Buro Happold delivers new museum dedicated to Scotland's national bard
The Robert Burns Birthplace museum opens it doors to the public
Scotland has a new national visitor attraction, the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum in Alloway, Ayrshire, which is hoped will attract visitors from around the world.
International multidisciplinary engineering consultancy Buro Happold delivered civil, structural and building services engineering for the project, which has taken six years to complete and will feature more than 5,000 artefacts, including original manuscripts written by the poet.
The new museum replaces what was formerly the Burns National Heritage Park and brings together all of the Alloway sites. This includes the Burns Monument, Alloway Auld Kirk, Burns Cottage (Burns’ birthplace in 1759), an education pavilion and Auld Brig O'Doon, improved and expanded to bring Burns to life for a 21st century audience. It was designed by architect Simpson and Brown, and forms part of the National Trust for Scotland portfolio.
Challenges faced by the engineering consultancy included phasing to keep the original museum open during construction, and creating a sustainable, low energy building to a full timber design. Buro Happold took an integrated and wholly sustainable approach, using local wood and stone as the main building materials, recycled wherever possible. In addition the consultancy’s approach to the building services design was to apply as passive a solution as possible, to reduce the building’s carbon footprint. This was made easier because all the sensitive exhibits are encased in airtight cases which has enabled a relaxation to environmental conditions within the exhibition area, leading to a significant reduction in the energy saved on plant running costs.
The ventilation design adopts ‘earth tubes’ which are buried two metres below ground level to harness the earth’s energy in summer and winter, by drawing in fresh air in and transferring energy from the ground, to provide free pre-cooling and heating for the variable air volume ventilation system. The base heating and remainder of the cooling loads are satisfied by closed loop reverse cycle ground source heat pumps. These also harness the earth’s energy and are the bored 100m into the ground, below the car park area.
Buro Happold’s project director and long time Burns fan, Scott Baird said ‘Many consider Burns to be Scotland’s national poet – so the project came with high expectations. Creating the new facility which really showcases this national treasure, protecting invaluable exhibits while protecting the environment through sustainable, low energy solutions, has been a thought-provoking, fascinating journey, enabling Buro Happold to deliver a really world class new attraction for Scotland”.
The official opening of the museum is due to take place on 22 January to coincide with Alloway's Burns weekend.
Project team
Client:
The National Trust for Scotland
Architect:
Simpson and Brown Architects
Buro Happold services:
Structural, building services, civil and geotechnical engineering; planning supervision and access consultancy.
Main contractor:
Border Construction
Note to Editors
Buro Happold
Images are available on request.
For more information, please contact:
Gill Sincock
External Communications Consultant
Tel: +44 (0)1225 320600
Email: gill.sincock@burohappold.com
Buro Happold is an independent international practice of consulting engineers. Since 1976 we have grown in size and reach to serve public and private clients across a full range of sectors through an international network of 26 offices.
We draw on the multi-disciplinary skills, knowledge and experience of our local experts to design and deliver award winning building, infrastructure and environmental projects that excel for clients, engage with communities and enrich the lives of users.
Sustainability, innovation and holistic consulting are at the heart of everything we do and we are committed to touching the earth lightly. We think harder and are dedicated to addressing the big challenges that face the planet – climate change, population growth and scarcity of natural resources.
Current and recent projects include the Grand Museum of Egypt (Cairo), the Louvre (Abu Dhabi), the Aviva Stadium (Dublin), the London 2012 Olympic Stadium, the King Abdullah Financial District (Riyadh), the Royal Shakespeare Theatre (Stratford) and the O2 (London).
Website: www.burohappold.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/burohappold
The National Trust for Scotland
The National Trust for Scotland is a conservation charity. It is independent of Government and is Scotland’s largest membership organisation – 310,000 and growing.
There is no other organisation in Scotland with as wide remit to care for cultural, built and natural heritage.
The Trust looks after, explains and provide access to important structures ranging from the Neolithic era to the 20th Century, as well as battlefields pivotal to the course of history, Scotland’s most remote islands, cultural treasures, natural landscapes and all the wildlife they contain.
Categories: Press Releases, Culture, Building services engineering, Structural engineering, United Kingdom