building envelope
Creative thinking
Exterior rainscreen cladding needn’t be uniform. Why not explore different aesthetic styles with a ceramic granite ventilated facade system, says the Shackerley Group.
THERE’S a widespread assumption that ceramic granite rainscreens deliver a monolithic appearance. But there’s no reason why every panel in an elevation has to be the same, says Brian Newell, founder and chief executive of the Shackerley Group. “Ceramic granite is an exceptionally versatile material that can be supplied in many different styles, colourways and finishes. It’s exciting to see what happens when specifiers express their creativity and take a less conventional approach.” One such project is Darwen Leisure
Centre, Blackburn, Darwen Borough Council’s £12.7m sports and leisure facility. While there are many impressive features inside the centre, the way in which Shackerley’s external facades have been designed is also worthy of note. The scheme uses a combination of
Shackerley’s regular Sureclad Access system and its most economically sized prefabricated ceramic granite panel format, measuring 1200 by 600mm. The facades have been created using panels in three different colours, randomly distributed across each elevation resulting in a patchwork effect. The panels have been specially manufactured with a surface finish that
resembles weathered metal, with all its visual texture, variation and reflectivity. The aesthetic concept for the outer
envelope was jointly conceived by independent design consultant Jeremy Waygood and the main project architects, Capita Symonds. “The objective was to clad the building using colours which would help to integrate the large building into the tight townscape of Darwen,” says Waygood.
“Views from the valley sides into the town are very prominent and Darwen itself is composed of many steep terraces of stone houses which produces a distinctive grain. The selection of cladding panels reflects these characteristics: the colour range sits comfortably alongside the stone while the panel variation helps to break up the mass of the building.”
Blackburn and Darwen Borough Council was an active participant in the design criteria and selection, having previously commissioned a borough-wide colour study to assist in more sympathetic development in this strong Pennine landscape. The main contractor responsible for delivering the project was Galliford Try Northern of Warrington and the ventilated cladding was installed by Nottinghamshire-based Baris. “As far as we are aware, Darwen Leisure
Centre is the first building in the UK to be clad in this way, using metallised ceramic granite panels in a combination of colourways. This design not only showcases our cladding system, but helps to make the new centre a prominent landmark building in Darwen,” says Newell.
www.shackelrey.com bflmagazine.co.uk 33
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