The redevelopment of Trowbridge County Hall will include a courtyard to create a new dynamic public space.
Part of the redevelopment of Trowbridge County Hall includes the enclosure of a courtyard to create a new dynamic public space.
The new development will provide flexible office space for council staff and create a space for members of the public to meet and access council services. The design included an atrium that enclosed a courtyard which connects the two existing buildings onsite, and provides a new space for public use. This space will contain the main reception for the complex, entrance areas to other parts of the building, customer service points and an area for a cafeteria, which will be open to the general public.
Tubecon fabricated a lightweight tubular steel structure with members spanning over 27m to provide an infill roof to the courtyard and support an ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) roof. Involving extremely precise tolerances and flawless finishing, the aesthetically striking frame design provides a connection with the outside and delivers the airiness of the created atrium space, whilst maximising natural lighting. The ventilation and environmental control of the atrium was particularly interesting, as the ETFE roof posed some challenges, due to the very high solar gain. This was resolved with extensive thermal modelling and careful specification of the solar properties of the roof.
The project also uses solar control glass to reduce solar gain and associated cooling in certain parts of the building. Energy usage was made more efficient through measures such as ventilation heat recovery, high-efficiency heat pump chillers with heat recovery, and automatic daylight dimmable and PIR controlled lighting. As a result the building had a total energy saving of 40%.
