Architectural
glazing systems by leading UK manufacturer Kawneer were specified as a
"key aspect" of the new regional head office of British Sugar's
parent company, the FTSE 25 Associated
British Foods (ABF), for their pedigree and quality.
CPMG Architects
selected products from all of Kawneer's portfolio for the building
on a 4.5-acre site at Cygnet Business Park, Hampton, Peterborough, which would
enable the relocation of almost 400 people from ABF businesses locally (AB
Sugar, British Sugar, AB Mauri, ABF Ingredients and ABF) with the addition of
purpose-built conference and training facilities and a showcase central
reception area.
Kawneer's aluminium
AA®100 SSG (Structurally Silicone Glazed) curtain walling features on the
ground floor reception, meeting/conference spaces and south-facing
restaurant/café while AA®100 mullion-drained curtain walling has been used on
the first and second floor open-plan offices of the three-storey building.
In
addition, the 5,755m2 (GIA) building features ultra-thermally efficient
AA®720 doors, large (3m high by 9m wide) AA®3572 sliding doors and over-sized
(2.4m by 0.7m) AA®720 parallel opening windows, all installed over six months
by a team of up to 15 from approved specialist sub-contractor Norman &
Underwood.
The office spaces
revolve around a triple-height atrium where a feature accommodation staircase
connects the three floors to promote interaction and collaboration with 400+
staff, while skylights at roof level provide additional natural light and
ventilation deep into the plan.
The ground floor is
slightly recessed from the perimeter line of the floors above, eliminating the
need for an external solar shading system. A prominent cantilever canopy above
the protruding reception area emphasises the main entrance.
The design brief
called for a building in keeping with ABF's values of cost effectiveness and
value for money, a "modern building fit for 2030 and beyond, with timeless
/ classic design and natural light and views out to the surrounding area as a
key deliverable in the design philosophy", all relating to health and
wellbeing for the end users.
Precedents were
considered in which contemporary office buildings use glazed curtain walling in
combination with external glazed shading systems to optimise natural light deep
into the building, minimising artificial lighting and glare from the sun, and enhancing
the wellbeing of occupants.
In terms of the
development of ABF's new regional HQ, the aim was to create an environmentally
responsible building, with an exemplar approach towards low-energy (PassivHaus)
design principles. This involved energy demand minimisation through effective building
form and orientation, good envelope design and proficient use of services, such
that the building itself is used as the primary environmental modifier.
The construction
over 20 months by main contractor Bowmer & Kirkland was of in-situ concrete
where the exposed concrete also acts as thermal mass in compliance with
PassivHaus design principles, as ABF was designing for an "A" energy
efficiency rating to potentially help save £350,000 in combined running costs.
The entirety of the
building envelope is Kawneer's curtain wall systems with 50mm sightlines and
consistent size modules that also incorporate sections of openable
floor-to-ceiling windows to allow for a degree of personal control of
ventilation. The objective was to create a visually open transparent façade to
all elevations, maximising natural light into the building.
CPMG associate Ajay
Chauhan said: "The Kawneer systems fitted the purpose of the building in
terms of the size of the units and the thermal requirements, all of which were
key elements for the building's aesthetic we wanted to achieve, and Kawneer have
been around for a long time and are defined as a quality product.
"The glazing is
a key element as it allows natural light and ventilation to penetrate deep into
the building while allowing users to have views out - all key elements that
support health and wellbeing in an office environment. The building is completely
a glazed box so the specification of the glass, in unison with the vertical
glazed external brise soleil, was a very important factor in achieving a very
energy efficient building."
He added:
"Kawneer provided a natural anodised finish, large glazed areas with
corner glazed units and large ground-floor sliding doors which are amazing for
end users to open the café/restaurant up to the external spaces.
"The clients
are very happy with the end result as the overall building exceeded their
expectations by designing an energy-efficient office building with
collaborative spaces at the heart of it, and forming different agile working
areas with controlled natural light deep into the building."
