Ramboll Headquarters Southampton

RAMBOLL HQ Southampton 1

GIFFORD HQ Southampton This is a new low-energy headquarters building designed within a ‘commercial green’ ethos. The studio building provides open plan office space for 150 engineers on two floors. A new brick reception wing mediates between the client’s current office, a 19th century coach house, and the larger studio building. The wing houses a double-height reception and exhibition area. In meeting its energy targets, the building will be the most energy efficient office in the UK. This new development provides Ramboll with a unique facility at its headquarters campus in Southampton. The design balances a low energy approach with financial viability and is an exemplar in the application of a Commercial Green concept.2

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The brief was to produce a building thatreflected the aims and values of the Rambollorganisation by providing high qualityinnovative and sustainable accomodation at acomparable cost to traditional office buildings.The massing of the new studios needed to besensitively designed to compliment the existingbrick buildings on the site.The commercial Green approach developed byRamboll minimises energy losses through thebuilding fabric whilst ensuring a comfortableenvironment for those working in the building.The key was in the detail of the externalenvelope. This was super insulated, with theglazing optimised to ensure good natural lightwhilst minimising solar gain and glare at ITworkstations.The wall construction was developed withTRADA to provide a highly insulated robustbreathing wall system. This constructionpermitted the use of horizontally bandedwindows that provide connectivity to thesurrounding countryside.At roof level thermal mass was enhancedthrough the use of appropriate lining boards.Fresh air is introduced into the building via theplenum formed by the 290mm deep raisedaccess floor. The air is supplied by low pressurefans drawing in through vents in the claddingand discharging into the office through swirldiffusers. The air is cooled or warmed bypassing over an underfloor heating/coolingsystem integrated within the raised accessfloor.Exposed thermal mass was an integral partof the building services design. At groundfloor level this was achieved through havingan exposed concrete ceiling. An extendedstructural grid of 9.6m was achieved by theinnovative use of a pre-cast concrete soffit, anin-situ post tensioned concrete topping andtubular steel columns.A flush inner face to the walls was achieved byusing steel columns contained within the walls. 5

5 Typical section through the external envelope 41 1 steel frame 2 beam and block flor with 75mm screed 3 pre-cast concrete shuttering with post tensioned concrete slab 4 lcomposite roof panel 5 single ply flat roof membrane 6 floor plenum 7 air intake duct 8 fan unit 9 swirl diffuser 10 ‘velfac’ composite window system with PPC aluminium reveal 11 verticle cedar claddingl 10 9 8 6 7 3 11 9 6 8 2 7 106

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RAMBOLL HQ Southampton Project Details Project Team Location Client Southampton SO40 7HT Gifford (Now Ramboll) Completion Date Architect 2005 Design Engine Contract Value Structural Engineer £2.4m Gifford (Now Ramboll) Area Building Services Engineer 1700 sqm Gifford (Now Ramboll) Per sqm Cost Quantity Surveyor £1410/sqm Gentle Consulting Awards Specification Writer Design Engine Winner Best Office Project Fire Engineering Consultant Building Services Awards Gifford (Now Ramboll) 2005 Acoustic Consultants Winner Gifford (Now Ramboll) David Alsop Award Institution of Landscape Consultants Structural Engineers Plincke 2005 Furniture Consultants Design Engine CDMC Gentle Consulting Building Control Approved Inspector STMC BREEAM Assessor Gifford (Now Ramboll) Main Contractor Leonard Field8

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Design Engine Architects LtdThe Studio, Coker CloseWinchester SO22 5FFT.+44(0)1962 890111www.designengine.co.uk10