Doncaster Civic Office / Cartwright Pickard Architects

Architects: Cartwright Pickard Architects
Location: Waterdale, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, UK
Year: 2012
Photographs: Hundven Clements Photography

Contractor: Wates Construction
Structural: Arup
Cost Consultant: Davis Langdon
Landscape Architect: Grontmij
Acoustic Engineer: AEC

From the architect. Design

The contemporary five-storey building is designed around a central atrium which brings in natural light, connects spaces together, and provides passive ventilation. The highly efficient plan increases the net-to-gross floor area to 86%. Adaptability of space is fundamental, ensuring easy modification to suit future generations’ working practices.

The ground floor of the building provides public service facilities, including the One-Stop-Shop, plus support facilities for the building, whilst upper floors provide office space for staff. The One-Stop-Shop and Council Chamber are located at the front of the building, overlooking the new square and allowing passers-by to observe democracy in action.

Office floor plates have been designed to incorporate an open plan formation which facilitates flexible sub-division of office space, allowing for open plan desk arrangements, maximising the usable life of the building and reducing the overall running costs for the Council. The use of quality building materials was a necessity, whilst promoting sustainability and low-energy principles.

Appearance

The council chamber façade is clad with an abstract pattern of coloured, glazed terracotta baguettes. Nearly 3,200 tiles in 12 different colours have been installed, creating a focal point and a unique identity. Terracotta’s longevity and sustainability make it an ideal choice for the building, manufactured from natural robust materials, it is low maintenance and extremely weatherproof.

A high-quality concrete structural frame has been left exposed inside the building, providing thermal mass, fire and acoustic benefits to the scheme. The finish avoids the need to plasterboard, saving on even more costs. Timber panelling has been used to create a warm visual contrast to the concrete and also acts as an acoustic absorber soaking up any noise generated in the atrium.

Sustainability

The scheme takes a holistic view of sustainable design, integrating environmental, structural and architectural elements to create a low energy solution, achieving a BREEAM Excellent rating.

Passive, rather than active measures have been utilized to ensure lower running costs and significantly less maintenance. It is expected that these measures will achieve huge savings for the council. The central atrium maximises natural ventilation throughout the building, significantly reducing air handling. Via the elevations, the atrium also maximises natural daylight, reducing the need for artificial lighting.

The use of a green roof enables sustainable drainage and provides a natural habitat for wildlife. Rainwater harvesting will enable the re-use of any unabsorbed water for WC flushing. A selection of materials were chosen from the BRE Green Guide, minimising environmental impact.

Value for Money

Staircases, M&E plant and vertical service risers were prefabricated offsite and craned into place, reducing the overall cost and programme time, whilst improving the quality of these components.

With construction costs within budget, the new civic offices are without doubt a ‘model of modesty’, maintaining the highest quality finishes whilst ensuring that the Council’s operational costs remain streamlined beyond project completion.