Beeston reigns Supreme

As part of the ongoing improvements to Castle College, CPMG Architects prepared a master plan for the new development, which consolidated the existing buildings and provided the college with a new public identity.

After successfully completing the Phase 1 teaching and administration building in 2005, the second phase involved the design and construction of the following:

• A dramatic new entrance block including administrative offices, a new Learning and Resource Centre (LRC) facility and student services

• Art and design studios

• A secure courtyard piazza
  

The design provides an impressive presence and identity to the college arranged in a ‘U’ shape that connects to the main building to create a four-storey courtyard. A major feature of the design is the curved façade on the east, which contains the art department.

The south block features an oval drum, which holds the main reception and is visible through its large areas of glazing. The drum also provides a reference point on each floor. The design team has ensured a carefully coordinated approach in terms of passive heating and cooling, with the three key elements being maximised within the design concept:

• Thermal mass – high levels of thermal mass aesthetically exposed via egg crate ceiling designs.
• Façade Engineering to complement the high levels of south-facing glazing
• External louvers provide shading in the summer but allow passive heating in the winter.
• Ventilation – high level and low-level openings provide excellent natural ventilation even on the stillest days.

This philosophy is coupled with highly efficient heat recovery winter ventilation, and stack ventilation to the deep plan areas.

One of the key environmental features lies in the passively cooled, south facing, two-storey LRC at the heart of the project. This area benefits from outstanding daylight and passive winter heating, and utilises a solar chimneystack ventilation system to ensure a fantastic natural summertime environment.

Careful integration of these features via dynamic thermal modelling has omitted the need for mechanical cooling to this highly populated area.

The natural approach to daylight, cooling and ventilation, coupled with outstanding building insulation and heat-retaining glazing has lead to a significant improvement in terms of energy consumption, over and above Building Regulations requirements.

Compared to Part L (2002) building standards, the Beeston Campus demonstrated a 45% improvement on heating emissions. The building also benefits from an underground rainwater recovery system, collecting rain from the roof to flush WCs throughout the development.

The collaborative design and delivery approach of the design team, including the Local Authority Planning and Building Control Departments has resulted in a successful building exceeding the client’s expectations.

The development was carried out under the LABC Partner Authority Scheme with Nottingham City Council and Broxtowe Borough Council Building Control who developed a close working relationship with both CPMG Architects and the developer Mansell Construction ensuring a high standard of workmanship, ensuring compliance with the regulations from inception to the issuing of the completion certificate.

Judges at the awards remarked: “This project was set apart by a design that manages to be iconic without pretensions, and by the thoroughness with which issues of building performance and sustainability were addressed. Passive heating and cooling has been carefully incorporated into the design without disrupting the aesthetics and in the case of a new learning resource centre at the heart of the project, actively enhancing them. The results are impressive – a 38% improvement on energy use on 2002 building standards. 

The results are impressive – a 38% improvement on energy use on 2002 building standards.