The SiOO X Story – Protecting the Planet - Book - Page 67
Case Study 07
The timber detail chosen was a dressed 92 x 27mm with bevelled
edges vertical grain Siberian Larch boards, laid in bands of
alternately overlapping profiles, creating a pleasant rhythm to
the elevations and enhancing the horizontal proportions of the
building. The SiOO:X coating ensures that the timber weathers
consistently to an even, silvery grey. The use of treated Siberian
larch, with coated aluminium windows and deep reveals emphasises the horizontal aesthetic of the building.
Refurbished Office Building
Springwood
Bridge Architects
Springwood is situated in the English county of Cheshire’s leafy
Booths Park business complex, surrounded by historic buildings
which offer high quality serviced office space under the Bruntwood brand. Distinct from its neighbours, Springwood was a
lightweight 1980s two-storey office block, with a bright white
and blue façade. Though functionally suitable, the space needed
to be brought into the 21st century.
Externally, the carefully designed alterations have served to completely re-invent and reposition the building. A concrete-grey
portico has been formed around the existing planar glazed
lobby to further highlight the building entrance.
The architect’s brief was to refurbish both the interior and the
exterior of the building, to improve the quality of the facilities
inside and dramatically alter the exterior appearance. Timber
cladding was selected to provide a more contemporary aesthetic
that would still sit harmoniously within the country estate setting.
The design solution was challenging, as the building remained
fully occupied for the duration of the works. Close collaboration
between the Client, Architect, Contractor and other members
of the design team enabled fully integrated solutions that were
always mindful of the existing building constraints whilst maximising its potential. The timber cladding and careful detailing
has been transformative.
The project comprised internal refurbishment, external re-cladding and entrance lobby re-modelling of the building, all in
order to improve the quality of the serviced office space within
and improve the aesthetic of the building externally.
SiOO:X benefits:
Transformative impact on building’s appearance
Photo: Russell Bridge.
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