blanc de bierges c&w
TRANSCRIPT
Case Study The Cable & Wireless College, Coventry MacCormac Jamieson Prichard
LOCATION LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT
A creative collaboration Richard Wilcock looks at the important
role of Blanc de Bierges in the
realisation of the design by architects
MacCormac Jamieson Prichard.
The training facility for Cable &
Wireless in Coventry has been
recognised as one of the finest
buildings completed in the UK in
recent years: ‘It is one of the best
new buildings in Europe,’ according
to Jonathan Clancey, architectural
correspondent for The Independent.
Having won the accolade of the Royal
Fine Art Commission/Sunday Times
Building of the Year A ward for 1994,
the Cable & Wireless College has
achieved a string of other awards and
commendations.
The versatility and scope of the Blanc de Bierges system of handcrafted
building and landscaping components - as well as the company’s ability to
collaborate with designers - were fully tested in this Cable & Wireless project.
Blanc de Bierges Ltd Tel: +44 (0)1858 410 048 www.blancdebierges.com
Case Study The Cable & Wireless College, Coventry
“One of our key early concepts
was that all the buildings on
the campus should appear to
be sitting on a single plinth.
To achieve this, we knew we
needed one product range to
cope with the many different
shapes and forms. But we
wanted something softer and
more textured than machined
precast concrete. “
Cable & Wireless is one of the
world’s largest telecommunications
enterprises with associated companies
in 50 countries, including Mercury in
the UK.
The brief for the building to architects
MacCormac Jamieson Prichard was
to provide a ‘centre of excellence
in training and research’. The
architects had extensive experience
in designing educational facilities.
Partner David Prichard realised that
this brief for a complete college was
‘quite exceptional’ and that the client
wanted a very special solution.
The prestige nature of the project is
reflected in the quality of the design
and the materials used. The natural
creamy-buff colour and handcrafted
appearance of Blanc de Bierges is an
integral part of the visual appeal of
the project. It blends beautifully with
other materials, such as the Kirkstone
slate, needle-gunned in-situ concrete,
copper cladding and the distinctive
green-blue glazed roof tiles used on
the wave-like, north-light roofs of the
two teaching wings.
Setting the tone
But quite apart from its attractive
appearance, the variety of the Blanc
de Bierges range is such that the
architects were able to use it in many
different ways. Not only does Blanc
de Bierges define the main circulation
routes for the campus, it is also used
to express one of the fundamental
design concepts of the project. Stephen
Cherry, Architect and Associate in
charge explains:
“We were aware of the Blanc de
Bierges range, and visited their
factory to see the manufacturing
process and discuss our requirements.
Following that visit we produced
over one hundred 3-D sketches
of the forms we were developing.
These sketches became the basis of a
close collaboration with the team at
Blanc de Bierges, and we spent many
hours together devising ways to use
and manipulate standard moulds
and minimise the need for specials.
We learned a good deal about their
manufacturing process, and this
enabled us to tweak dimensions,
rationalise step heights and so on, to
reduce the need for expensive new
moulds.”
“Where new moulds had to be
created, we adapted them to
extract as many variations from
the mould type as possible, to
produce all the components
we required.”
There are two of these elegant seats on campus, gracing the ends of paths. The unique design is inspired by the
convex/concave elements often found in the work of Lutyens. They are specially created in Blanc de Bierges material.
Blanc de Bierges Ltd Tel: +44 (0)1858 410 048 www.blancdebierges.com
Case Study The Cable & Wireless College Coventry
In total there were 76,000 elements
of Blanc de Bierges used in the
project, based on 139 different types
of components. Some 68,000 of these
elements came from 11 standard
components, 5000 from 85 specially
created components and 3000
from 43 modifications of standard
components.
Sited on the edge of a technology
park close to Warwick University, the
Cable and Wireless College looks out
over open countryside. It caters for
around 300 students, more than half
living on site. The teaching areas are
laid out in a series of strips across the
site running from east to west. The
main entrance is to the south where
the wings of the teaching blocks open
out and embrace the countryside
beyond, like a Palladian villa - one of
the inspirations for the design.
Blanc de Bierges is first seen at the
entrance where ‘L’ Modules have been
used on the haha wall, which reduces
the impact of the main road on the
College’s view of the countryside. The
powerful diagonal route, paved with
Blanc de Bierges 600 x 600 mm slabs
and 140 x 140 x 40 mm setts, leads along
the edge of the west teaching block,
under the library and through the
central oculus to the reception area.
Flights of stairs, constructed with
steps cast at an angle to orientate with
the paving, lead up to the walkways
around the plinth and down into the
lake.
Central facilitiesCentral facilities - such as the refectory,
common rooms, library and museum
- are placed around the ocular court.
Here, four copper-clad columns
support a high-level canopy with an
oval cut-out. The shape is reflected in
the paving where the Blanc de Bierges
slabs harmonise with an oval inset of
Kirkstone slate.
Because of its lively appearance, its
ability to perform both internally
and externally, and its modularity,
Blanc de Bierges has been used as a
unifying material throughout the
scheme on vertical planes as well as
horizontal. Stephen Cherry explains:
‘It was essential that the vertical slabs
did not appear as cladding. To create
the plinth, standard Blanc de Bierges
‘L’ Modules have been detailed and
assembled in a manner expressing
solid masonry. This can most clearly
be seen in the ha-ha, steps, and the
angled, exposed corners to the west
teaching block plinth rising out of the
lake’
Blanc de Bierges paving slabs (600 x
600 mm and 300 x 600 mm) are used
to define the covered cloister on the
south facade of the residential block.
This links the student bed-sitting
rooms, grouped around staircases in
the traditional Oxbridge manner, with
the communal facilities. The College,
as a consequence of its location, is
quite self-contained, hence David
Prichard emphasises the importance
of the refectory as the social hub of
this community.
At the east end of the site, where the
ground rises to form a small hillock,
is the leisure pavilion containing the
swimming pool, fitness centre, sports
hall and bar. The pool and plant room
are buried into the ground, which is
then reformed around the building.
The bar is at first-floor level and its
terrace forms the roof of the pool. The
terrace can be reached externally and
internally, via Blanc de Bierges steps
in a variety of shapes, sizes and edge
profiles.
‘It was essential that the vertical slabs did not appear
as cladding. To create the plinth, standard Blanc de
Bierges ‘L’ Modules have been detailed and assembled
in a manner expressing solid masonry. This can most
clearly be seen in the ha-ha, steps, and the angled,
exposed corners to the west teaching block plinth rising
out of the lake’
Blanc de Bierges Ltd Tel: +44 (0)1858 410 048 www.blancdebierges.com
Case Study The Cable & Wireless College Coventry
Blanc de Bierges paving slabs (600 x
600 mm and 300 x 600 mm) are used
to define the covered cloister on the
south facade of the residential block.
This links the student bed-sitting
rooms, grouped around staircases in
the traditional Oxbridge manner, with
the communal facilities. The College,
as a consequence of its location, is
quite self-contained, hence David
Prichard emphasises the importance
of the refectory as the social hub of
this community.
At the east end of the site, where the
ground rises to form a small hillock,
is the leisure pavilion containing the
swimming pool, fitness centre, sports
hall and bar. The pool and plant room
are buried into the ground, which is
then reformed around the building.
The bar is at first-floor level and its
terrace forms the roof of the pool. The
terrace can be reached externally and
internally, via Blanc de Bierges steps
in a variety of shapes, sizes and edge
profiles.
A distinctive feature crafted out
of Blanc de Bierges components is
the fountain in the leisure pavilion.
Here, the architects have created the
impression that the fountain is the
source of water for the swimming
pool and that it then flows outside
the building over a waterfall, before
passing along a narrow rill or water-
filled channel framed with Blanc de
Bierges 400 x 600 x 200 mm steps.
The other main water feature is
the lake at the main entrance to the
college. Here, Blanc de Bierges ‘L’
Modules rise out of the water to form
the plinth to the west teaching block.
A splash of inspiration
The non-slip finish and low porosity
of Blanc de Bierges were particularly
useful for the wide surrounds to the
external water features, the internal
swimming pool and for the stairs,
reception area and restaurant areas.
MacCormac Jamieson Prichard’s
attention to detail on Cable & Wireless
is impressive. They produced
approximately 1,600 drawings for the
project.
The complexity of the design and
the large number of special features
and fittings placed great demands
on the contractor, subcontractors and
suppliers involved in the construction
of the college.
As it has on other special projects
- such as Evans and Shalev’s Tate
gallery at St. Ives - Blanc de Bierges
rose to the occasion, It was able to do
this because it has a dedicated team,
steeped in a philosophy similar to that
of architects.
At the end of the day, 76,000
elements from a complex 16-week
manufacturing schedule were
produced exactly on time, and
delivered in 52 mixed loads to
coincide with the contractors’ phased
programme. To achieve this, staff in
the Blanc de Bierges factory worked
throughout the Christmas/New Year
holiday period.
Blanc de Bierges is proud to have
been have been involved in this
challenging project, which shows how
close collaboration between designers
and manufacturers helps to produce
outstanding buildings.
The non-slip finish and low porosity of Blanc de Bierges
were particularly useful for the wide surrounds to the
external water features, the internal swimming pool and
for the stairs, reception area and restaurant areas.
Blanc de Bierges Ltd Tel: +44 (0)1858 410 048 www.blancdebierges.com
Case Study The Cable & Wireless College Coventry
Almost 90 per cent of the Blanc de Bierges elements
used in the project were standard items from the range.
140 x 140 x 80 mm setts and kerbs in a variety of
profiles are used to mark the parking bays and the main
pedestrian routes in the car park to the north.
colour, shape & harmony
“The waterfall is a fissure in the pavilion’s plinth and special
shapes - some of the most complicated on site - were
formed to create this feature. These ‘specials’ contain the
waterfall and obscure the trough, which together with the
noise of the waterfall, creates the illusion that there is a
subterranean reservoir.”
Stephen Cherry
Blanc de Bierges Ltd Tel: +44 (0)1858 410 048 www.blancdebierges.com
Blanc de Bierges components used on the Cable & Wireless Scheme
Saddlebaks
Steps
Retaining Walls
Spiral Stairways
Bespoke
Setts & Slabs
Copings
Pool Tiles
Gull ies & Kerbs
Architectural Masonry
Architectural Cladding
Street Furniture
AmphiSystemTM
Tree Gril les
c o m m i t t e d t o e x c e l l e n c e i n c a s t s t o n e w o r k
Head Office69 Northampton Road Market Harborough Leicestershire LE16 9HD United KingdomTel: +44 (0)1858 410 048
www.b lancdeb ierges .com