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Projects up to 2,000m²

Projects listed below are the winners for Projects up to 2,000m² Award 2009.

 

NATIONAL AND REGIONAL WINNER
SCOTLAND

THE LOCH LOMOND & TROSSACHS NATIONAL PARK HEADQUARTERS, CARROCHAN, BALLOCH

This project inevitably came under significant scrutiny as the first publicly funded project of its type in Scotland since the costly Parliament building. While vastly smaller, just as much effort was needed in the design of a building set in such sensitive surroundings. The national panel felt it skilfully married economy with quality.

The building's curvilinear form dominates the roundabout on which it sits, with a well-defined and located entrance. The quality of design and use of natural materials for the slate roof, dry stone walling and larch cladding, ensures that the building stands out  and dominates its surroundings, say the regional judges.

Two wings provide office, meeting and public space. The main internal space is dominated by a green Douglas Fir frame and a central street that creates a feeling of openness.

Meeting rooms are accessible from the entrance, allowing the space to be used by the community and other bodies while keeping the integrity of the offices. Breakout space is created behind two-storey glazing.

Some of the ground-floor space appeared cramped by comparison with the rest of the building, according to the regional judges, but bright functioning open-plan offices prevail on the first floor. Space is flexible except for large cut-outs that interrupt the floor plates.

An "excellent" BREEAM rating was achieved because of strong sustainable features, including a biomass woodchip boiler and natural ventilation using the stack effect, with automatically opening windows and roof lights.

The national judges were disappointed with post-completion additions. These were clearly not undertaken by the project team and diluted what is an exemplar for this kind of scheme.

The regional panel also had reservations about the landscaping, which the say appered "very much an afterthought". It did not match the quality of design eslewhere, which was all the more surprising given the budget available.

Overall, however, they were satisfied that the building successfully lifts the spirits of users and visitors alike and is very much an appropriate statement for the new National Park Authority.

REGIONAL WINNER
SOUTH WEST ENGLAND AND SOUTH WALES

VOSA TEST STATION OFFICE, MEREBANK ROAD, BRISTOL

This building is the exemplar project that brings together the teams understanding and approach developed over that period. The occupiers find the building easy to manage and they enjoy flexible climate control. The increased areas of open plan enable co-operation and communication between separate operating teams that has improved far beyond their expectations.

The design of this office was conceived by the Architect and Services Engineer to consume as little energy as possible, by carefully selecting the orientation and using passive techniques. Their efforts have been rewarded by achieving BREEAM Excellent and an EPC rating of A.

Natural ventilation is achieved with a combination of manual and automatic opening windows, supported by chimneys to provide a “stack effect”, thus increasing the performance of the ventilation. With the exposed concrete slab, night time purging can be carried out, cooling the structure for the following day.

Using high thermal mass, rainwater harvesting, photovoltaic cells and materials selected from the ‘BRE Green Guide’, this is an excellent example of the move to greener buildings based upon the evidence of better performance and reduced costs in use.

REGIONAL WINNER
LONDON AND THE SOUTH EAST

REISS HQ, 10 BARRETT STREET, LONDON

Reiss wanted an iconic building that would represent the Reiss brand in its purest built form and the architect, Squire and Partners, have designed just that - a clean, crisp building that is coherent in supporting and encouraging a constant flow of work, communication and ideas between departments.

The open plan floors complete with fully flexible glazed partitioned walls have allowed for the required underlying culture of transparency, and the unique feature of a highly engineered acrylic screen allows light in at all levels, and illuminates the whole facade using the sun’s rays or at night the special LED lights.

This building has been endorsed by the Reiss workforce as a superb place to create, communicate and work.

REGIONAL WINNER
MIDLANDS AND EAST ANGLIA

NICHOLAS WILSON HOUSE, DORMER PLACE, LEAMINGTON SPA

A very interesting project demonstrating how careful thought and expertise can overcome a very constrained building and execute a project with and quality. The blend of old and new refreshed the working environment in many ways.

All the key challenges were considered and met in a way that has made the occupiers proud of the finished result. The added issues of developing in the flood plain and in such proximity to a river frontage were strong issues that had been dealt with innovatively and reassuringly.

REGIONAL WINNER
NORTH OF ENGLAND, NORTH WALES AND NORTHERN IRELAND

ghd CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS, BRIDGEWATER PLACE, LEEDS

ghd Corporate Headquarters in Leeds, was an absolute delight to visit. The designers and client body had obviously engaged throughout the process where the design physically exemplifies the company’s objectives and its image.

The Northern judges thought the entrance sequence amazing; a white tunnel reminiscent of ‘Star Wars’. The waiting area with its undulating display wall and the academy spaces will undoubtedly uplift the spirits of the visiting stylists. The workplace is not forgotten with a unique variety of breakout and relaxing areas from the serious to the frivolous. No aspect of the design has been forgotten but has been carefully studied and creatively addressed.

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