Creating the built environment the Buro Happold way
For over 30 years, Buro Happold, the international multi-disciplinary engineering consultancy has tested their powers of invention and applied creative talents to solve problems in new and innovative ways. Today we’re just as demanding in our standards, just as uncompromising in our quest for the ideal.
The practice has a world class reputation for delivering landmark projects in both public and private sector markets. We are renowned for bold and elegant design solutions which encourage the efficient use of materials, energy and natural resources.
Buro Happold – our work, our world
The practice operates across four key areas: Buildings, Infrastructure, Environment and Specialist Consulting, adopting an integrated approach to combine structural, civil, building services and technical consultancy skills with an in-depth knowledge of urban planning, environmental impact and sustainable construction.
Dedicated to research, Buro Happold is continually investigating new ways of adding value and pushing forward the parameters of building design. Working in partnership with clients, architects and planners we aim to deliver quality environments that contribute to the wellbeing of people and communities, now and in the future.
International in reach and breathtaking in scope, our cutting edge solutions cover all major building and infrastructure sectors. We apply our knowledge and ingenuity to deliver exceptional designs that perfectly meet the needs of clients, architects and users.
In our latest projects we continue to push forward the boundaries of design to meet the challenges of the future. But we never rest on our laurels. Because changing the world we inhabit for the better demands only the boldest, most inspired work.
Buro Happold working with Lucknam Park
The Lucknam Park New Spa Project is one such project that Buro Happold has been involved with, providing the building services, environmental and structural engineering design for the project which is due for completion in summer 2008.
From the outset it was clear that the client brief and architectural concept for the spa would present a number of engineering challenges. The spa is being built using world class contemporary architecture and interior design to provide facilities including a swimming pool, thermal cabins, treatment rooms, gym, restaurant, bar and kitchen spaces with strict planning and building regulation guidelines in place.
Much of Buro Happold’s early design work concentrated on the main pool area. The architectural concept was for solid outer walls with a clear, lightweight roof and glazed façade opening onto the hotel’s stunning landscaped gardens. The engineering challenge was to provide a slender, low profile, clear spanning roof structure to enclose a relaxing, comfortable space for guests using the spa’s variety of pools and thermal cabins.
The consultancy’s design response is an elegant integrated solution featuring curving steel roof trusses supported on concrete columns hidden between natural limestone walls. These in turn support a flat suspended glazed roof and an exterior ‘brise soleil’ (a permanent shade positioned above a window to prevent the sun from hitting it). In winter the ‘brise soleil’ louvres will open electrically to allow solar energy to passively heat the pool hall whilst in summer they close to prevent excessive heat from the sun. At night the louvres will be positioned to achieve lighting effects and to help trap heat.
The spa has been designed not only aesthetically but with energy efficiency in mind; for example all the walls and roof glazing are all highly insulated to conserve energy. The Buro Happold team used an advanced environmental thermal modelling tool to ensure that spa guests would enjoy harmonious and comfort conditions using minimising energy consumption particularly important when working with a highly glazed roof which exacerbates condensation risks. The team’s solution? The practical low tech answer chosen was to reverse the standard ventilation system by supplying incoming air to the top of the building and extracting it at a low level - this way moist, treated air from the pool is kept away from the roof glazing.
Generally throughout the spa the engineering design is simple and unobtrusive to ensure hotel and spa guests enjoy the indulgent and peaceful surroundings they expect from Lucknam Park.
Looking to the future and the larger scale plans for Lucknam Park, Buro Happold has also been commissioned to carry out an energy study to help the hotel develop its long-term energy strategy, making best use of resources as energy costs and regulations change. Possible future solutions include combined heat and power, and biomass boilers using locally sourced woodchip. Other options include wind and solar energy. Buro Happold’s design of the spa allows for future integration as part of a side-wide energy system.
Project team:
Client: Lucknam Park
Architect: Holder Mathias Architects
Buro Happold services: building services, environmental and structural engineering design
Ends
Note to Editors:
Buro Happold
Press office and practice information at www.burohappold.com
Images are available on request.
For more information, please contact:
Gill Sincock
Press and PR Manager
Tel +44 (0)1225 320600
Fax +44 (0)8707 874148
Email gill.sincock@burohappold.com
Buro Happold is a multi-disciplinary international practice of consulting engineers established in 1976. It offers civil and structural engineering, mechanical and electrical engineering, quantity surveying, building services and environmental engineering, health and safety management, infrastructure and traffic engineering, ground engineering, façade engineering, fire engineering, computational fluid dynamics analysis, inclusive design consultancy, project management, urban design and a range of specialist CAD services.
