Technical Insight DETAIL AXONOMETRIC SECTION
PRECAST RECONSTITUTED PORTLAND STONE COPPING BY THORPE PRECAST
BRICK-FACED PRECAST CONCRETE PIER USING PETERSEN D-71 BRICK BY THORPE PRECAST
PRECAST CONCRETE SPANDREL PANEL FACED WITH PETERSEN D-71 BRICK AND GLAZED CERAMIC SILL BY THORPE PRECAST
LASER-CUT ALUMINIUM DECORATIVE SCREEN XED TO REYNAERS CS-38HI ALUMINIUM WINDOW POWDER-COATED IN REYNAERS UNPOLISHED BRONZE 39 504
PRECAST RECONSTITUTED PORTLAND STONE SILL WITH RIGID INSULATION BACKING BY THORPE PRECAST
and delivered the halls with sustainability and the environmental performance at the heart of the project, which is on target for a BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology) ‘Excellent’ rating.” Richard Lavington, Founding Director at Maccreanor Lavington, commented: “The challenge was to design the facade for a large new student hall of residence in the context of the Georgian crescent that frames Cartwright Gardens and the wider Bloomsbury conservation area. Our approach embraces the repetition inherent in the brief for student halls.
“The depth of the facade allows for the modelling of light and shade appropriate to a building of this scale.The unique Danish brick combines references to the warm, pale hues of Portland stone and the texture of the surrounding Georgian brickwork which the shadows of the grand London plane trees within the garden can play.The brass and stone of the entrance reference the entrance detailing of 19th century buildings with the hues of the stone reflecting the shades of autumn leaves within the square. It’s been finely crafted and beautifully made.”
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The ground and first floor are grouped to form a single base to the building with brickwork piers being rusticated by recessing every fifth course. This finely-crafted facade sits behind new painted metal railings that match those within the surrounding square. The new double-height entrance is lined with panels to the side walls and floor of stone mosaic inlaid with brass letters and lit by large brass-coloured pendent fittings designed by Tom Dixon. The Leigh Street corner building is expressed as a pair of simple punched brick elevations. Darker water-struck bricks are used here to match the soot aged brick of the surrounding area. The windows have reconstituted stone surrounds and the brick sits on a single-storey stone base evoking the memory of the 1950s buildings that went before. The entire (4500m2) brick facade was manufactured off site as brick-faced precast concrete panels. The prefabrication has cost-effectively allowed the design team to develop stepped brick details that make reference to the detailing of traditional load-bearing masonry. The depth of the facade also allows it to be constructed from large load-bearing units which require fewer movement joints than contemporary site-laid brick cladding. This leads to a building with a more monolithic character akin to traditional masonry while minimising the amount of on-site labour. The overall development was delivered to budget within a tight 26-month programme. Sean O’Shea, Group Chief Executive Officer of UPP (University Partnership Programme), commented: “We are delighted with the completion of the Garden Halls development which is a flagship development for UPP. The residence sets a new bar for student accommodation in the heart of our capital city, offering exceptional architectural quality alongside modern facilities and delivered by leveraging cost-effective private investment attracted by the strength of the UK HE sector as an investment proposition. We have worked in partnership with the University of London since 2013 and are extremely proud to have delivered this project. The halls play a central role in the community with local residents able to enjoy the new landscaped gardens and tennis courts, with the quality of the architecture underpinning Garden Halls’ important position within the Bloomsbury conservation area and local heritage of the area. Executive architects, tp bennett, and principal architects of the facade, Maccreanor Lavington, designed
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