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STEAM ACADEMY, BRIDGEND COLLEGE, WALES
WORKSHOPS
The large workshops have an exposed steel frame, unlike the concrete that forms the rest of the structure, due to the need for 35 metre spans
External facades show the ‘collegiate’ aspect expressed in “robust and industrial materials with warm tones and textures,” and “well-considered proportions.” As per the intention, the buff-coloured brick facades (Michelmersh Synthesis S09, Light and Mid Grey 50% blend) give a sober, unassuming feel; aside from the surrounding trees, there was little architectural context in the nearby buildings to respond to. The workshops, which are to the rear, have a “calm” black cladding formed in a pyramid profile. “We wanted a building that had a confident design, but which wasn’t too shouty, one that settled into the landscape,” says Baker. There is one striking detail, i.e. an orange-hued aluminium ‘picture frame’ surrounding a number of windows. This gives the building a subtle presence behind the trees; “When approaching from a distance, you sense there’s a building of note.” However, the long, low horizontal form sits below even the shortest trees surrounding it, so it’s “very much a building within the landscape, and doesn’t dominate it.”
An exposed concrete frame, offering the benefits of thermal mass, has been used for most of the structure, and runs throughout the general teaching spaces. The large workshops however have an exposed steel frame as they require much greater open-plan space – meaning long spans up to 35 metres. The architects say that this approach, alongside exposed
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services “creates a bold aesthetic that reflects the building’s engineering environment, as well as passively enhancing the environmental performance.”
Programme & interiors
The volume is organised over two levels, but includes several double-height spaces, from the six large workshops, to the conference room for up to 200 people on the ground floor, and parts of the reception. Classrooms and circulation spaces are located on the upper floor, looking down into the workshops through glazing which controls noise.
The classrooms project into the workshop void, framed in orange, a feature that visually connects back to the exterior. Some of the classrooms are also glazed to the internal circulation, so that walking down the corridor you can see through the classroom to workshops beyond. This was “challenging with noise breakout,” says Baker, “but the whole building works really well acoustically.”
According to the architects, “the internal environment balances comfort, robustness, connectivity, privacy, accessibility, security, an open collaborative environment and quiet study areas,” Meeting these challenging and diverse end-user requirements was part of creating an “uplifting educational environment.” While the client was keen not to have a capacious, space and heat hungry atrium, they did want to experience a sense of
ADF JUNE 2022
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