive central area training establishment.
The 6,600sqm building is shared by
houses the reception area, cafe and
the College and Toyota, who between
library, and the two wings contain car
them will educate a range of people
parking, training rooms and workshops. www.hawkinsbrown.co.uk
from industry professionals to school
A built-up system, consisting of a metal
children. The collaboration between
sub-frame with insulation and resin-
www.kingspanpanels.com industry and education will fill a sector
impregnated timber-fibre rainscreen
skills gap that was identified by the
cladding, was rejected in favour of KS600
project partners who want the Centre
and KS900 MM Mini-Micro architectural
to help further develop the region’s
wall panels from Kingspan. These were
automotive retail, manufacturing and
provided with integral coloured finish in
engineering sector base.
Moorland Green, Linden Green and Yellow.
“The system provided economy and
speed of construction, required less
Above: Castle College’s new training centre.
substructure and had a lower self- Photo: Redshift Photography.
32 edbmagazine.co.uk
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