20 UK HYDROGRAPHIC OFFICE, TAUNTON
He continued: “Designed as a kit of precast concrete elements and cast off-site only 5 miles away, it was installed using a 300-tonne crane in just 6 weeks. The 200 modular rooflights were installed safely from above, without the need for scaffolding and delivered significant time efficiencies.”
The facades are a key part of this considered structural design, the brick work including 600 mm long bricks and horizontal larch panels which reinforce the linear concept that is present in all aspects of the design. This natural wood and brick finish conceals the concrete smoothly, and joins together precisely.
The holistic design concept of both the exterior and the building’s interior reportedly took inspiration from the hydrographic office’s work, following the theme of ‘Seabed to Surface,’ with images of strata, contours and water current influencing the aesthetic design throughout. This has been highly thought-out, with a bespoke artwork and graphics package having been developed with UKHO staff to follow this theme.
SCREENS Timber screening is found throughout the workplaces
Structure & design
The structural engineering design for the site is based on a concrete flat slab structure, chosen to fit the grid shape of the building, and for effective thermal mass and services distribution. Hydrock’s structural design solution ensures that, by day, heat generated by people and IT is absorbed in slab. At night, the vents then open up, allowing the heat to leave the building. The resulting exposed soffits have been designed in order to fit into the aesthetics of the structure itself. Another interesting piece of structural engineering is the atrium, which is covered with 203 rooflights. The unique V-shaped pre-cast concrete beams that form the gutter to the atria roof support this extensive array – the beams spanning 10.5 metres to 16 metres. According to Hydrock, the advantage of using pre-cast concrete beams is that no access is needed inside the building for repair or maintenance, while on the outside it is possible to stand in the gutter to clean the roof lights.
Dermot Parkinson, project manager at
BAM, explored the construction of the atrium further: “The atrium roof showcases our use of innovative, modern methods of construction within the delivery of this new headquarters.”
WWW.ARCHITECTSDATAFILE.CO.UK
These bespoke graphics cover much of the building’s interior functionality, carried through the signage, the IT facilities, lockers, furniture, and the graphics identifying a room’s purpose, such as for meeting.
Throughout the design process, the team aspired to a high level of specification, always exceeding the ‘minimum standard’ in order to ensure the building is highly durable, agile, and will deliver for decades to come.
The whole project was modelled to BIM Level 2, with detailed inputs from the BAM supply chain that ensured all the exposed services were fully coordinated. This was achieved in part by the simple palette of materials employed, as well as early input of the supply chain – all in order to create a robust and well detailed building that could deliver a high quality throughout – and to a deadline.
Wellbeing
The brief was largely structured around not just the functionality of the building for its users, but on the wellbeing of the employees, and the necessity to achieve this in a highly sustainable, low energy format. Being central to the design ethos, the team has succeeded in this through the adoption of a robust approach to sustainability, and by utilising natural light and ventilation sources where possible.
ADF AUGUST 2019
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