Image 1 of 5
Image 2 of 5
Image 3 of 5
Image 4 of 5
Image 5 of 5
The facts
Project Location: St Asaph, North Wales
Client: Welsh Development Agency
Start Date: 2001
Completion Date: 2004
Project Construction Value: £9m
Services provided: Architecture and Interior
Design
The project
The high technology of optical related research and
production from local industry and Bangor University academics
resulted in the need for this flagship building to promote the
Optronics Industry in North Wales.
The design is based on three distinct needs: Business Support,
Incubator Units and a Technology Centre.
The Business Support Unit contains associated services to
support the building and users, including conference facilities for
200, café, exhibition space and a combined reception.
The Incubator units consist of 20 units, each 70m2, which can
act as office, research or production space depending on the users
requirements. Further more the units can be increased in size to
accommodate expansion.
The 2000sqm Technology Centre houses Clean Rooms to Class 100
and production areas to Class 10,000. The Technology Centre is
serviced overhead from dedicated plant rooms covering the whole of
the centre. The plant area and Technology Centre are planned on a
1500mm grid mirrored on both floors to facilitate flexible
servicing and planning of the space to accommodate changes and
advancement of technology in this field.
The client brief called for a building capable of considerable
flexibility and utilising “Green” technology to achieve a BREEAM
Excellent rating as a minimum.
The final proposals included rainwater harvesting, passive
ventilation in non-clean room spaces (including the double height
street atrium between the Incubator Units and Technology Centre)
and extensive use of photovoltaic walls to generate energy. These
walls are the largest Copper Indium Discelenide (CIS) photovoltaic
array in the world (2004) comprising 1000m2 of panels. Sustainable
materials are specified where practical adapting a contemporary
architectural style to achieve a local identity of materials and
texture.
The project was registered with Constructing Excellence as a
Demonstration Project (number 1155) to promote good building
practice, sustainability and innovation.
Awards
- Sustainable Building of the Year at the 2005 - Building
Sustainability Awards.
- RICS Wales Award 2005 - Sustainability
- Constructing Excellence Demonstration Award
- BREEAM Environmental Assessment Award - Excellent Rating
- Regional Built in Quality Award 2004
- National Built in Quality Award 2004 - Highly Commended
- Energy 21 Annual Eurosolar UK Awards - Commendation