Tech Park reflects an Art Deco inspiration

In May 2019 a fire destroyed 88,800 sq ft of factory, office and storage areas at Brooklands Gate on Sywell Aerodrome. Talks began around what to do with the site. Whatever comes next must both meet the current and future needs of the business community and be environmentally sustainable. A planning application was submitted 12 months later for a new Technology Park.

Brooklands Technology Park had been designed to compliment the aerodrome’s existing Art Deco style, with a huge amount of thought into its aesthetics and environmental impact.

Planning permission for Brooklands Technology Park was granted in October 2020.

The Brooklands development is composed of two separate Blocks, A and B, with a total of 11 units. Each combines office and workshop spaces ideal for technology, research, and manufacturing enterprises as well as specialist distribution. The units provide a range of spaces for B1, B2 and B8 use classes, with ancillary external spaces including extensive parking, service yards and soft landscaping.

The design of the buildings’ exterior reflects the mix of façade treatments on the site, complimenting the distinctive Sywell Art Deco style. Each block has its own character, using the common form of a simple two-storey pitched roof structure. Both buildings have a colonnade on the front elevation providing a strong unifying feature to lift the character of the building above ordinary industrial buildings.

The most visible building faces Wellingborough Road and has adopted some of the features of the site’s Art Deco heritage.

Silver and white coloured bricks contrast blue and grey brick features around the large polished stainless steel windows and as a base for the facades. The other building above right features stone facings combined with red brick detailing, to match that of the adjacent Hall Farm building.

A key objective for both buildings is to provide a sustainable, environmentally friendly space. Features include sustainable urban drainage, electric charging points, soft landscaping and low energy services. The aim of each building is to be carbon neutral, subject to the occupier’s power consumption needs. Each unit has been finished to a high spec with LED lighting throughout, broadband connected, Art Deco detailing and high-quality kitchen and toilet facilities.

The office spaces are flooded with natural daylight, with the floor to ceiling windows offering views across arable fields from Block A and views across the airfield from Block B. Every office is fitted with dado

New High Technology Business Units

4,200 sqft I 6,300 sqft I 8,400 sqft - workshop trunking with multiple power and data points, data cabinets, air conditioning and Karndean flooring. The workshop areas are two storeys high with LED lighting, electric loading bay doors, polished concrete floors and additional kitchen and toilet facilities.

The functionality of the units has been carefully considered and designed to ensure they offer versatile and efficient spaces.

Brooklands Technology Park offers the ideal base for research and development enterprises as well as offering an attractive and creative environment to work in.

Uniquely, Sywell Aerodrome also boasts a 59-bedroom Art Deco hotel, a bar, restaurant and